Chapter 8

Drake’s POV

The mahogany of the boardroom table reflected the cold, impersonal glow of the recessed lighting. It was a perfect mirror, showing me thirty years of carefully constructed control: the high-backed leather chairs, the meticulously arranged water glasses, the crisp lines of the legal documents pertaining to the Apex Asia acquisition. This room was my fortress, designed to be impervious to weakness, distraction, or chaos.

But the chaos was already seated at the head of the table. Me.

I ran a thumb over the cold, polished surface of the table, struggling to anchor myself. The final review of the Apex Asia deal—a multi-billion-dollar merger that would solidify Humphrey Enterprises’ foothold in the Asian market—was due to start in two minutes. My legal counsel, Alan, was clearing his throat beside me, ready to present the final risk assessment.

I should have felt the familiar surge of corporate power, the sharp, exhilarating focus of a man about