The air inside the Moran Group's top-floor boardroom was freezing. The tension was so thick it felt like a physical weight pressing down on the chests of the twenty executives in the room.
Drake sat at the head of the massive mahogany table. He wore a custom-tailored Tom Ford suit that cost more than most people made in a year. His eyes were fragments of black ice.
He picked up a thick financial report and slammed it onto the table. The sound cracked like a gunshot.
The binder slid across the polished wood and stopped right in front of the Director of Risk Management.
"Two fatal data errors on page forty," Drake said. His voice was low, smooth, and utterly lethal. "Explain."
The Director's face went pale. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He opened his mouth, stammering, unable to form a coherent sentence. The rest of the room held their breath, terrified to even blink.
Suddenly, a cheap, generic ringtone shattered the silence.
Every head snapped toward the sound. The noise was coming from Drake's private phone, resting next to his coffee cup. The screen flashed brightly with the caller ID: Wife Ayla.
Alex, standing rigidly behind Drake, felt his stomach drop. He knew his boss despised interruptions. Alex stepped forward, reaching out to silence the device.
Drake held up a single finger. Alex froze instantly.
Drake stared at the screen. A tiny frown creased his forehead. He picked up the phone and pressed answer.
The transformation was instantaneous and terrifying. The ruthless, bloodthirsty CEO vanished. Drake slouched slightly in his chair. When he spoke, his voice was rough, tired, and perfectly pitched to sound like a man beaten down by life.
"Yeah?" Drake answered.
The executives stared in absolute shock. They watched their boss, a man who routinely destroyed entire companies before lunch, speak with a soft, almost gentle tone.
Drake listened to Ayla's hesitant voice asking for a ride. An image of her sitting alone on a cardboard box flashed in his mind.
He glanced up at the antique Patek Philippe clock on the wall.
"I'll be there in thirty minutes," Drake said into the phone.
He ended the call. The second the phone left his ear, the lethal aura slammed back into the room. Drake stood up, buttoning his suit jacket with sharp, precise movements.
"Meeting postponed until tomorrow morning," Drake ordered, his eyes sweeping the terrified faces. "Risk Management, fix the report by 8 AM, or clear out your desk."
The executives scrambled to pack their things, practically running for the doors.
Drake walked into his private elevator. Alex followed quickly.
"Get the Ford ready," Drake commanded, staring at the changing floor numbers. "And siphon the gas tank. Leave it at exactly a quarter full."
Alex blinked, confused, but his training kicked in. "Yes, sir."
In his private locker room in the underground garage, Drake stripped off the Tom Ford suit. He pulled on the faded jeans and the cheap, oil-stained denim jacket. He looked at himself in the mirror. The man staring back looked exhausted and poor. A dark, mocking smile touched his lips. He was enjoying this game.
He walked out to the rusted Ford parked next to a row of armored SUVs. He climbed in, turned the key, and sped out of the garage, merging into the chaotic Manhattan traffic.
Thirty minutes later, the Ford sputtered and coughed as it pulled up to the curb outside Ayla's Queens apartment building.
Drake pushed the door open. He saw Ayla struggling to drag a heavy cardboard box out of the lobby doors. Sweat glistened on her forehead.
Instinctively, Drake raised his hand to signal the two undercover bodyguards parked in a black SUV down the street. He wanted them to carry the boxes. But halfway up, he caught himself. He dropped his hand. A poor driver didn't have staff.
Drake jogged up the steps. He reached out and grabbed the box from Ayla's hands. He deliberately let his shoulder dip, pretending the weight was too much for him to handle smoothly. He stumbled half a step.
Ayla gasped. She immediately reached out, her hands gripping his forearm to steady him.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes full of worry. "Did you not sleep? Are you too tired from driving?"
Drake rubbed his shoulder, forcing a tired, self-deprecating smile. "Night shifts are brutal. I'm a little sore. I'm fine."
Ayla's eyes softened with genuine pity. "Once we get settled, I'll cook you a hot meal. You need to rest."
Drake stared down at her. Her concern was so raw, so real. The thick wall of cynicism in his chest cracked, just a fraction of a millimeter. His heart gave a strange, uncomfortable thump.
He looked away quickly, masking his confusion. He grabbed both boxes, ignoring the weight, and shoved them into the trunk of the Ford. He dusted his hands off on his jeans.
"Let's go," he muttered, opening the passenger door for her.
