She Walked Away Unaware Her Dress Was Caught, and the Most Feared Man in New York Couldn’t Look Away

The morning sun broke through the storm clouds, washing the Manhattan skyline in brilliant gold.

Claire woke up tangled in the crisp white sheets of Adrian’s bed. The warmth of his body pressed against her back, his arm draped securely over her waist, made her feel safer than she had in over a decade.

For the first time in six years, the heavy armor she wore to face the world felt completely unnecessary.

She turned over softly, tracing the strong, sharp lines of Adrian’s jaw with her fingertips. His eyes flickered open, dark and alert instantly, before softening into a warm, sleepy gaze as they landed on her.

"Good morning," he murmured, his morning voice deep and gravelly.

"Morning," she whispered, smiling against her will.

Before Adrian could pull her back down into the sheets, the harsh, jarring ring of the secure satellite phone on the bedside table shattered the peace.

Adrian’s expression hardened instantly. He snatched the phone off the receiver.

"Vale."

As he listened, the color drained from his face. The lethal, terrifying aura that Claire knew too well surged back into his posture.

"Where?" Adrian barked. "Lock down the perimeter. I’m on my way."

He hung up and threw off the covers, moving with terrifying efficiency to grab his trousers and shirt from the floor.

"What is it?" Claire asked, sitting up, pulling the sheet to her chest.

"Grant’s chief financial officer wasn't arrested with him," Adrian said, buttoning his shirt with sharp, jerky movements. "He managed to access the municipal board’s physical terminal at City Hall an hour ago. He’s uploading a fabricated document claiming Bennett Strategic took bribes from Mercer to falsify the Hudson Yards environmental report."

Claire’s blood turned to ice. "If that report goes live before the board vote at noon... our firm is finished. We’ll be barred from municipal contracts permanently, and the federal investigation will reopen."

"Not if we stop him," Adrian said, strapping a tactical holster beneath his left arm. He looked at Claire, his eyes fierce. "Stay here."

"No," Claire said, throwing off the blankets and marching straight toward her closet. "That’s my company, my reputation, and my fight. I’m going with you."

Adrian started to argue, saw the stubborn, unyielding fire in her eyes, and realized arguing would waste precious minutes.