Chapter 36 Marriage to Arianne had never crossed Franz’s mind before. Just as Lily said before, Arianne was like the moon, far and out of his reach. Yet now she was being subjected to the board, which was seeking to assume authority by affiliating with the Rochefort family through marriage.

Chapter 35 When Arianne stepped out of the conference room, she wasn’t surprised to see Franz waiting for her in the hallway. It had been a week since Vincent collapsed, and it had been the first time she’d seen Franz at the company since then. “Aria,” he called after her.

Chapter 34 A week had passed, but the speculations only intensified. The Rochefort Group released a statement three days ago, but the media questioned Franz’s leadership publicly. They were not questioning his legitimacy, but his inexperience. Another meeting was scheduled that day. Arianne already received the report on a slight

Chapter 33 The news over the next three days intensified, but Arianne didn’t expect that they were specifically questioning Franz’s competency and legitimacy as Rochefort’s successor after his brother. Franz was never raised as a spare to Alex. He was allowed to pursue the path without pressure because of the

Chapter 32 Upon learning of the Chairman’s sudden collapse, Arianne considered the possibility of a mole within the Rochefort Group. It hadn’t been three hours since the incident, but Lucas and the Communication department had already received calls about the rumors. Arianne hadn’t dared to go to bed after returning

Chapter 31 Arianne waited in the hospital parking lot that night. She had been preparing to sleep when Gilbert called to tell her Vincent had collapsed at home and was being rushed to the hospital. She stepped out of the car as soon as they came to a stop. Gilbert

Chapter 30 Arianne had learned a long time ago that change was constant. Like time, it never waits for anyone, not even for her. Choosing one decision would always entail several paths and a future. She had anticipated several scenarios when she made a choice, but despite knowing what was

Chapter 29 The meeting did not wait for her. By the time Arianne reached the conference floor, the doors were already closed. Voices carried faintly through the glass—steady, uninterrupted. The screen inside glowed with figures she did not need to see to recognize. She entered without pause. No one looked

Chapter 28 The house was already awake when Franz came downstairs. That, in itself, was not unusual. Schedules had always been kept tightly. What had changed was how smoothly the morning fell into place with their routines. Staff moved through it without hesitation, doing routines and tasks that no longer

Chapter 27 The corridor outside the conference room had returned to its normal rhythm. People spoke in lower voices, not because they were cautious, but because nothing required emphasis anymore. Doors closed. Shoes crossed polished floors. Someone laughed near the elevators, then corrected their volume without thinking about it. The

Chapter 26 The meeting room was already full the moment Marcus arrived. That, in itself, unsettled him. He had expected yet another delay or last-minute adjustments. Perhaps even another quiet rescheduling. That had been Arianne Summer’s pattern, hadn’t it? Silence. Deferral. Careful distance. She never allowed herself to be fully

Chapter 25 The meeting Arianne scheduled did not happen immediately. That was the first mistake Marcus Hale made. He assumed delay meant hesitation on her part. That silence meant reconsideration. When nothing followed her notice, no clarification, no correction, and no visible response, he relaxed. The approval stalled again, and

Chapter 24 Rumors weren’t new to Arianne. Even when she was younger, she was surrounded by it. She noticed them before they announced themselves, but never acknowledged their existence. Voices that paused, words that trailed off whenever she was near, questions wrapped in concern, casually thrown. No one repeated them

Chapter 23 Arianne made a decision but held off on the announcement. She didn’t call a meeting or request acknowledgement. She simply made a call and ended it before the other party could ask for clarification. “Schedule a joint review,” she merely said. “I’ll attend p> That was all. By

Chapter 22 The message reached Arianne in the middle of her break. It wasn’t marked urgent. There was no subject line beyond a simple request in the body: “The Chairman would like to see you when you are available p> She read it once, then set the tablet aside without

Chapter 21 The shift was subtle at first, but already within Arianne’s expectations. Arianne saw that reports were arriving later than usual. Their summaries were more cautious. Updates that used to end with clear information now closed with phrases like “pending further clarification” or “awaiting confirmation p> No one said

Chapter 20 Silence was not the same as refusal. That was what Lily had been telling herself for the past few days. Sitting on the edge of the couch with her legs tucked beneath her, Lily stared at the darkened screen of her phone. If it were a refusal, their

Chapter 19 The second issue appeared two days later. It arrived not as a report, but as a casual remark at the end of a meeting. It was almost an afterthought, delivered while people were already gathering their things. The meeting room had already begun to empty. Chairs shifted back

Chapter 18 The delay surfaced during a routine review. No one announced it. No one reacted to it immediately. It appeared as a single line in the progress report, marked pending. Most people skimmed past. Even seasoned managers and executives dismissed it. No one lingered on the line long enough

Chapter 17 The meeting ended without ceremony. Arianne gathered her documents calmly as the board members filed out, their conversations resuming in low voices. No one lingered. No one pressed for her opinion again. Lucas’s reminder during the meeting had effectively drawn a line across the table. She stepped into