Chapter 1 1

King Wagner pushed open the heavy oak door of his penthouse, and the roar of the Friday night Manhattan storm was instantly severed, replaced by a silence so expensive it felt like pressure against the eardrums. He didn't reach for the light switch. He didn't need to. He knew the geography of his own sanctuary, the precise placement of every Italian leather chair and marble surface.

But something was wrong.

Underneath the scent of ozone and his own cold fir-scented air conditioning, there was a foreign smell. It was faint, earthy, like dried weeds and dust. Wild sage.

He stopped moving. His eyes adjusted to the gloom, scanning the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the drowning city.

A shadow detached itself from the heavy velvet drapes.

Adeline Golden stood with her back against the bulletproof glass. Her heart hammered against her ribs so hard she felt the vibrations in her fingertips. She forced her knees to lock, refusing to slide down to the floor. In her right hand, her knuckles white and aching, she gripped a small titanium USB drive. It was warm from her sweat.

She couldn't see his face, only the outline of broad shoulders and the predatory stillness of his posture. He moved before she could draw a breath.

He didn't walk; he glided, a shark cutting through dark water. Before her brain could fire the signal to run, a hand made of steel clamped around her jaw.

Adeline gasped, a choked sound that died in her throat as he slammed her back against the cold glass. The impact rattled her teeth.

"Give me one reason not to throw you off this balcony, Ms. Golden," King said. His voice was a low rumble, vibrating through the hand that held her face. He didn't sound angry. He sounded bored.

He knew who she was. He hadn't even turned on the light, and he knew she was the exile, the crazy one, the girl sent away to Utah to rot.

Adeline's pupils constricted. Her free hand came up, not to claw at him, but to hold the USB drive between their faces.

"Because this drive contains your 2018 withdrawal records from the Silver Creek Rehab Center," she whispered, her voice trembling but clear. "And the raw audio files of you illegally shorting McKinnon Pharmaceuticals."

King's thumb, which had been pressing against her carotid artery, paused. The pressure didn't increase, but it didn't vanish. His security system would have already scanned the device, confirming its contents were encrypted and likely tied to a dead man's switch. The risk was contained, but the audacity... that was new. He tilted his head, the movement barely visible in the dark.

"Is that so?"

"Dead man's switch," she said, the lie tasting like copper in her mouth. "If I don't walk out of here, an email goes to the SEC."

King laughed. It was a dry, humorless sound. He released her abruptly and stepped back. The sudden absence of his heat made her shiver.

A lamp clicked on. Amber light flooded the room, blinding her for a second. When her vision cleared, King was walking toward the wet bar as if he hadn't just threatened to murder her. He poured two fingers of amber liquid into a crystal glass.

"You went to a survivalist commune in Utah and learned blackmail?" he asked, not looking at her.

Adeline straightened her collar. Her clothes were cheap, thrift-store cotton that felt rough against her skin compared to the luxury surrounding her. "I learned to use whatever tools are at hand to survive. You just happen to be the sharpest knife in the drawer."

King turned, holding the glass out to her. As she reached for it, his fingers brushed hers. His skin was warm, hers was ice cold. He noticed. His gray eyes lingered on her trembling hand.

"If I destroy that drive," he said, taking a sip of his own drink, "you have nothing."

"Try it," she challenged, taking a gulp of the whiskey. It burned all the way down, settling like a hot stone in her empty stomach. "See if the SEC finds the backup interesting."

King watched her. He saw the fear in the pulse jumping at her throat, but he also saw the desperation in her eyes. It intrigued him. Preston's fiancée was supposed to be a broken doll, not a cornered animal.

He stepped closer, invading her personal space again. He took the glass from her hand and set it on the table behind her, trapping her between his body and the furniture.

"I don't accept threats," King said softly. "But I do accept deals."

Adeline's breath hitched. "What conditions?"

King's hand moved to her waist. His thumb rubbed against the cheap fabric of her shirt, feeling the tension in the muscles beneath. "I need to verify if this 'asset' is worth the risk."

The implication hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.

Adeline stiffened. Memories of Preston laughing at her, calling her frumpy and unlovable, flashed through her mind. This man was Preston's uncle. The head of the family. The real power.

If she did this, there was no going back.

She closed her eyes, blocking out the gray scrutiny of his gaze. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. It was clumsy, hesitant.

King didn't move. He let her linger there, tasting her fear and her resolve.

Then, his hand tangled in her hair, gripping the back of her skull. He pulled her head back and kissed her, hard. It wasn't romantic. It was a claim. It was a punishment.

Thunder cracked outside, shaking the window panes, but the sound was lost under the friction of fabric and the sharp intake of breath.

Adeline felt a twisted spike of satisfaction pierce through her fear. She was sleeping with the enemy. She was betraying the family that threw her away.

Later, the rain had settled into a steady drone. King stood by the window, wrapped in a dark robe, smoking a cigarette. The smoke curled around his head like a halo.

Adeline sat on the edge of the massive bed, pulling the silk sheet up to her chin. The USB drive still sat on the table, untouched.

King exhaled a plume of smoke. He didn't turn around.

"Preston is calling a family meeting at nine tomorrow morning," he said. His voice was devoid of emotion. "You better learn how to dress like a Wagner before then."

Adeline tightened her grip on the sheet. The deal was done.

King turned then, flicking a black credit card onto the mattress near her feet.

"The PIN is the acquisition date for Golden Media," he said. "The one I'm planning. A reminder of your purpose. Don't make me regret not throwing you off the balcony."