Zane woke before dawn.
Emma was asleep beside him, her hair spilled across his chest like silk, her fingers resting just above his heart. She looked peaceful. Untouched by whatever storm was brewing behind his eyes.
Because it was there—he could feel it. Brewing.
For the first time in years, he hadn't felt in control.
And it wasn't just the sex.
It was the silence after. The way she hadn't pulled away. The way he hadn't wanted her to.
He slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to wake her. He padded across the penthouse barefoot and walked into his study. The door clicked softly shut behind him.
The drawer she now had the key to was still locked.
He didn't open it.
Instead, he opened his laptop. A message was waiting.
From a name he hadn't seen in months.
Logan B.
Subject: "She's yours now, isn't she?"
Zane stared at the words. No greeting. No pleasantries. Just that one question. Cold. Sharp. Loaded.
Logan didn't guess. Logan knew.
He typed back quickly:
Don't contact me again.
But he didn't hit send.
Because the truth was: if Logan knew, others might too.
And Zane hadn't protected Emma from any of it.
He closed the laptop with a loud snap and leaned back in the chair, running both hands through his hair.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
She wasn't supposed to matter.
But she did.
Back in the bedroom, Emma stirred in the sheets alone. She blinked into the silence, reaching across the bed—finding it cold, empty.
Her chest tightened.
She slipped out quietly, padded across the marble floor, and found Zane in the study—back turned, shoulders rigid.
He didn't hear her at first.
Then: "You're up early."
"I could say the same to you."
He turned slowly. His face was blank. Guarded. The mask was back.
And Emma saw it instantly.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said too quickly. "Just work."
She stepped forward. "Don't do that."
He raised an eyebrow. "Do what?"
"Shut down. Pretend last night didn't change everything."
Zane exhaled, jaw tight. "It did change everything. That's the problem."
Emma's stomach dropped.
He looked at her, not coldly, but distantly. Like someone who'd already started to pull away to protect what little he had left inside.
"I'm not a man who's good at soft things, Emma."
"You don't have to be soft. You just have to be honest."
Zane stepped forward—just a step. "And what if my honesty hurts you?"
Emma didn't flinch. "Then I'll bleed. But at least I'll know it was real."
That stopped him.
Because she wasn't asking for promises. She wasn't asking for forever.
She was asking for the truth.
Zane didn't speak right away.
He looked down at the floor like the answers were written there, like if he stood still enough, maybe he wouldn't have to say it out loud.
But Emma waited.
Silent. Present. Unafraid.
"I got a message," he finally said. "This morning. From someone I used to work with. Logan Barrett."
Emma tilted her head. "The name means something."
"It should." Zane looked up. "He's not just a man. He's a shadow. A threat. And he never sends messages unless he wants to remind you he's watching."
Emma crossed her arms. "What did he say?"
Zane hesitated. "Just a sentence. But it was enough."
He opened his laptop and turned it toward her. She read the message, short and sharp:
"She's yours now, isn't she?"
Her breath caught.
Zane watched her. "I've spent my life making sure no one ever gets close enough to be used against me. But now… you're here."
Emma looked up, her voice low. "And you think I'm a liability."
"No." He walked toward her. "I think you're the only real thing in my life. That makes you a target."
Emma didn't blink. "Then make me stronger. Don't push me away."
Zane's hands twitched at his sides. Like he wanted to touch her—but didn't trust himself.
"I don't want to be the reason you get hurt."
"You're not." Her voice was steel. "But if you keep running, you will be."
A silence.
Then she stepped close, took his hand, and placed it over her chest.
"Feel that?" she whispered. "I'm still here. Still standing."
Zane swallowed hard. "I don't deserve this."
She smiled. Not soft. Not sweet. But knowing.
"No. But neither do I. And yet here we are."
He closed his eyes like her words had cracked something wide open.
When he opened them again, his voice was softer. "If Logan's involved, he won't stop. He'll push. Threaten. Maybe worse."
Emma's eyes didn't leave his. "Then let's stop pretending I'm something fragile."
He stared at her, realization dawning slowly.
"You're not the woman I thought I was protecting," he said.
She nodded. "No. I'm the woman you need beside you when the fire starts."
Zane stepped back and ran both hands through his hair, pacing like a caged animal. Every step echoed with tension.
"I have contacts," he said. "People who can monitor Logan's digital footprint. Watch his moves. If he tries to come near you—"
"No."
Emma's voice was quiet but sharp.
Zane stopped mid-step. "No?"
"I don't want bodyguards. I don't want surveillance. I want the truth. Every time. From you. If you hide anything from me again, we're done."
He stared at her.
She didn't blink.
"I'm not your property," she said. "I'm your partner—or I'm nothing at all."
Zane looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time again. Not just desire this time. Respect.
"You're serious."
"Dead serious."
A long pause. Then Zane nodded once. "Alright. Full disclosure. You'll get everything I get—emails, intel, risk reports. No secrets."
Emma crossed her arms. "And?"
"And…" Zane hesitated. "You'll come with me to Zurich."
Emma blinked. "What?"
"I have a meeting in forty-eight hours. It was supposed to be about a business acquisition, but now… I think Logan will be there."
"And you want me with you?"
"I need you with me."
Emma's brow furrowed. "Why?"
Zane stepped closer. "Because if you're not there, I'll be thinking about you. Distracted. That makes me vulnerable."
She arched a brow. "So you want me nearby to stay sharp."
"No." He exhaled. "I want you nearby because you remind me what I'm fighting for."
Silence. Thick. Charged.
Then Emma nodded. "Fine. I'll go."
Zane let out a breath like he hadn't realized he'd been holding it.
"But," she added, stepping close, "if I catch you playing chess with my life, I'll burn your entire kingdom to the ground."
His lips twitched into the faintest smile. "Deal."
They stood there, inches apart, and for once, it wasn't about seduction. It was about alliance.
Emma looked at him. "We're in this together now."
Zane nodded. "No contracts. No rules. Just us."
Her voice was quiet.
"Then let's make sure we win."