The city glittered below his mansion, like a sea of diamonds, but Chaos wasn't looking at it.
He stood before the massive glass windows, a tumbler of whiskey in one hand, the other tucked neatly in his pocket. His tie was loose, jacket abandoned on the leather sofa, but his posture remained razor-sharp, like even at rest, he was built for war.
Xavier stood nearby, flipping through the signed preliminary documents. "It's official," he said quietly. "Saints Company will be tied to us for three years. Equal profits. Equal shares." He paused, eyes lifting. "You've never agreed so quickly to anyone before."
Chaos swirled the whiskey in his glass, the amber liquid catching the cold light.
"That's because no one else dared sit across from me like she did." His voice was low, calm, but the memory of Kashi's gaze, unyielding, challenging, burned fresh in his mind. "She didn't beg. Didn't flinch. She put the entire market on the table and told me to pick a side."
Alex, sprawled on the couch with his usual careless grin, let out a loud laugh. "And you loved every damn second of it." He flicked ash from his cigar, shaking his head. "Kashi Saints… ,Bratan, that girl is dangerous. I like her."
[Brother]
Chaos finally turned from the window, gaze sharp, expression unreadable. "Dangerous," he echoed softly, almost amused.
"Vozmozhno… eto imenno ona" His eyes lowered briefly, thoughtful, the Russian accent flowing off smoothly from him
[Perhaps… it's her]
He set the glass down and stepped closer to the table where the Saints Company file lay open. His gloved fingers rested lightly over her name on the documents.
"Three years," he murmured, more to himself than to either of them. "Let's see if she survives them without burning herself alive."
The smirk that curved his lips was cold, but beneath it, something sharper stirred. A hungry glimmer flickered in his icy blue eyes.
***********************************************************
The world woke up to chaos that week, literally.
"Saints Company Partners With X Holdings: A Deal That Shakes the Global Market!"
"Heiress Kashi Saints Secures What Grey Couldn't, Exclusive Deal With Chaos Riegrow."
"Saints & Riegrow: The New Axis of Power?"
Screens in every financial hub flashed the news. Stock tickers rolled upward as Saints Company's shares surged by 18% in a single morning. Reporters crowded the steps of Saints headquarters, cameras flashing, eager to capture the woman who had done the impossible.
Every outlet spun its own angle. Some praised Kashi as the sharpest businesswoman of her generation. Others warned that partnering with Chaos Riegrow was like "dancing with the devil in a glass palace." Social media went wild, clips of Kashi leaving the boardroom alongside Zach, eyes cold and confident, replayed everywhere.
Meanwhile, Grey Holdings went into freefall. Damian's carefully cultivated empire began to crack as shareholders demanded answers. How could the Saint heiress, his former fiancée, have not only risen from scandal, but also landed the deal he had chased for years?
"Grey Holdings in Trouble? Damian Grey Silent Amidst Saints-X Deal."
"Natalie Hart Seen at Grey HQ, Tensions Rising as Investors Panic."
Inside Grey's tower, Damian slammed a glass against the wall, fury radiating off him as he stared at the headlines. "How the fuck did she get back up! She should have stayed down." he hissed, shards scattering across the floor. "Not rise from the ashes."
And yet, there it was, Kashi's name, side by side with Chaos Riegrow, lighting up every screen in the world.
After days of media frenzy, Kashi took time off work to breathe.
For the first time in weeks, the house was quiet. No ringing phones, no endless reports, no boardroom bickering, just Kashi curled up by the window, a book in hand, sunlight spilling across her lap. It felt almost foreign to breathe without the weight of Saints Company pressing down.
Of course, peace never lasted long with Zarri.
The door burst open, and in she came, tossing her designer bag onto the couch like she owned the place. "Mi encanto!" she sang, flopping dramatically onto Kashi's bed. "Guess what?"
Kashi didn't even look up from her book.
"No."
"Yes!" Zarri chirped, rolling over and grabbing a pillow like a child. "There's a party tonight. Huge. Exclusive. Everyone who's anyone will be there. And...." she paused for dramatic effect, "....word on the street is that the Riegrows might actually show up."
She wiggled her brows, clearly enjoying herself. "Come on, Kashi. After all this media frenzy, you deserve to step out, let them see you glow. Show the world you're not just the headline, you're the whole damn story."
Zarri sat up suddenly, eyes sparkling with mischief. "And if Chaos is there…" she smirked knowingly, "…well, wouldn't that be interesting?"
At the name, something struck deep in Kashi, sharp and sudden. A smile threatened her mouth before she could stop it. She covered it up quickly, shifting her gaze back to the page as if the words hadn't just rearranged her pulse.
"No, Zarri. No party."
Zarri froze mid–eye-roll, her sharp gaze catching the flicker Kashi had tried to hide. She gasped, clutching her chest dramatically like she'd just uncovered the world's biggest secret.
"Oh. My. God." She leaned forward, practically nose-to-nose with Kashi, grin wicked. "You smiled. Don't even try to deny it. I said 'Chaos,' and you lit up like a damn Christmas tree!"
She flopped back onto the bed, kicking her legs in the air with glee. "Mi encanto, you're gone. Absolutely gone for him. And you've been whining about not wanting a party? Please."
Zarri sat up again, eyes gleaming with mischief. "You don't want a party… you want him."
Frank's voice drifted in from the hall, gruff but amused. "God save us if that's true."
Zarri laughed and hurled the pillow toward the door. "Out, Frank! This is girl talk." Then she turned back to Kashi, smirk softening into something knowing. "Kashi… say the word, and I'll have the perfect dress waiting. But stop lying to yourself, you want to see him again."
The room hung heavy with her words.
Kashi lingered in her thoughts for a moment longer than she meant to, staring at the book without reading a single line. Then, like the truth slipped out before pride could catch it, she murmured, meek and reluctant:
"Yesss."
Zarri squealed so loudly the maids downstairs probably heard. She grabbed both of Kashi's hands and bounced on the bed like an overexcited child.
"I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" she sang, shaking Kashi by the shoulders. "Finally! Miss Ice Queen admits she wants a man, and not just any man. Chaos Riegrow!"
She released her, collapsing dramatically onto the pillows and fanning herself. "Dios mío, do you realize what this means? The most feared man in the world and the most spoiled heiress alive, together? The tabloids will combust, and I'll be there, front row, sipping champagne while it happens."
Zarri popped up again, eyes sparkling like diamonds the mischief returned, full force.
"Now," Zarri said brightly, "say the word, and I'll make the arrangements."