The towering glass building of Kline Industries rose against the city skyline like a blade, sharp and gleaming in the morning sun. It wasn't just an office — it was a fortress, the heart of every backroom deal and corporate betrayal in the city. And today, Hazel wasn't just a pawn walking into enemy territory.
She was walking in beside Michael Graze.
The lobby was a sprawling sea of marble and steel. Security tensed at the sight of them, but Michael didn't spare them a glance. Dressed in a tailored charcoal suit, his presence cut through the air like a weapon. Hazel, in a black power suit and crimson lips, matched him stride for stride.
"Executive floor," Michael ordered curtly as they stepped into the elevator.
Hazel's pulse hammered, but it wasn't fear anymore. It was the thrill of standing on the edge of something dangerous and knowing she belonged there.
As the elevator doors opened on the top floor, they were met by Connor and two more security men.
"She's in the boardroom," Connor reported. "And she's not alone."
Michael's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"Kline himself."
Hazel felt a ripple of cold anticipation. Robert Kline — the man behind half the corruption in the city and Vanessa's secret partner.
"Let's end this," Michael growled.
They pushed through the glass doors of the boardroom. Vanessa spun around from where she stood at the head of the long, polished table, flanked by Kline and two of his men.
"Well, well," Vanessa purred, leaning back against the table. "Didn't expect you to crawl in here so soon."
Hazel smiled coldly. "Funny — we were thinking the same thing."
Kline rose, his expression as smug as it was dangerous. "Graze. You've made a mistake coming here."
Michael didn't flinch. "The only mistake was letting you breathe this long."
He tossed a folder onto the table. Photos, contracts, money transfers. Proof of every shady deal Vanessa and Kline had ever made — and how Michael and Hazel had spent the last two days buying out their silent partners one by one.
Vanessa's face paled as she flipped through it. "You… you had no right—"
"I have every right," Hazel cut in, her voice sharp and steady. "You targeted my family. You threatened my life. And now you lose everything."
Michael's phone buzzed. He held it up without looking.
"The press already has it," he told them. "By noon, your accounts will be frozen. Your partners have abandoned you. You're finished."
Kline snarled, stepping toward them. "You'll regret this."
Connor leveled a gun at him. "Take another step. I dare you."
Vanessa's composure crumbled, her expression twisting into pure hatred.
"This isn't over."
Hazel stepped closer, her voice low and final. "For you, it is."
Michael wrapped an arm around Hazel's waist, pulling her against him as security closed in.
"Clean this up," Michael ordered Connor. "No loose ends."
As they walked out of Kline Tower together, the city's cold wind hit them like a promise.
"You're dangerous," Michael murmured to Hazel, pride and heat in his gaze.
She smiled. "You made me this way."
And for the first time, they weren't just survivors.
They were rulers....