Chapter 5

Kellan wore that smug grin I'd seen a thousand times before. Like he'd already signed the deal and cashed the check.

That grin was about to crack.

"After tonight, Sterling and Blackwood won't just be allies—we'll be unstoppable," he bragged to the trust fund babies clustered around him, practically preening. "Wall Street won't know what hit it."

Then the room went dead quiet. The champagne chatter died mid-sentence, and every head swiveled toward the grand staircase.

Dean Blackwood descended like he owned the damn building—which, technically, he did.

Seventy-something and still commanding a room like a general. His eyes could cut glass.

"How are you holding up, kid?" Dean approached me, his hand landing on my shoulder with surprising warmth.

"I'm good, Mr. Dean," I said.

He gave a satisfied nod, then pivoted to address the crowd.

"Tonight matters," Dean's voice boomed across the marble floors. "Avery's eighteen now. Time to honor the promise I made to Elijah—his daughter picks one of my sons. That's how this works."

Eyes ping-ponged between me and Kellan. A few socialites looked ready to claw their way into my Louboutins—everyone just assumed Kellan was a done deal.

"Three years ago, this girl saved my life," Dean went on. "Right then, I knew. She's not just Sterling smart—she's got something real. Whoever she picks gets everything. Full backing from Blackwood, full control of both empires."

The room understood the stakes. This wasn't some romantic fairy tale—this was a corporate takeover dressed in Valentino. Combined, the two families could reshape Manhattan's entire power structure.

Kellan moved forward. His buddies were practically high-fiving him already.

But I didn't walk toward him.

I walked toward Kai.

The room exploded. Someone gasped. Someone else dropped their glass. And Kellan—his voice cut through the chaos, sharp with disbelief: "What the hell?"

I stopped right in front of Kai.

He didn't rush. Didn't perform. Just stood there, steady as bedrock, and offered his hand. His eyes locked on mine—no bullshit, no games, just truth.