The sky was gray and heavy, rain falling in a fine, relentless drizzle.


    On the slick city streets, an orange Bentley Continental cut a vivid line through the gloom, gliding smoothly along the avenue. In the backseat, a woman in a soft beige knit dress leaned against the leather, eyes closed for a moment''s rest.


    Suddenly, her phone buzzed.


    M was exhausted-days of back-to-back work had drained her. Without even ncing at the caller ID, she answered on autopilot. But as soon as she heard the voice on the other end, her brow furrowed and she slowly straightened up.


    "Giselle?"


    She was surprised. Giselle was thest person she expected to call her.


    What was she scheming now?


    M considered hanging up, but instead kept the line open, her tone cool and detached. "What is it?"


    "You shot down my project proposal?" Giselle''s voice was even colder than hers.


    M arched a delicate eyebrow, genuinely puzzled. "Did you really not see thating?"


    There was a pause, followed by Giselle''s icy reply: "There''s nothing wrong with that proposal."


    "Maybe not in theory." M''s tone remained measured. "But your development team isn''t up to the job-the project''s beyond their capabilities. Ande on, Giselle, you know there are holes in your n. Do I really have to spell it out for you?"


    Silence.


    Then Giselle snapped, teeth clenched, “M, there''s nothing wrong with my proposal. You''re just out to get me!"


    She continued, voice trembling with usation, "Don''t forget, Falcon Technologies only exists because Lysander fought for it-it was his passion, his legacy. I wrote that proposal to honor his vision. You already cost him his life. Are you really going to destroy everything he left behind?"


    "If you''d just stop sabotaging my applications, the project would get plenty of funding. I could hire a better team and make it work!"


    M said nothing.


    Sometimes, she truly couldn''t understand Giselle. For the past year, she and Conrad had been cleaning up the mess Lysander left after his ident, barely paying attention to Falcon Technologies.


    And yet, somehow, that fledglingpany-once left hanging after losing a major backer-had survived, all thanks to Giselle''s maneuvering. M had to admit: in business, Giselle was formidable.


    It was a shame about her morals.


    That was what M could never understand. Giselle was smart, driven. Why cling so desperately to a man-especially one who''d been gone for a year? Why resort to underhanded tactics?


    Was it love? M doubted it.


    She''d never been close to Giselle, but everything about her screamed pragmatism, not sentimentality. Now that the Montgomery family had distanced themselves, why not just let go of those Falcon Technologies shares, which she''d obtained through dubious means?


    With her talent and the Harvey family behind her, Giselle could build her own empire. So why the obsession?


    M shook her head. She''d never figured Giselle out.


    "Sabotaging you?" M''s voice was calm. "Why would I bother? Unless you did something to me I don''t know about. I''m honestly not following."


    "You—" Giselle started, then stopped herself. After a beat, she said tightly, "You know exactly why. You resent my rtionship with Lysander."


    M almostughed.


    She shook her head, a hint of resignation in her smile. "Alright, fine. Back to your project. The idea''s not bad. But even if we ignore your team''@ringck of ability, the way you''ve scheduled it, the project is a money pit."


    She paused, then continued, "I''ve run the numbers. Even in the best-case scenario, the return on investment doesn''te close to matching the costs. Basically, it''s a guaranteed loss."


    "Unless you can find a truly top-tier team who can cut the timeline and budget in half, there''s no way this bes a viable investment."


    "Do I need to make it any clearer?"


    M''s tone was almost bored. "You''ve got ambition, but with current technology, your projected returns are pure fantasy."


    "Giselle, not everyone thinks the way you do. Business is business. If your proposal were as solid as you im, the board wouldn''t have shot it- down And as for the Falcon


    ovel.ne


    Technologies shares, my offer still stands-the buyback price hasn''t changed..."


    "No way!"


    Giselle cut her off, voice sharp as ss.


    "Falcon Technologies was Lysander''s gift to me. The contract is irond-it''s


    mine, and I won''t let go!"


    The call ended abruptly.


    M tossed her phone aside with a sigh and leaned back, eyes closed once more.


    "We''re here."


    The car pulled up outside a teahouse in the heart of the city. Leonard got out first and opened her door. "Chairman Suthend, would you like me toe in?"


    "No need." M shook her head and stepped inside.


    As the door closed behind her and


    the bell chimed softly, Leonard nced up toward the second floor.


    There, standing straight as a


    behind the tall windows, was


    whose gaze met his. For a moment, Leonard''s usually impassive eyes


    flickered with something deeper.


    Forrest.


    The two men-one above, one below-locked eyes, each expressionless, neither


    willing to look away.


    The bell tinkled again.


    Forrest turned from the window, his face softening into a gentle smile as he walked to greet her. "Mimi, you made it."


    "Mm."


    M, in her beige knit dress, the soft fabric hugging her graceful figure, saw him approach. The sharp edge she wore in the business world faded as she smiled warmly in return.