The following morning, the air in the Carter mansion felt unusually crisp, carrying the faint, comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Zayn sat at the breakfast table, the smooth surface of his tablet a familiar anchor in his hand, his focus entirely on the reports scrolling across the screen. The CEO’s chair was no longer an alien concept; it felt like an extension of himself, a command center from which he orchestrated his new reality. Then, the butler’s voice, calm and measured, cut through the quiet hum of his morning ritual.
"Miss Scarlett Hayes is here to see you, sir."
A flicker of surprise crossed Zayn’s face. Scarlett Hayes was a woman of meticulous precision, her schedule a fortress of carefully planned engagements. An unannounced morning visit was… unusual. He rose from the
