That night, I drove without direction, the city lights blurring past me. I thought of Anna; I thought of her laugh, her warmth, the way she made me feel like I belonged somewhere. For the first time, I understood that this wasn’t about rebellion or family legacy. It was about choice. And for once in my life, I had chosen something for myself.

I parked outside Anna’s apartment, heart racing. i didn’t know what I’d say. Maybe I wouldn’t say anything. Perhaps I just needed to see her to hear her voice.

When she opened the door, surprise was written across her face; she wasn’t expecting to see me at that time of night.

“James?” I smiled weakly. “Can I come in?”

She hesitated only a second before stepping aside.

I walked in, exhaling slowly. The tension of the day melted under her gentle gaze.

“Rough night?” she asked softly.

“You have no idea.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

I shook my head. “Not now. … can we sit?”

She nodded, and we did, side by side on the couch, silence stretching comfortably between us.

Her hand brushed mine. Just barely. But it was enough to make the world stop spinning for a moment.

And for me, James Burking, heir to everything and master of nothing, that single touch felt like the most honest thing I had ever known in my entire life. The next morning began like any other: gray skies, coffee gone cold on the desk, and the familiar echoing sound of elevator doors sliding open on the top floor of Burking Enterprises.

I had returned to the office after a two-week silence. My father’s words still burned in my head. “If you want to do what you want, then consider yourself no son of mine.”

I had made up my mind to avoid both my parents from henceforth, focusing on working hard and also on how I can marry Anna. I walked into the empire and my eyes met something, or would I say someone, unusual,

Anna Daly.

She stood near the receptionist's desk, talking with one of the assistants, a folded ticket under her arm. Her hair was tied back neatly, her face composed, but when her eyes met mine, the world came to a halt. It felt new every time our eyes met. It was as if the chemistry had started all over again. “What are you doing here? “ I asked her as I walked closer towards her in a low voice. She looked at me and blinked nervously, as if she had just realized I wasn’t okay with her presence in the office. “ I was assigned her this morning. “Your father’s company acquired the design firm I used to work for. They merged teams and decided to relocate to work here so that I can be closer to you. You don’t seem happy to see me here. Is everything fine? Should I leave ?”

“No,… no , there’s no need for you to leave or something,” I said

Anna hesitated. “If my being here makes things complicated—”

“No,” I cut her off quickly. “Don’t even think that. You worked hard for this. You belong here as much as anyone else.”

Our eyes lingered longer than they should have. At one point, I thought someone would notice us. And though the office bustled around us, something quiet and dangerous sparked between us again, an echo of nights and memories neither of us could ignore.

Initially, we attempted to maintain a professional tone. Meetings. Reports. Coffee breaks and a lot lasted a minute too long. But secrets had a way of growing in silence.

A glance here. A smile there. Then, there was a meeting that turned into a late-night discussion. Then another.

Soon, the walls of James’s office became witnesses to more than just business plans; they saw the way I looked at her when no one was around. The way her hand brushed mine when passing papers. The way I breathed differently when she entered the room.

It wasn’t an affair of lust. It was an affair of need—the kind that makes you feel alive even when you know it’s doomed.

One morning, the sky outside was streaked with silver rain. I had just finished a board meeting when Anna knocked on my office door.

“Come in,” I said.

She stepped inside, shutting the door gently behind her. “You wanted to see the quarterly designs?”

I nodded, but when she approached, their hands brushed against each other again, and neither of them moved away.

“I miss when things were simple,” she whispered.

“They were never simple,” I said softly, eyes locked on hers. “Just… that they were worth it.”

Her breath hitched. “James—”

He reached out, cupping her cheek gently. “Tell me this doesn’t feel real.”

“James…”

And before either of us could think, I leaned in and kissed her. It wasn’t desperate, it was inevitable. The kind of kiss that happens when words are useless.

But fate had a cruel sense of timing.

Because just then, the office door swung open without notice.

“James.”

The voice froze us both all of a sudden. It was Deep, sharp, furious.

Alexander Burking, my father, stood in the doorway, his expression thunderous. Rain dripped from his coat, his presence like a storm come to life.

Anna stepped back instantly, her face pale. I straightened, while my heart was hammering.

“Dad, I—”

“Not. Another. Word.”

The elder Burking’s gaze flicked to Anna, his tone laced with venom. “Get out.”

“Sir, I—”

“I said get out.”

Anna lowered her head, voice trembling. “Yes, Mr. Burking.” She turned quickly, almost running out of the room.

When the door shut, the silence was deafening.

Edward stepped closer. “A disgrace. That’s what you are.”

“Dad—”

“In my company, James?” he shouted. “You bring shame into the very building that built your life?”

“She’s not—”

“She’s nothing!”

My temper flared. “Don’t talk about her like that!”

“Then how should I talk about her? A staff member seducing the heir? Or the heir too weak to know the difference?”

“It wasn’t like that,” I snapped.

“Oh, it’s exactly like that,” my dad hissed. “You’ve dragged her into your chaos, and now the entire board will question your ability to lead.”

“This isn’t about the company,” James said bitterly. “This is about control. You can’t stand that I chose something, someone, you didn’t.”

My father’s voice turned cold. “If you keep this up, I’ll make sure she never works in this city again.”

James froze. “You wouldn’t do that .”

“Try me.”

He turned, adjusting his cufflinks. “You’ll end this. Or I’ll end her career. Your choice.”

And then he left.

The days that followed were worse than silence; they were punishment.

Anna avoided him at work. She arrived early, departed late, and spoke only in formal tones. The whispers started almost immediately. Some called her the boss’s distraction. Others called her worse.

I noticed the looks she received in meetings, the way certain executives ignored her contributions. Every time I tried to talk to her, she withdrew further.

And so, against every instinct, I started doing the one thing I hated most, playing along. i spoke to her sharply in front of others. Assigned her impossible deadlines and corrected her work even when it was flawless. Each word was a knife I turned on myself, but I did it for her safety.

One afternoon, she confronted me in private.

“What are you doing to me, James?” she demanded, tears burning in her eyes.

“I’m protecting you.”

“By humiliating me?”

“You don’t understand. He threatened you. He said he’d—”

“I don’t care!” she snapped. “Do you think I asked for any of this? Do you think I wanted to be part of your war with your father?”

I reached out, but she stepped back.

“I thought you were different,” she whispered. “But you’re just another Burking, hiding behind power, afraid to stand for something real.”

I flinched. “That’s not true.”

“Then prove it.”

I couldn’t. And she knew it.

That same week, Alexander made his move.

A formal dinner was arranged, and elegant invitations were sent out. At the end of it, in front of business associates and family friends, Alexander announced the engagement of James Burking and Clarissa Hall.

The applause that followed was deafening. Cameras flashed.

I stood beside Clarissa, a practiced smile on my lips, but inside, I was hollow. My mother’s eyes were wet with relief—my father’s with triumph.

Somewhere in the crowd, a journalist whispered the news into their phone, and by the next morning, it was everywhere.

Anna found out the next day, through whispers, not from me.

The pain was sharp, but what followed was colder: determination.

If I could betray her so easily, she would not be another name whispered in hallways. She would make sure she rose from this humiliation stronger.

But before she could act, Alexander Burking, my father, visited her.

He arrived at her office, his presence commanding, his tone deceptively polite.

“Miss Daly,” he greeted. “A word?”

She stood, wary. “Of course, Mr. Burking.”

He walked around the room slowly, studying the décor as if it offended him. “You’re an intelligent woman, I can tell. Which makes me wonder, why waste your time on my son?”

She swallowed. “With all due respect, sir, that’s none of your business.”

“Oh, it’s entirely my business,” he said, turning to face her. “You think you’re the first woman who’s fallen for his charm? The first to believe she was special?”

Her heart twisted.

He smiled coldly. “Would you like me to introduce them?”

The door opened, and two women stepped in, both polished, confident, familiar with the family’s wealth.

“This is Claire,” Edward said. “And this is Naomi. Both believed James would marry them once. Both were left behind.”

Anna’s throat tightened.

Alexander stepped closer. “He’ll hurt you, too, because that’s what he does. So, do yourself a favor, Miss Daly, leave before he destroys you.”

Then he left, his footsteps echoing like a sentence.

The women gave her sympathetic smiles before following him out.

Anna stood frozen.

She wanted to scream. To cry. To believe it was all lies—but part of her couldn’t.

She sank into her chair, hands trembling. “You fool,” she whispered to herself. “You fell for him.”

But the fire that came after wasn’t weakness; it was resolve.

That night, she opened her laptop and began drafting her resignation letter. But halfway through, she stopped.

Not yet.

She had seen how Edward and James played their games, with power, with secrets, with silence. If she were going to walk away, she wouldn’t walk away small.

She’d secure her future first. Build her name. Learn their system. Then dismantle it piece by piece.

She deleted the resignation draft and opened a new file.

“Project Phoenix,” she typed as the title.

Her hands stopped shaking.

For the first time in weeks, she smiled.

“Let’s see how the Burkings like losing on my terms.”Anna started giving me cold shoulders at the office. Of course I ignored her , but deep within . I still loved her .Back at the empire , Clarissa started getting close to me . She'd always call to check up on me and ask that we go out on a date . I declined a number of times but I later decided to comply so my Father doesn't hurt Anna .

" I'll meet you at the coffee shop down the road in a bit " I said to Clarissa as she asked we meet as usual.

when I saw her , I realized she was stunning, but I wasn't attracted to her because I loved Anna more than, I couldn't imagine myself loving someone else apart from Anna . Clarissa had an idea about what was going on and hence she understood that there was no way I was going to fall for her within a short period of time . Regardless of everything, she kept trying to get closer to me .

" so what's your favorite thing to do when you are alone " Clarissa asked .

I like to watch mafia movies and videos on crime . I responded.

" why so ?" She asked looking curious.

" so I don't repeat the same mistakes they made " I added . Clarissa's expression changed suddenly to fear. " im just kidding , i said as I held her hand to calm her down . " you know , this is the first time you've spoken properly to me " Clarissa said as she tried looking in my eyes , but I looked away . " I understand you love her more than you love me , or ever will ..."

I don't want to talk about it , I said as I cut her short . " we came here to get coffee, let's just do that and go our respective ways . I added aggressively . " sorry " Clarissa added as she stood up to leave . I run after her and hugged her , apologizing for what I just said . Clarissa told me it was fine . She understands and she always will . I decided it was high time I took my time to try and get to know Clarissa since it seemed I and her will end up together. But it was something I wanted to think about first, I had thoughts of running away with Anna too .The thought of it just made me wonder what I was slowly turning into , I asked myself a lot of questions when I got home . But one thing was certain. I knew what to do , and I had to do it for myself.