Jaden stared out over the city skyline from his penthouse office, arms crossed, jaw tight.
He hated that he cared this much.
Amara had every right to make her own decisions. She was brilliant. Independent. Not his. And yet, the thought of her taking Derrick Michaels' money—his money—made something ugly twist in his chest.
He knew Derrick. Knew the type. A man who saw people as assets. Who made big promises and slow compromises until he owned more than just your business.
But what bothered Jaden more was that Amara hadn't told him.
He walked to his desk, pulled open a drawer, and stared at the thin file he'd asked his assistant to compile. Nothing invasive—just public records, past partnerships. He hadn't even opened it.
He closed the drawer again.
Don't be that guy.
But feelings didn't follow logic. Especially not feelings that had crept in too quietly to notice—until now.
He thought about their late-night meeting. The Thai food. The way she had listened—really listened—when he talked about his father, his reasons for building homes instead of legacies.
Most people saw the public version of Jaden Cole. But Amara had seen him. And he didn't want to lose that—not to an ex, and not to fear.
His phone buzzed. A text from his sister, Laila.
Laila: Heard about the investor drama. You okay?
He typed back quickly.
Jaden: Fine. Just work.
Laila: Work? Or that gorgeous branding exec you can't stop mentioning?
He didn't respond.
Instead, he opened a clean notepad on his desk and wrote three words:
Trust. Respect. Partnership.
Then, underneath:
Don't let fear ruin something real.
He didn't know where this was going with Amara. But he knew one thing: he wasn't ready to let her walk away. Not without a fight.