Emerald Tower's 9th floor was lit with a low, golden hue. The suite—907—stood ominously silent, as if it were waiting. Ivy stood at the door, fingers trembling slightly as she hovered near the handle. Lucien's note was still folded in her pocket, its ink practically whispering.
She knocked.
The door opened before her knuckles made contact.
Lucien Moretti stood there in a black robe, sipping from a glass of something that glowed red. The skyline glittered behind him like the temptation of sin itself.
"I wasn't sure you'd come," he said.
"I'm not here for games," Ivy replied.
"Too late," he smiled. "You stepped into the biggest game of all the moment you kissed Ochieng."
---
Lucien Moretti
Age: 29
Profession: Billionaire heir to the Moretti Conglomerate, which deals in tech, weapons, and secrets.
Appearance: Tall, elegant, Italian-African mix, with midnight eyes and a charming smirk that hides a predatory edge.
Flaws: Obsessed with winning. Manipulative. Unpredictable.
Background: Raised in a family where love is currency. Trained to see people as pawns. He wants Ivy—not for love, but because she's the only woman Ochieng defends without thinking.
---
"You think you know Ochieng?" Lucien said, circling Ivy like a panther. "Tell me—did he ever mention Sylvia's child?"
Ivy froze.
"No? Interesting," Lucien drawled. "Because there's a ten-year-old in London with eyes just like his. And trust me, it's not a rumor."
"You're lying."
Lucien poured her a drink. "Why would I lie when the truth is so much better?"
Ivy stared at the glass, confused, heart pounding. Just then, her phone buzzed.
Message from Bianca:
> Sylvia's planning something. Do not trust Lucien. Meet me now. Rooftop.
Ivy stood.
"Leaving so soon?" Lucien smirked.
"I'm not your toy, Lucien."
He smiled coldly. "Not yet."
--
Ochieng was with Zahra, handling WekesaTech's upcoming board meeting. But his heart wasn't in it. His mind was racing.
He hadn't seen Ivy since the balcony.
He hadn't told her about the child.
Because even he wasn't sure if the child was truly his.
"Are you even listening to me?" Zahra snapped. "You've been zoning out for twenty minutes!"
"Ivy's not safe," he muttered, standing abruptly. "Lucien invited her to the suite."
Zahra's eyes narrowed. "So what? Let her find out who you really are."
Ochieng shot her a look. "I will burn everything down before I lose her."
---
Bianca lit a cigarette with shaky hands. She didn't smoke—but tonight demanded it.
Ivy arrived just in time to see her throw her phone off the edge.
"He lied to you, Ivy," Bianca whispered. "About the scandal. About his past. About the company."
"What are you talking about?"
"WekesaTech didn't just rise by brilliance," Bianca said. "There was a takeover. His family destroyed another. A family that included Sylvia. And me."
Ivy blinked. "You're related?"
"Sisters."
Boom.
"You still want him?" Bianca asked, eyes glowing. "Still think this is campus love and walks by the lake?"
Ivy looked down.
Her hands were shaking.
---