đź’Ľ One Secret Leads to Another
Julian Crane never doubted his instincts—until Selene Blackwood.
He stood by the glass wall of his suite, the early Singapore sun casting gold streaks across the city skyline. The note Selene received last night—it wasn't just a threat. It was a game-changer.
And she hadn't told him.
"Who are you really, Selene?" he muttered, fingers clenching the copy of the anonymous letter his assistant had stealthily recovered from her hotel trash.
You don't know who you're working with. But they know everything about you.
There were no fingerprints. No markings. Just a typed message on premium textured paper—luxury, subtle, expensive. Someone with power. Someone inside.
Julian had enemies, but Selene? She had ghosts.
He wasn't sure if she needed protection… or if he needed it from her.
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🧊 Selene vs Camille: Ice Cracks
"Where's the report?" Selene snapped as she walked into the executive lounge later that morning.
Camille didn't flinch. "Which one? The one that says your department's bleeding money? Or the one where Julian kissed you last night?"
Selene's blood ran cold. "Excuse me?"
Camille smiled like a cat. "The walls in this hotel are thinner than your poker face."
Selene stepped closer. "Stay out of my business."
"You are my business," Camille said. "You may own forty percent of BlackCrane Holdings, but I own your past."
Selene's eyes narrowed. "You don't know a damn thing about me."
"Oh, sweetie," Camille purred. "I know enough to bring you down. But I'm generous. I'm giving you time to back off."
"From what?"
"Julian."
Selene laughed, but there was no humor in it. "He's not a prize to win."
"No," Camille said, "but he is leverage."
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🔍 Marcus Reveals a Thread
Later that afternoon, Selene was reviewing client profiles on her tablet near the rooftop pool when Marcus appeared, sunglasses hanging from his shirt, an unsettling grin on his face.
"You still read contracts like they're love letters," he said.
She didn't look up. "You still sneak up on women like a stalker."
He chuckled. "I liked it better when we used to argue naked."
She finally glanced at him. "What do you want?"
Marcus sat beside her. "A warning."
"From you? That's rich."
"I'm serious. Camille's not playing fair."
Selene rolled her eyes. "She never has."
"No," Marcus said. "This time's different. She's working with someone on the board."
Selene's fingers paused mid-scroll.
"Who?"
"I don't know. But they're feeding her information—about you. About your past."
Her jaw tightened. "Then let them."
"You don't get it," Marcus said, his tone shifting. "She's not just trying to oust you. She wants to ruin you."
"And you? Why warn me now?"
He sighed. "Because for all our history… I never wanted to see you destroyed."
Selene looked away.
"I don't need your protection," she said quietly.
"No," he replied. "But you do need someone to watch your back. And I've already got the scars to prove I can."
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🕶️ Julian Digs Deeper
That evening, Julian sat with his long-time investigator, Nina, in a hidden corner of a private bar in Chinatown.
"I ran background on Marcus Hale," Nina said, sliding over a tablet. "His connections to Camille go back further than you knew. They were once engaged. Briefly. Two years ago. Overlapped with Selene."
Julian blinked. "That bastard."
"There's more," she said. "Camille recently had a private meeting with Arnold Grant—board member, old-school loyalist, and… your father's friend."
Julian leaned back, throat tightening.
"You think they're trying to stage a takeover?"
"I think they're doing more than that," Nina said. "They're digging up skeletons. And Blackwood has a few."
Julian hesitated. "Did you find anything?"
"Not yet. But someone's definitely looking."
Julian clenched his fists.
"I won't let them blindside her."
"Julian," Nina said carefully, "you sure she's innocent?"
He didn't answer.
He wasn't sure of anything anymore.
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🥂 At the Press Conference – Public Faces, Private Wars
The next morning, the rooftop press conference was a display of luxury and lies.
Julian and Selene stood side by side, poised, perfect, pretending to be united for the cameras.
Camille gave her introductory remarks, then handed the mic to Julian.
"We're proud to announce a new joint venture between Crane Corp and Blackwood International," he said smoothly. "Together, we'll launch 'Infinity,' a premium service model that blends cutting-edge AI with personalized concierge investment."
Reporters clapped.
Flashes popped.
Selene took the mic next.
"I look forward to redefining what executive excellence looks like—not just in Asia, but worldwide. This partnership is built not just on shared capital, but on shared vision."
As she stepped back, Julian whispered near her ear.
"Nice save. But we need to talk—alone."
She nodded stiffly.
They both knew the world was watching.
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🌪️ Emotional Collision
Back in the suite, doors closed, masks off, the storm finally hit.
"You knew someone left me a threat," Selene said, arms crossed. "And you snooped through my trash?"
"You weren't going to tell me," Julian said.
"I don't owe you my secrets."
"We're in this together."
"No. We're forced into this," she snapped. "You think just because we kissed, you get to demand answers?"
"I'm not asking as a lover. I'm asking as a man who just watched you stand in front of a hundred people and lie through your teeth with grace."
Selene's lip trembled, just slightly.
Julian stepped closer.
"I know you're scared."
"I'm not."
He cupped her jaw. "You're not bulletproof, Selene."
She pushed him away.
"I have to be."
He stared at her, something breaking.
"You don't. Not with me."
"Then stop making me feel, Julian!"
Silence.
And then—against all reason, against all logic—he kissed her.
Not with desperation. With devastation.
Because feelings weren't meant to be part of the plan.
But they were there. Wild. Dangerous. Real.
And real could destroy everything.
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🧩 Meanwhile… Camille's Trap Tightens
Downstairs, Camille met with Arnold Grant in the hotel's cigar lounge.
"Julian's distracted," she said coolly. "And Selene's one mistake away from collapse."
Arnold nodded. "And Marcus?"
"Leashed. For now."
Camille leaned in. "Once we get the board's vote, Selene's shares will be useless."
Arnold smirked. "And Julian?"
Camille's eyes glittered.
"He'll lose her… and the company."
She raised a toast.
"To loyalty. And leverage."
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