Chapter 8 The City Wakes

The city was still rubbing the sleep from its eyes when Damian Cross opened his.

No alarm. He never needed one. Years of boardroom battles had trained his body to rise before the skyline blushed with dawn.

Steel-gray light seeped through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse on the seventy-second floor. From here, the world below looked like a circuit board-bridges, headlights, and early trains glowing like tiny currents. Damian liked the view. Distance kept things simple.

He slipped into his routine with the precision of a machine. Shower set to exactly thirty-eight degrees. Suit tailored so sharply it could cut glass. Black tie, black watch, black coffee no sugar, no cream, no small talk.

While the espresso hissed, he scrolled through overnight reports on a tablet. Asian markets stable. A rival conglomerate quietly buying shares of a key supplier. Good. A fight was coming; he lived for that kind of tension.

Marriage barely crossed his mind. The wedding three weeks ago had been a transaction, nothing more.

Carter Industries needed his capital. He needed their political leverage. Aria Carter was part of the paperwork a calm, intelligent woman who hadn't begged for affection, which suited him perfectly.

No strings. No expectations. Clean.

His phone buzzed on the counter. Evelyn Grant, his personal assistant, already at headquarters.

Evelyn: "Morning update ready. Board meets at nine. I'll have the Q3 numbers on your desk."

Damian: "I'll be there at eight. Have the merger file flagged."

Short. Efficient. Exactly how he liked every conversation.

A second message appeared one he ignored for a full ten seconds.

Unknown Number: "Breakfast?."

Selene Vaughn never slept early. Of course she was awake, prowling the city like she owned it. Model, socialite, occasional investor, and his longest-running bad habit. He slid the phone face-down on the counter. He wasn't in the mood, but he also wasn't going to tell her no.

The elevator ride down was silent except for the soft hum of machinery. His driver, Peter, opened the car door with a brisk nod. Damian settled into the leather seat, coffee in one hand, tablet in the other.

As the car pulled into the awakening streets, the city stretched and yawned around him. Billboards flickered to life. Delivery trucks rattled across bridges. Pedestrians in early-morning fog looked like ghosts chasing the promise of a paycheck.

Damian watched it all with a detached calm. The world moved fast, but he always moved faster.

Marriage, he reminded himself, was simply another contract no different from the merger he was about to secure. And like every contract in his life, it would serve its purpose or be replaced.

He took a measured sip of coffee and glanced at the horizon, where the first strip of sunlight painted the skyscrapers gold.

Another day. Another battle to win.

The black sedan slid to the curb in front of Cross Global's headquarters a tower of glass and steel that cut into the morning sky. Even from the street, the building gave off the quiet pressure of money and discipline.

Peter stepped out first, opening the rear door with military precision. Damian emerged without a word. A gust of cool, conditioned air greeted him as he passed through the revolving doors.

Inside, the lobby hummed with the early rush of executives and interns. Polished marble floors reflected the silver light of the hanging LEDs. Everyone noticed him. They always did. Conversations dipped a half-second lower, footsteps quickened, spines straightened.

Damian's stride never changed. He wore authority like a second skin.

"Good morning, Mr. Cross," a security officer said, badge scanner already in hand.

Damian gave a curt nod and walked straight to the private elevator. Only a handful of people in the company had clearance to ride it. He was at the top of that very short list.

When the doors opened on the 50th floor, the hum intensified. Desks lined the open space, screens glowing with early market data. Analysts whispered updates to one another, eyes darting to the tall figure cutting through their midst. Damian ignored the ripple of glances.

"Morning, Mr. Cross," Evelyn Grant said as she intercepted him outside his office.

Late twenties, sharp charcoal suit, tablet tucked neatly under one arm Evelyn was the definition of composure. She matched his pace without breaking stride.

"Numbers?" Damian asked.

She handed him a slim folder. "Q3 projections are up three percent, ahead of expectations. Legal is finalizing the acquisition terms for Vanguard Tech. You have a board meeting at nine, followed by a press call at eleven. Lunch with Senator Hale confirmed for one."

"Any trouble with Vanguard's shareholders?"

"Minor resistance. We've prepared counter-offers."

He flipped through the pages as they walked. "Push the counter-offers today. Before lunch."

"Understood." She tapped a quick note on her tablet.

Damian reached his office a corner suite wrapped in glass and skyline. Evelyn set the morning espresso on his desk before he even asked. It was the small, exact habits that kept his world moving like clockwork.

A soft ping sounded on Evelyn's phone. She glanced at the screen and hesitated for half a breath.

"What is it?" Damian said without looking up.

"Selene Vaughn is in the lobby," she replied. "No appointment. Says she's here to see you."

Of course she is. Damian closed the folder with a snap. "Let her up."

Evelyn's perfectly neutral expression didn't shift, but Damian caught the faintest pause before she turned to relay the message. Evelyn knew Selene's reputation; everyone did. But the assistant also knew better than to comment.

Left alone, Damian walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The city sprawled beneath him, a living map of power and possibility. Deals waiting to be made. Competitors waiting to be crushed.

Marriage wasn't part of that picture. Not in any way that mattered.

He checked the time. 8:45. Fifteen minutes before the board meeting, and apparently a Selene-sized storm about to enter his office.

He didn't flinch. He never did.