---- Chapter 7 Harper Griffin POV: On the sun-drenched island where my parents were beginning their slow journey back to health, | began to rebuild my own life. The first order of business was the Griffin Architectural Firm My mother, in a rare moment of clarity, had gripped my arm, her eyes fierce. "Don't let him destroy it, Harper. Your father and | built it from nothing. It's your birthright. A woman is nothing without her own power." Her words were an echo of a warning | had ignored five years ago. | had been a top student, on the cusp of a brilliant career. | had thrown it all away for a man who saw me as an accessory, a stepping stone to my family's fortune. | had willingly handed over control of my parents' company to him, trusting him implicitly, never once looking at a financial report or questioning his decisions. The regret was a bitter pill, but there was no time for self-pity. It was time to take back what was mine. | decided to start from the bottom. | couldn't just sweep in as the rightful owner; Adler had entrenched himself too deeply. | needed to understand the rot from the inside. Through a few discreet calls to a loyal family friend on the board, | arranged ---- for an internship position in the firm's design department, under an assumed name. The nights were long, spent poring over company files, catching up on five years of industry innovation | had missed. For the first time in a long time, my mind felt sharp, alive. The work was challenging, invigorating. It filled the hollow spaces inside me that had been carved out by loss and betrayal. One evening, | stepped out into the courtyard of the small villa | had rented, needing a break from the fluorescent glare of the computer screen. "Working late?" | turned to see Keaton Olson standing by the fountain, a bottle of cold water in his hand. He had flown in to help me with the legal logistics of reclaiming the company and had become a quiet, steady presence in the chaotic whirlwind of my new life. He offered me the bottle. "Don't burn yourself out. You've got a marathon ahead of you, not a sprint." "| have a lot of catching up to do," | said, taking a grateful sip. The water was cool and clean. "You're a natural," he said, his voice warm with genuine admiration. "You have your father's vision and your mother's tenacity. The firm will be safe in your hands." He called me "Harper." Not "Mrs. Irwin" or "Ms. Griffin." It felt strange, intimate. A reminder that | was no longer defined by ---- my connection to another man. "Thank you, Keaton," | said softly. "For everything. Especially for the... creative solution at the marriage office." The "new marriage" that had sent Adler into a tailspin was, of course, a fabrication of legal paperwork. A temporary, strategic alliance. My new "husband" was none other than Keaton himself. It was a measure to protect my assets from Adler during the transition and to give my father, still mentally fragile, a legal guardian he would trust for his medical decisions. Keaton just smiled, a small, self-deprecating gesture. "All in a day's work for your legal counsel." "So," he said, changing the subject, his expression turning serious. "How bad is it? The company." Before | could answer, my phone vibrated. A new phone, a new number, but | had programmed one specific ringtone. A cold, jarring alarm. For Adler. | had unblocked him, just to see how long it would take. It had been a week. | looked at the screen, at the name that had once made my heart leap. Now, it was just a name. A problem to be dealt with. With a deliberate, unhurried movement, | declined the call and blocked the number again. This time, for good. The finality of ---- the act was liberating. | turned back to Keaton, my mind clear. "| need you to come back with me," | said, my voice firm with newfound resolve. "We're going to take back my company. And we're going to find the evidence to put Adler Irwin away for what he did to my parents." Keaton met my gaze, his own eyes dark and serious. "I'm with you," he said. "All the way."