Against all odds, he stepped aside and let the man into his home. It was clear that he wasn’t here to continue celebrating his birthday, and Andrew didn’t like at all that Delclaux had shown up unannounced. How urgent could this matter be? Perhaps something had happened last night that he hadn’t learned about. Maybe the man had actually closed a deal with some of the special guests from the party, and he was unaware.Still, a strange feeling settled in his chest, sending a warning he couldn’t ignore. With everything that had happened between Luciano and him, he could expect anything.“Would you like something to drink?” he asked, purely out of courtesy. He guided the man to the living room, and a wave of unease settled over him as he saw him sit on the sofa, acting as if he owned the place. He also didn’t like the grim smile that Luciano continued to wear.“I suppose I’ll take a coffee,” Luciano said, still smiling. “Caffeine is a good stimulant for dealing with any matter.”Without a

He didn’t know how long he stood there with his gaze lost, his thoughts tangled in knots. His head felt like it was about to burst, and a low groan escaped him as a sharp pain shot through his temples.“Andrew?” She closed her eyes for a few seconds… His assistant was still in the house. “Are you… okay?”“You heard, didn’t you?” he asked, opening his eyes and glancing at her. Even though he already knew the answer, he needed to hear it from her lips.“Yes,” Johari nodded, standing up and walking toward the kitchen. “Mr. Delclaux has explicit proof of us and recommended you fire me. But he didn’t say what he wants. Do you have any idea what…”“I want to be alone, Johari,” Andrew said, opening a drawer. When he lifted his gaze, something inside his chest broke. Her dark brown eyes, almost ebony, had lost their sparkle; the look she gave him was empty, almost clinical.“You want me to leave you alone when we’re both involved in a huge problem?”“Exactly,” he replied, turning back to ru

He had spent the rest of the day on autopilot. He attended a meeting, a late business lunch, and now found himself seated once again in his comfortable chair, behind his immaculate, orderly desk.He thought of nothing during the hours he spent busy with company matters, important business affairs, and the new projects on the horizon. But now, finally free from his obligations and responsibilities toward Chrome Machine, his mind began to dwell on everything that had happened that morning with the man he had known for more than a decade and in whom he had placed absolute trust.Perhaps over all those years he had not always seen eye to eye with Luciano Delclaux when it came to certain aspects of how the company should be run, but the man had never acted against it. He was damn good at business, and without question, everything he had done so far had been for the benefit of Chrome Machine. That was precisely why he had begun to delegate part of his work to him. He trusted him blindly.An

Fine. Everything was fine… or maybe not as fine as he would have liked. Honestly, he hadn’t thought about anything productive the previous afternoon, because he had chosen to talk to his assistant, clear up a few doubts, and then—well—play a bit of boss and secretary in his office. For God’s sake, he had let himself get carried away by the game and ended up having sex with Johari in his office: on his desk, on the sofa, against the locked door, and… yes, they had let the moment take over. More than once.If he had to take something positive from everything that had happened that afternoon, it would be that the clarifying conversation with Johari had helped him immensely. He now knew that what they shared was not based solely on mutual attraction and desire. There was something else growing between them. Something much deeper, though still undefined.Some time ago, he had had a rather twisted thought, and he didn’t know why that same thought was now circling his mind again.“My God, I

Honestly, he hadn’t given much thought to his words before letting them slip out. In fact, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of making his personal—or romantic—relationship with Johari public. He simply… followed his impulses, facing Luciano Delclaux in his office with that arrogant expression and nearly sinister smile.Things were not well. Not at all. It wasn’t just his private life at stake, but also the future of the company he had inherited from his father, should everything blow up. Yet there he was, holding his assistant’s hand firmly, as if she were his anchor. And somehow, it was a comforting thought. Of course, there was still much to deal with…“Oh, good joke, Andrew,” the vice president interrupted, cutting his thoughts. “For a second, I thought you were serious, but now, seeing the doubt on your face, I suppose…”“Joke? No, this is not a joke, Luciano,” Andrew said, tilting his head to one side. “Though I must admit I didn’t think it through, I’m tired of being bl