Andy was already waiting inside when he opened the door.
She had changed out of her business suit into a comfortable but high-quality cream-colored cashmere sweater and fitted trousers. Her long hair was casually pulled back, revealing her elegant neck.
"The campus prince is back?" Andy lifted her eyes, a smile playing on her lips, her gaze simultaneously sharp and soft. "Looks like market sentiment was strong today, judging by the triple-digit focus index."
Hawk took off his suit jacket, draped it casually over the chair, and walked toward her. "How's the media maneuvering against Bates Capital progressing?"
"On track," Andy said, handing him a cup of coffee. Her fingertips subtly brushed the back of his hand, leaving a lingering, slight sensation. "Several mainstream financial media outlets, citing 'anonymous sources,' have begun hinting at Bates Capital's risk exposure to certain gray-market projects in East Asia. Evidence of Bates Capital's dealings with gangs and foreign criminal groups is starting to surface online."
Hawk nodded, taking a sip of coffee, his eyes resting on Andy's face. Relieved of the absolute tension of her work, she now projected a kind of intellectual languor and deep charm.
"How are the two of them?"
"Ja-yoon," Andy's tone gained a touch of gravity when she mentioned the name. "She's adapting. Her learning speed, especially for combat techniques and weapon usage, is far beyond expectations. But basic life skills… she's like a newborn apex predator. I've arranged foundational lessons, starting with recognizing currency and riding the subway. She spends most of her time in the shadows of the apartment; her alertness never drops. As for Si-ah…"
Andy's expression softened. "She's happy. Like a true child discovering a new world. We bought her a full set of art supplies. She's spent the whole day drawing the view from the window, and also… you. The drawing is rather abstract, but you can definitely tell it's 'Mr. King' through her eyes." Andy opened her tablet, showing a drawing with bold colors and naive lines: a black figure in a long trench coat standing atop a tall building, the background a city glittering like stars.
Hawk looked at the drawing, his lips twitching. "Well… she perfectly avoided drawing my handsomest features." He was met with a beautiful eye-roll from Andy.
"Protect that innocence. It's her most valuable asset, and potentially her most powerful weapon in the future."
"Understood." Andy set the tablet down and walked to the window, looking down at the campus. "Bates should be scrambling by now." She added, "And it seems they received orders from someone and are trying to rapidly move core assets through several offshore shell companies. The methods are sloppy, leaving plenty of loose ends."
"That's exactly what we want," Hawk said, stepping behind her, his voice dropping low. "Let them panic. Let them make mistakes. Make them expose all their 'loose ends.' I want the name Bates Capital completely wiped from the map of Wall Street within one month."
He reached out, his long fingers gently caressing Andy's neck, which was revealed where her long hair was pinned up. The skin there was delicate and warm.
Andy's body tensed slightly, then relaxed. A deeper layer of trust and understanding flowed between them in silence. She didn't turn around, simply leaning back slightly, allowing her spine to rest against his chest.
"You need to be careful. Increase your bodyguard detail for a while. They might be desperate enough to lash out. Though it won't be for much longer."
"I know." Hawk's hand slid from her neck to her shoulder, slowly turning her to face him. The distance between them instantly vanished; their breaths mingled. The sunlight outlined his defined jawline, and his light brown eyes were deep as an abyss.
Andy didn't resist. She merely raised her eyes, now slightly moistened, to look at him. The air seemed to condense. She wasn't an inexperienced girl, but the mixture of absolute power and deadly attraction that radiated from Hawk could always easily dismantle her proud self-control.
She tilted her head up slightly, not backing down, but instead looking like a queen ready for a challenge. "Instructions?"
Hawk's lips curled. He didn't answer, but suddenly dipped his head down…
"…Hawk… this is the…" Andy gasped between kisses, trying to remind him that even though this was a discreet safe house, it was still on campus.
"A safe house. It's very safe." Hawk's voice was thick with breath.
Andy's last line of rational defense collapsed.
The suit jacket, the cashmere sweater, the shirt… were peeled away one by one, sliding silently onto the thickly carpeted floor. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting their intertwined shadows onto the floor.
After the storm, there was a quiet, tangled tranquility.
In the days that followed, the Wall Street skies were ignited by an invisible fire. The Lane Group's massive financial engine—Lane Capital—operated with ruthless efficiency under the command of business genius Andy.
Step 1: Escalating the Media Firestorm.
The financial media, which had previously only given "anonymous hints," began publishing named investigative reports and in-depth analyses. Bates Capital's previously carefully concealed links to the East Asian gray market and organized crime were exposed like Pandora's Box being opened.
Detailed, damning "evidence" was continuously thrown into the public eye. On social media, tags labeling Bates Capital as "Blood-Soaked" and "Financial Mobsters" spread like wildfire, triggering public anger and panic.