Page 100 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

The possessive edge in his voice should have alarmed her. Instead, it felt like slipping into armor.

"I'll need to decrypt these accounts tonight," she said, her mind already racing through the steps ahead. "If someone's been siphoning from these holdings, the trail will be there."

Darius guided her around a corner, his broad shoulders creating a path through the afternoon crowd.

"And if you find who's responsible?"

Her golden eyes flashed, the red flecks more pronounced in the sunlight. "Then I'll show them exactly who Marcus Vale's daughter is."

His mouth curved into a rare smile that transformed his severe features. "I'm beginning to see that myself."

Their sleek black car appeared at the curb as if summoned by thought alone. Darius's driver—another taciturn man with the unmistakable bearing of someone dangerous—stepped out to meet them.

"The timing is perfect," Serenity murmured, her eyes tracking a dark sedan that crawled past. "Almost too perfect."

"Castellanos don't leave timing to chance," Darius replied, placing himself between her and the street as the driver opened the rear door.

His hand found the small of her back as she moved to enter, his touch lingering just a moment longer than necessary. The heat of his palm seemed to burn through the fabric of her dress, a reminder of what had transpired between them in that boutique changing room.

Serenity slid across the buttery leather seat, the portfolio still clutched to her chest. As Darius settled beside her, she felt the day's events crashing down on her—the tension, the revelations, the unexpected intimacy.

"We have what we came for," she said, forcing herself to focus. "But this is just the beginning. These files will point me toward whoever's been pillaging my father's empire, but then..."

"Then comes the hard part," Darius finished for her. "Reclaiming what's yours."

The car pulled smoothly into traffic. Serenity leaned her head back against the seat, suddenly aware of how exhausted she felt.

"I've spent my entire life thinking I was just an ordinary woman with an MBA and good instincts," she said, staring at the ceiling. "Now I'm planning how to take control of a crime empire I didn't know existed three months ago."

Darius studied her profile. "You were never ordinary, Serenity."

She turned to face him, fighting against the heaviness of her eyelids. "You don't know that."

"I recognize power when I see it." His voice had dropped to a rumble. "Even when it's dormant."

The gentle motion of the car made it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open. Serenity felt herself drifting, her grip on the portfolio loosening.

"I can't sleep," she protested weakly. "These files..."

"Are safe," Darius assured her, carefully removing the portfolio from her hands and placing it on the seat beside him. "Rest. You'll need your strength."

She fought against the exhaustion for a moment longer, reluctant to appear vulnerable. But when Darius slid his arm along her shoulders, the gesture was so unexpectedly gentle that her resistance crumbled.

"Just for a minute," she murmured, allowing herself to lean into his solid warmth.

His scent enveloped her—sandalwood and something distinctly alpha—comforting in a way she would never admit aloud. The last thing she registered was the soft press of his lips against her temple, and his voice, barely above a whisper:

"You may be exactly what the pack needs."

The words followed her into dreams, carrying a weight she was too tired to analyze but would remember when she woke.

19

FIGHTING CHANCE

~SERENITY~

Ronan's hand pressed firmly against the small of Serenity's back, guiding her through the concrete labyrinth beneath the abandoned warehouse district.

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