I never imagined I would lie motionless, feigning a coma, only to discover the woman I was going to marry was waiting for me to die, while the quiet housekeeper by my bedside was the only one who truly saw me.

Marcus stepped into the office, locking the heavy mahogany door behind him. The muffled sound of classical music from the gala faded into silence.

“I checked the security logs from the hospital,” Marcus said, his eyes cold and murderous. “The fire in the laundry chute was started with an industrial cleaner only housekeepers have access to. I should have killed you days ago, Mara.”

Mara stood her ground near the vault, her chin held high. “It’s over, Marcus. The SEC already has your Cayman files. You’re going to prison for life.”

Marcus laughed—a dry, bitter sound. “The SEC takes months to build a case. By then, Victoria and I will be on a private jet to a country without an extradition treaty. But you… you aren't leaving this room alive.”

He raised the gun, his finger tightening on the trigger.

CRASH!

The floor-to-ceiling glass window behind the desk shattered into a million sparkling shards. A dark figure burst through the heavy velvet curtains, moving with terrifying speed and lethal precision.

Before Marcus could turn his head, a heavy fist connected with his jaw. The force of the blow knocked Marcus off his feet, sending him crashing into the glass coffee table. The gun skittered across the polished floor.

Marcus gasped for air, his nose bloodied, looking up in absolute horror.

Standing over him in the moonlight, dressed in a dark tactical suit, was Adrian Cross.

“You… you’re dead…” Marcus stuttered, his face pale as a sheet. “I saw your monitor… you were in a coma!”

“I was pretending, Marcus,” Adrian said, his voice dropping into a terrifying baritone. He stepped forward and kicked the gun out of reach. “Just like you were pretending to be my friend.”

Adrian grabbed Marcus by his lapels, lifting him off the floor with effortless power, and slammed him against the wall.

“You tried to murder me in my own home,” Adrian snarled. “You tried to steal everything I built. But your biggest mistake was putting a gun to Mara.”

Before Marcus could respond, Adrian delivered a brutal right hook that knocked the COO unconscious. Marcus slumped to the floor, lifeless.

Adrian turned to Mara instantly, his eyes frantic with concern. He took her face in his hands, checking her over. “Are you hurt? Did he touch you?”

Mara looked into his dark, fierce eyes, her pulse hammering against her throat—not from fear, but from the sudden, overwhelming proximity of the man who had just risked everything to save her.