Chapter 5 - THE EMPIRE BUILT ON A LIE
Six months later.
The headline on the front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wasn't about corporate corruption or underground syndicates. It was a society feature:
“Media Mogul Daniel Han Announces Engagement to Investigative Journalist Ava Brooks in Stunning Private Ceremony.”
Inside the penthouse suite of the Han estate, the rain tapped softly against the reinforced glass windows.
Ava sat on the edge of the oversized leather sofa, wearing a loose silk robe, holding a cup of hot tea while watching the city lights twinkle through the storm.
The door opened, and Daniel walked in, shaking the rain off his shoulders and tossing his coat over a chair. He walked over, sitting down beside her and pulling her into his side, resting his chin on top of her head.
“You know,” Ava murmured, smiling against his chest, “if anyone had told me six months ago that I’d be engaged to a ruthless mafia boss because I kissed a random stranger at an airport out of pure spite, I would have had them committed.”
Daniel let out a low, rich chuckle, wrapping his arms securely around her waist.
“Fate works in mysterious ways, my love,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to her hair. “Though I must admit... out of all the security protocols and tactical strategies I’ve ever implemented, walking through that airport terminal was the best decision I ever made.”
Ava turned in his arms, looking up into those dark, intense eyes that still made her pulse race.
“And what if I had chosen a different stranger?” she teased gently. “What if I had grabbed the guy behind you?”
Daniel’s expression turned instantly dark, a flicker of that lethal possessiveness flashing across his features.
“I would have had my men drag him into the Atlantic Ocean before he could even blink,” Daniel said without a hint of irony. “You chose me, Ava. And in my world, once you belong to me, there is no escape.”
May you like
Ava smiled, leaning up to kiss him deeply, knowing that she had never wanted to escape in the first place.
The empire outside was vast, dangerous, and full of shadows, but within the circle of his arms, Ava Brooks had finally found her true home.
