Chapter 14: Breaking Chains

He leaned in, his breath warm against my cheek. I let him see my confidence, my hunger for the game.

“Then will you have a sea burial with me?” I asked.

My voice was a whisper, but he heard me. His eyes darkened, the promise hanging between us.

“…Not impossible.”

He slid his fingers behind my head, pulled out my hairpin, and buried his face in my hair, inhaling deeply.

The gesture was intimate, possessive. I closed my eyes, letting myself feel the weight of his desire.

“Tell me—what do you really want?”

His voice was rough, demanding honesty. I met his gaze, unafraid.

I tilted my head, smiled lightly: “I want to play a round with you too—as the founder of Bluebird. The stake: seventy million.”

My words were calm, calculated. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

He toyed with my collar button, his smile ambiguous: “Bluebird isn’t worth seventy million.”

He traced the outline of the button, his touch lingering. I let him, the air between us charged.

What if we add the Callahan Group?

I arched an eyebrow, daring him to say no. He hesitated, weighing the possibilities.

When it came to business, he stepped back, regretfully buttoning me up.

He straightened my collar, hands gentle. The moment was over, but the promise remained.

Callahan and Whitmore both worked in fashion.

The rivalry was legendary, the stakes higher than ever. I felt the thrill of competition, the lure of power.

But Callahan was poorly run, its market share shrinking, now reduced to producing for Whitmore.

The truth stung, but I was determined to change it. I would not let my family’s legacy die.

That’s why my father, Charles Callahan, wanted to curry favor with the Whitmore family through marriage.

He saw me as a pawn, but I was so much more. I would prove it, one calculated move at a time.

“I want half the Callahan shares and the entire production line. The other half goes to you.”

I said it lightly, dividing the spoils.

My voice was steady, my eyes unblinking. I was done playing small.

“Sounds good. But how will you get the shares back? And how much help do you want from me?”

He leaned in, his gaze intense. I met his challenge, refusing to back down.

“Just one thing,” I looked at Harrison, enunciating every word, “Marry me.”

The words hung in the air, a gauntlet thrown. He smiled, accepting the challenge.

Chapter Ten