The next morning was a blur."Good morning, Miss Elena," Mrs. Ines said softly, the swish of curtains following her voice. Pale morning light spilled into the room, painting the floor in gold."We have to get you ready for today," she continued. "The tailor is coming for your fittings… and oh, Mr. Luca will be here to pick you up in an hour."My heart jerked. I sat up so fast my ankles nearly knocked together. "What did you say?""You heard me," she said with the faintest smile. "Now get dressed."Mrs. Ines had been the closest thing I'd had to a mother since mine left. She'd been my mother's closest friend, and after the scandal, she took me under her wing. She would wake me every morning and we'd walk the cobbled lanes of Zürich's Old Town, stopping by Uncle Yuntyez's market stall along Bahnhofstrasse. I'd help her carry back baskets of fresh produce, and we'd spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals, always careful to keep me out of Cecilia's sight.Once, when I fell sick, she left me home to rest. I wandered the halls out of boredom and that's when Cecilia found me. She sent me into the city to find a rare book. Too afraid to disobey, I walked from bookstore to bookstore until my feet ached, only to return empty-handed, feverish, and shivering. Cecilia told Max I'd "run off" and she'd been "frantic" searching for me. I spent a week in bed recovering. After that, Ines never left me alone again.Now, she stood behind me, fussing over my hair before pulling out a red lipstick. "There," she said, patting my shoulder. "All pretty and ready to go.""I agree."The voice made me turn.Luca stood at my door, one shoulder leaning casually against the frame. His black shoes shone as though they'd never touched dirt. The cut of his charcoal suit hugged his tall, toned frame perfectly. His green eyes, sharp, studied me with the same quiet intensity they always did. He looked every inch the man who would inherit the von Freuler empire."We need to leave now," he said, glancing at his watch. Then, with a slight grin, "And we need to get you some clothes."The car purred down the road with effortless precision. Luca was flipping through a folder of contracts, his jaw set in concentration."You look pretty, you know," he said suddenly, his eyes still on the papers. "That color suits you."Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I turned toward the window to hide the blush. "Thank you," I murmured.When we arrived at von Freuler Corporation, the sight stole my breath. The glass tower rose like a shard of crystal against the Zurich skyline, gleaming in the morning sun. Inside, the lobby was a cathedral of marble and glass, its walls lined with art and history that spoke of generations of wealth."This is your desk," Luca said as we stepped into a sleek, modern office overlooking Lake Zurich. "We'll be sharing a space for now, since you'll be assisting me."I traced my fingers lightly over the polished wood. For the first time in years, I felt like I might be standing somewhere I belonged and yet, under Luca's watchful gaze, I couldn't decide if I was more nervous about the work ahead… or about him.Three days had passed, and I had never been busier. From dawn until late into the evening, Luca kept me busy with meetings, conference calls, strategy sessions, and even a whirlwind of business trips across Switzerland. I had no idea the von Freuler Corporation's reach was so vast: banking, luxury goods, real estate, hospitality… the list seemed endless.Oddly, the exhaustion brought with it something I hadn't felt in years: a glow. A quiet satisfaction that I was actually doing something… something that mattered."You haven't left your desk all day, Elena," Ines said, stepping into my room with a warm smile."I know… Luca gave me a list of people to contact on his behalf," I said, rubbing my temples. "But they wouldn't even listen to my name.""Did you use your full name?" she asked, setting down a tray of Nusstorte and tea, her way of coaxing me into a break."They didn't care. And when one finally did listen, he laughed in my face. Said I was impersonating a von Freuler." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "He told me Max doesn't have any daughters."Ines's eyes softened. "Don't take it to heart, my love," she murmured, smoothing invisible wrinkles from my duvet.She paused, then fixed me with a look I couldn't quite read. "Have you rested at all today?""Well, yes. I've been productive—""Good. Adrien is home."Before I could form words, she was already out the door, leaving me in stunned silence.My irredentist, arrogant half-brother was home.Adrien.The name alone was enough to make my pulse quicken not in anticipation, but in the way one braces for a storm they know will rip through everything in its path.He hadn't lived in the house for years, preferring to burn through money in Monaco's casinos or pose on yachts in Santorini with women whose names he'd never remember. But when he was here… he made it his personal mission to remind me exactly where he thought I belonged.The faint thud of footsteps echoed down the hall, followed by the low hum of voices — Cecilia's saccharine tone, wrapping around a deeper, lazier drawl I recognized instantly.I rose from my desk, smoothing the skirt of my dress. My fingers itched with the urge to retreat, to lock my door and wait until the coast was clear. But the von Freuler household was a stage, and if I was going to be forced onto it, hiding wasn't an option anymore.When I stepped into the hall, I saw him at the top of the staircase.Adrien von Freuler.He looked exactly as I remembered — devastatingly handsome in that polished, dangerous way, wearing an expensive navy overcoat that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. A smirk tugged at his lips the second his eyes landed on me."Well, well," he drawled, descending the stairs with leisurely confidence. "If it isn't our little maid."Cecilia's smile sharpened as her gaze swept over me like a blade. "Adrien, darling, you remember Elena. Still playing assistant to Luca, I see?"I swallowed the retort burning on my tongue. "Welcome home, Adrien.""Home," he repeated, glancing around the grand hall as though it all belonged to him as though I wasn't even worth acknowledging beyond a casual insult. His eyes returned to mine, glinting with something between amusement and disdain. "Don't get too comfortable. This house has a way of… reminding people of their place."Before I could reply, Luca's voice cut through the air from behind me."Funny," he said, his tone cool, measured. "I was just about to say the same thing to you."I turned slightly, catching the way Luca's gaze locked with Adrien's… no warmth, no pretence. A silent warning passed between them, sharp enough to slice through the tension.Cecilia's smile faltered, just for a moment, before she looped her arm through her son's. "Come along, Adrien. We have things to discuss."They swept past us, the scent of her perfume lingering like smoke.Luca didn't move until they were out of sight. Then he glanced at me, his voice lower, softer. "Stay close to me, Elena. Things are about to get… interesting."Something in his tone told me he wasn't talking about business.Tonight, the long mahogany table gleamed under the crystal chandeliers, its polished surface reflecting the golden light. Silverware sparkled in perfect alignment, and the glassware caught the light like captured stars."The house has been boring without you," Cecilia purred across the table, her voice warm in a way that could burn if you got too close.I forced a polite smile, the familiar itch creeping up my arm again. In this house, words were rarely what they seemed — and dinner was never just dinner."Oh, Mother…" Adrien drawled, reclining in his chair with the easy arrogance of someone who'd never been told no. "The food, the culture, the women… all beautiful." He leaned in, his grin sharp. "But not as beautiful as you."Her laughter rang like crystal. "Mein süsser Junge," she replied in Swiss German. My sweet boy.Then his gaze shifted to me. "What about you, Elena?" he asked with a knowing smirk.All eyes turned toward me — including Luca's. The weight of their attention pressed like a stone on my chest.I lowered my gaze, nudging the food on my plate with my fork. "It's fine, thank you. I've been… doing things to improve myself. Ines has also taught me a few new dishes.""Mother also says you're running the family business," Adrien said, swirling the wine in his glass.A nervous laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "That must be an exaggeration. I was only assigned to assist Luca—""Oh, don't be humble, Elena," Cecilia interjected, her smile just a touch too tight."Tell us," Adrien pressed, his tone laced with something I couldn't quite name."It's been a wonderful experience so far," Luca's voice cut in before I could fumble for an answer. His tone was calm but carried the subtle authority of someone used to owning the conversation. "Elena is extremely bright. She's picked up on everything I've asked or suggested… unlike someone I know."Adrien's smirk froze. He gave a dry cough, leaning back in his chair."Before Luca was given the go-ahead to handle the company," Luca continued, "Adrien was… tried in the role. Let's just say America was the only way to survive the damage he caused."A heavy silence settled over the table. I could almost hear Cecilia's nails biting into her wine glass stem.Adrien gave another tense cough, his jaw tight."Genug der Rezension," he muttered in Swiss German. "Enough of the review. We need to eat."Luca's lips quirked in the faintest shadow of a smile. "By all means," he said smoothly, raising his glass.Dinner resumed, but the taste of the food was lost on me. The real feast was the silent war playing out across the table — and I had the uneasy feeling I'd just been seated at the center of it.
