Novel

Chapter 8: Shadows in the Boardroom

Elena and Julian identify Elias Thorne as the mole behind the scandal leaks by tracing a Thorne-family digital watermark. During a tense dinner, Elena baits Elias into a contradiction, subsequently confronting him with the evidence in the Blackwood library. With Elias neutralized and his leverage destroyed, Elena voids their fake engagement contract. However, as the formal arrangement ends, the professional and personal chemistry between them leaves them in a charged, uncertain stalemate.