Part 1 – Morning Light
Sunlight filtered through the antique windows, golden and soft. Liana stirred beneath the silk sheets, her hand brushing the warm space beside her empty.
She sat up slowly, the memory of last night vivid in every part of her body. Her heart. Her skin. Her soul.
Alexander had made her feel safe, but more than that seen. And now… vulnerable.
She wrapped the robe around herself and wandered into the adjoining lounge.
He was there, shirtless, seated at the piano, softly pressing a single key over and over. Lost in thought.
"Couldn't sleep?" she asked gently.
He looked up, offering a half-smile. "Didn't want to wake you."
She sat beside him. Silence passed easily between them.
Then she asked, "Was last night just adrenaline, or...?"
He turned to face her completely. "No. It wasn't an escape. It was a choice. And one I'm not taking back."
His honesty made her ache. But she still felt the distance in his eyes like there was more.
Something just out of reach.
Before she could ask, the house lights flickered.
A warning.
Alexander stood in a blink. "Stay here."
Part 2 – The Strike
The estate's eastern security grid had gone down. Elena was already suited in tactical black, tablet in hand.
"They jammed us with precision," she said. "One team. Armed. Fast."
"Not here to kill," Alexander replied coolly. "They're testing our fallback gauging response time."
Liana joined them, eyes sharp. "They're too confident."
"They think we're hiding," Alexander said darkly. "They don't know what we really are."
From a hidden wall panel, he unlocked a secured vault.
Liana blinked. "Is that a weapons room?"
Alexander pulled a small earpiece from a velvet box. "No. It's a call to war."
He turned to Elena. "Activate Black Protocol."
She hesitated. "You sure?"
"They're hunting ghosts," he said, slipping the earpiece in. "Let's remind them who made the shadows."
Part 3 – The Lord in the Dark
Within twenty minutes, a sleek black satellite phone connected through a triple-encrypted signal. Across the globe, five devices lit up. Private, untraceable. Operated by men and women whose names didn't exist on paper.
They answered with a single word:
"Domine."
Alexander's eyes narrowed. "They've broken Rule Three. Interference in personal sanctuaries."
A pause.
Then a low voice responded, "Understood. Subjugation protocol?"
"Not yet. Observe. Track. And prepare to dismantle Julian's entire blackchain."
Liana stood at the door, stunned.
"Domine?" she whispered.
Alexander finally turned to her, no more pretense in his voice.
"I'm not just a CEO, Liana. Before that... I was something darker. Something I used to keep control of everything Wolfe Industries couldn't touch above ground."
"You're part of the underworld."
"I was the architect of the balance. I walked away years ago. But now, Julian's broken every rule we swore to keep in place."
He stepped toward her, his eyes full of fire and regret.
"I never wanted you to see this side of me."
She didn't move. "But I need to."
He looked at her, truly looked at her. And something in him softened.
"Then stay close," he said. "Because this war isn't just corporate anymore. It's personal. And it's going to get ugly."