The morning at Nexus Global started like any other, but the air inside Harrison’s office was about to turn toxic.

Harrison was sitting at his desk, his eyes fixed on a report, when Anna walked in. She didn’t have her usual calm expression. She looked at her tablet, then at Harrison, her face pale.

"What is it, Anna?" Harrison asked without looking up.

"The news just broke," Anna said, her voice tight. "It’s about Julius."

Harrison stopped writing. He looked up, his eyes narrowing.

"What did he do?"

Anna turned the tablet around and slid it across the desk.

The headline was bold and bright:

Vane and Helen Together Again? The Power Couple Returns.

Underneath was a picture of Julius from a few months ago, looking happy and relaxed.

For a long second, Harrison didn’t move.

He didn’t blink.

Then, the glass in his hand shattered.

He hadn’t even realized he was squeezing it.

Water and shards of glass sprayed across his desk, soaking the papers he had been working on.

"He called her," Harrison whispered.

It wasn’t a question.

"An hour ago," Anna replied. "The invitation for the gala was sent from his office. He’s taking her as his date. The press is already calling it a reconciliation."

Harrison stood up.

The chair behind him hit the wall with a loud bang.

He didn’t care about the mess on his desk or the blood dripping from his palm where a piece of glass had cut him.

He felt a wave of pure, dark fury rising in his chest.

It wasn’t just anger.

It was the Enigma power reacting to a threat, a visceral need to reclaim what was his.

"Harrison, wait," Anna said, stepping in front of the door. "If you go there now, everyone will see. You’re not in control."

"Move, Anna," Harrison growled.

His scent exploded.

It wasn’t the subtle, heavy smell from the day before. It was a thick, suffocating cloud of rage that made Anna’s knees buckle.

She was a strong Alpha, but she couldn’t stand against this.

She stepped aside, her head bowing instinctively.

Harrison walked out of the office and headed for the elevator.

He didn’t wait for his driver.

He got into his own car and drove toward Vane Corp, his grip on the steering wheel so tight he almost broke it.

At Vane Corp, the atmosphere was peaceful until the elevator doors opened on the executive floor.

The receptionist looked up to greet the visitor, but the words died in her throat.

Harrison Moretti was walking down the hall, and he looked like a god of war.

The dark, heavy scent of an enraged Enigma flooded the hallway, moving ahead of him like a physical wall.

Employees dropped their files.

Some retreated into their offices, shutting the doors in fear.

Harrison didn’t knock.

He kicked the doors to Julius’s office open.

Julius was sitting at his desk, looking at his phone.

He didn’t look surprised.

He looked like he had been waiting.

"Get out," Harrison told Sarah, who was standing near the window.

Sarah didn’t wait for Julius to give her permission.

She practically ran out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Harrison crossed the room in three long steps.

He grabbed Julius by the front of his shirt and slammed him back against the desk.

"Take it back," Harrison hissed.

His face was inches from Julius’s, his eyes completely black. No gold was left.

"Tell the press it was a mistake. Tell her the date is off."

Julius grabbed Harrison’s wrists, trying to pry his hands away.

He was shaking from the pressure of the pheromones, but his eyes were full of defiance.

"No."

"You have no idea what you’re doing," Harrison growled, his grip tightening. "You’re playing with people who want to destroy you. You’re walking right into a trap because you’re angry at me."

"I’m not doing this because I’m angry!" Julius shouted back.

He used all his strength to shove Harrison’s chest, forcing the older man to take a step back.

Julius stood up, his breathing ragged.

"I’m doing this because I’m done, Harrison. I’m done being your pet. I’m done being a protected secret that you keep in a corner."

"I am trying to keep you alive!"

"Then let me live!"

Julius stepped toward him, not backing down even as the Enigma power tried to crush him.

"You and my mother spend every day whispering in corners, keeping me in the dark, and making decisions for me. You tell me who to talk to, where to work, and who I belong to. Well, it stops today."

Harrison looked at him, his chest heaving.

"Julius, listen to me—"

"No, you listen," Julius interrupted. "No one is going to play mind games on me anymore. Not you. Not my mother. If you wanted a pawn you could move around on a board, you picked the wrong man."

He pointed toward the door.

"I’m going to that gala with Helen. I’m going to talk to her father. And I’m going to find out the truth for myself."

The silence that followed was terrifying. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Harrison stood perfectly still.

The blackness in his eyes didn’t recede.

He looked at Julius, and for the first time, there was no warmth, no protection, and no love in his gaze.

There was only a cold, hard promise.

"You think you’re making a choice," Harrison said, his voice dropping to a whisper that was scarier than his shouting. "But you’re just making a mistake. You’ve broken the one thing that was keeping the monsters away from your door."

"I can handle my own monsters," Julius huffed, his pride flaring.

Harrison backed off.

He straightened his jacket, his movements slow and robotic.

The oppressive scent in the room began to pull back, but the tension didn’t leave.

"Be ready for the consequences, Julius," Harrison said. "Because when the walls fall down, I won’t be there to catch you this time."

Julius didn’t say anything.

He watched Harrison turn around and walk toward the door.

Julius felt a surge of triumph.

He had won.

He had finally made Harrison back down.

He was in control of his own fate now.

Harrison reached the door and stopped.

On a small table near the entrance sat a tall, expensive glass vase that had been in the Vane family for years.

Without looking, Harrison swung his arm.

The vase smashed against the wall, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.

Julius flinched at the sound.

He watched the shards of glass fall on the carpet.

Harrison didn’t look back.

He walked out of the office, leaving the door wide open.

Julius stood alone in the wreckage of his office.

He let out a long breath, his hands finally starting to shake.

He had what he wanted.

He had his freedom.

But as he looked at the broken glass on the floor, he felt a cold chill run down his spine.