~AIRPORT ~~

Jace Callahan sat in the backseat of the sleek black SUV, one leg crossed over the other, his wrist draped casually over his knee. A pair of dark aviators covered his eyes, but they didn’t hide the tension in his jaw or the way he occasionally glanced at the gold watch on his wrist.

Outside, the crowd had only gotten louder—screams, chants, and camera flashes bouncing against the tinted windows like static. Cole sat in the passenger seat, checking his phone, then glancing at the side mirror.

“They’re swarming like sharks,” he muttered, locking the screen and turning back slightly. “We should’ve used the private hangar.”

“They would’ve found out anyway,” Jace said coolly, voice low. “They always do.”

Another wave of high-pitched screaming surged outside as a group of girls caught sight of someone who looked like him, even though he hadn’t moved an inch. Phones rose like weapons in the air. Placards with his name—some misspelled, most sparkling with glitter—flashed past the windows.

“News of you flying out to Paris tonight is all over the news,” Cole added, glancing again at the phone. “Half the city’s decided they need to breathe your air before you disappear again.”

Jace sighed. Fuck.

At only thirty-one, he was the youngest multi-billionaire in Paris—ruthless, calculating, and terrifyingly precise in everything he did. The world knew him as the cold and untouchable CEO of Callahan Empire, a conglomerate that dominated both the real estate and luxury automobile industries worldwide.

Men feared him in the boardroom. Women obsessed over him in tabloids. His name alone could stir an entire stock market, and his silence in a meeting could break a multi-million-dollar deal.

From skyscrapers in Tokyo to sleek car showrooms in New York, Jace Callahan built an empire with bloodless efficiency and an iron heart—and he had no time for distractions.

He glanced at the frenzied scene outside, his jaw tight.

“Open the door,” he said flatly.

Cole gave a short nod and immediately stepped out. As soon as the door cracked open, the crowd outside erupted.

Cole rounded the SUV quickly and pulled open the back door. Security dressed in black and built like tanks moved in instantly, forming a tight barricade between Jace and the sea of adoration.

Jace stepped out slowly.

Polished black shoes touched the pavement. The moment he emerged, the noise multiplied—like someone had dropped a match into gasoline.

🏻️“JACE!”

🏻️“LOOK OVER HERE!”

🏻️“Marry me!”

🏻️“JACE, PLEASE!”

Some of the women were crying. Others were trying to push through the human wall that was his security team, holding out hands, phones, even napkins in hopes of being noticed.

"Pigs."Jace mumbled inaudibly but Cole heard him and almost laughed.

And still, the desperate cries followed him.

Hoping, Praying and Pleading for just a look.

The clack of polished shoes echoed across the glossy marble floors inside the airport.

Behind him trailed a formation of armed security, each one dressed in black and wearing earpieces, parting the crowd like the Red Sea.

“We’ll arrive in Paris at 14:10. You’ve got back-to-back meetings lined up with Delacour Industries and the Swiss bankers. They want a face-to-face renegotiation of the offshore contracts.” Cole said.

Jace didn’t respond. His gaze was locked straight ahead, jaw sharp and eyes colder than steel. That silence was unnerving and calculated — was what made him dangerous.

Cole glanced sideways. “And there’s a message from Mrs. Callahan. Again.”

Jace stopped walking for a moment, glancing over with a flicker of irritation.

“Delete it,” he said, his voice low and razor-edged. Then he kept walking.

He didn’t have time for unnecessary attachments or nagging especially not from that woman.

“Boss… about the Reiner Corporation. They flew in from Zurich for this meeting. They’re strict with schedules and already threatened to pull out last time we—”

"Make them wait. We'll attend to other important meetings first."Jace said.

"But-"

Jace halted mid-step.

Dead stop.

The men behind him nearly collided, but his sudden pause was signal enough. Everyone froze. He turned his head slowly, his expression blank but lethal.

“I said…” his voice was low, cold, unbothered, “make them wait.”

Cole swallowed hard. “Yes, boss.”

Jace resumed walking, not sparing another word. The tension in the hallway was a noose.

The moment they stepped onto the plane, a glass of top-shelf bourbon was already waiting. The flight attendant greeted him with a slight bow. “Welcome aboard, Mr. Callahan.”

He said nothing unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt, revealing the expensive timepiece on his wrist. He didn’t even glance out the window as the jet began taxiing.

°°°°

The restaurant buzzed with the mid-morning prep, pans clanged, stoves hissed, orders flew back and forth.

Liora slipped through the back entrance, as she glanced at the wall clock. Five minutes past her call time.

"Shit."

She bolted to the time clock, scribbled her signature, and tied on her apron with frantic hands. She was still tucking in her shirt when a nosy cook with bright green nails, popped her gum and said,

"Boss wants to see you. Like… now."

Her heart dropped into her stomach as she forced herself down the short hallway toward the manager’s office—the door already cracked open like it was waiting to swallow her whole.

She inhaled deeply, squared her shoulders, and walked in.

Cassidy sat behind the desk, perfect as always in her designer pencil skirt and flawless blowout, like she hadn’t just stolen someone’s boyfriend last night. And Yes, Cassidy owns the restaurant.

Her eyes didn’t rise from the screen. "You're five minutes late."

"I'm sorry, Cas, I—"

Cassidy's eyes snapped to her. "What did you just call me?"

"Cas?" Liora blinked.

"I'm your boss, you dumb ass."

The sting of those words was sharper than she expected.

Liora lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry- boss."

Cassidy stood slowly, circling the desk like a cat playing with her prey. "What happened? You look like shit. Oh—wait. I forgot. Troy dumped you yesterday, didn’t he?" Her voice dripped with syrupy cruelty. "Shamelessly, if I recall."

Liora’s jaw clenched. Her nails dug into her palms.

Cassidy tilted her head with a fake pout. "Aw, don’t get mad at me. It’s not my fault you were boring enough to lose him."

Liora felt her pride burn like acid, but she held her tongue.

"Can I get back to work now? I'm sorry for coming late."Liora said impatiently, holding back the anger bottling up within her.

Cassidy’s voice rose to a sharp pitch.

“Oh, so now you think just because I gave you privileges, you can come to work whenever you like? And talk to me however you like?”

Liora blinked. “Cas, I said I was sor—”

Cassidy slammed her palm against the desk. “Don’t Cas me! You think I didn’t notice how you’ve been acting lately? Strolling in like you own the place? Because you thought we were friends you acted like you owned this place?”

Liora stood frozen, heart thudding. Is this really happening?

Cassidy narrowed her eyes. “Let me make this easy for you. You’re fired.”

“What?” Liora’s voice cracked. “You can’t just—”

“I can’t?” Cassidy let out a mocking laugh, stepping closer. “You don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t do in my own restaurant. Get your things and leave before I throw you out myself.”

Liora’s throat tightened. Her fingers trembled as she clenched them at her sides. Her world was spinning too fast—first the betrayal, now this.

Tears blurred her vision as she took a shaky step backward toward the door.

“Oh,” she added casually, twirling a pen between her fingers. “By the way… Troy and I are getting married.” She smiled mockingly, showing off the ring on her finger.

Her smile, wide and poisonous. “Just thought you should know. Best friend.”