That morning, Cleopatra arrived at the office earlier than usual.

However, as soon as she stepped inside, the office atmosphere felt different.


The employees, who were usually busy with their work, looked restless, whispering to each other.

Cleopatra raised an eyebrow.

Something was happening.


Before she could ask, Peter Moon appeared with a tense expression, walking quickly toward her while carrying a stack of documents.

"Cleo, we have a big problem."


Cleopatra took the documents and read through them quickly.

Her jaw tightened.

"We lost a major investor," Peter said, his voice full of tension.

Cleopatra stared at him sharply. "Who?"

Peter let out a deep sigh.

"The Japanese investor, Nakamura Corporation, has pulled out of the deal. They've sent an official letter stating that they are canceling all investments due to 'an unstable financial situation'."

Cleopatra frowned.

Nakamura Corporation wasn't a company that changed its mind easily.

Someone must have manipulated them.

She gripped the documents tightly, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Who dares to meddle with my company?" she muttered, her teeth clenched.

Peter swallowed hard, seeing Cleopatra's anger start to ignite.

"That's not all, Cleo," he added hesitantly. "The stock market shows a drastic drop in Dimitri Group's share value. It's as if someone is deliberately shaking it."

Cleopatra clenched her jaw, her breathing growing heavier.

This wasn't a coincidence.

Someone powerful was trying to bring her down.

________________________________________

Elsewhere, in a luxurious office with a view of the city from the top floor,

Theodore William Blake sat comfortably.

In his hand, the latest business newspaper displayed a bold headline:

"Dimitri Group in Crisis! Major Investor Pulls Out—Can Cleopatra Survive?"

Theodore smirked in satisfaction.

He placed the newspaper on his desk, then took a sip of his wine calmly.

"Just as I predicted, she won't last long."

He knew his plan had worked.

Pulling out major investors and shaking the stock market was just the first step.

After this, Cleopatra would lose the board of directors' trust, and they would demand her removal as CEO.

And when that happened, he would take over everything.

"I've prepared the next phase," Theodore said to his subordinate standing in the room.

"Make sure the pressure on Cleopatra increases."

His subordinate nodded.

"We've already spread rumors in several media outlets that Cleopatra is losing control of her company. The public is starting to believe she's not competent enough to keep Dimitri Group afloat."

Theodore chuckled.

"Good."

He gazed out the window, his eyes filled with ambition.

He wouldn't stop until Cleopatra was completely removed from the business world.

And this time, he would make sure she never rose again.

________________________________________

Louis never imagined he would be standing in front of the CEO's office at Dimitri Group, ready to do something that could change his life.

But when he heard the news that the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, he knew he couldn't just stand by and watch everything collapse.

As an employee of this company, he didn't want to lose his job.

As a man who had started to care about Cleopatra, he didn't want to see her fall.

Without hesitation, he pushed open Cleopatra's office door and stepped inside.

Cleopatra sat in her chair with a blank stare, her fingers gripping a pen tightly over the messy financial reports scattered on her desk.

This time, she looked more frustrated than ever before.

Louis took a deep breath and said firmly,

"I want to help you."

Cleopatra lifted her face, startled.

"Why do you want to help me? This isn't your problem, Toreto."

Louis let out a long sigh, looking at her seriously.

"Because I don't want my company to collapse. I don't want to be laid off. I know I'm a nobody, but I can help convince investors to continue doing business with Dimitri Group."

Cleopatra was silent, staring deeply at Louis.

For the first time, she saw that this man truly cared about something beyond himself.

The atmosphere in the office felt heavier than before.

Cleopatra leaned back in her chair, observing Louis standing before her with a determined expression.

He wasn't a wealthy man.

He wasn't part of her business circle.

But he was the only person still by her side when things got tough.

Cleopatra exhaled slowly.

"You really don't care about my money?" she asked, half teasing, half serious.

Louis gave a small smile and shook his head.

"I don't care about your wealth. I care about what you do with it."

Cleopatra smiled slightly, her eyes shining differently.

That answer… it wasn't like the answers she had heard from other men before.

Usually, the men around her were only interested in what Cleopatra could offer—money, connections, status.

But Louis saw her from a different perspective.

Cleopatra realized something.

Her decision to marry Louis had become even stronger in her mind.

After a few moments of meaningful silence, Cleopatra suddenly stood up and narrowed her eyes at Louis.

"Alright, Toreto. I accept your offer."

Louis frowned.

"Offer?"

Cleopatra smirked, stepping closer to him.

"The offer to help me. And since you volunteered, from now on, you are my personal assistant in this company rescue project."

Louis coughed, surprised.

"P-Personal assistant?"

"Of course. You think I'll let someone else take advantage of you?" Cleopatra folded her arms. "From now on, you only work for me."

Louis shook his head, chuckling softly.

"I never offered to be a personal assistant."

Cleopatra shrugged casually.

"Too late. Now, let's get to work, Mr. Toreto."

Louis could only sigh, but for some reason, he was starting to enjoy this.

________________________________________

The night grew later.

Inside Cleopatra's office, only the two of them remained.

The dim light from the desk lamp gave an intimate ambiance, but the atmosphere between them was far more complicated than just the room's lighting.

Louis sat on the sofa, his hands clasped together, his mind full of confusion.

Across from him, Cleopatra was working on business strategies on her laptop, but her focus clearly wasn't entirely on the screen.

Occasionally, she glanced at Louis.

Louis had changed a lot over the past few days.

He was getting closer to Cleopatra.

But the closer he got, the more questions arose in his mind.

Cleopatra was a CEO with everything.

Meanwhile, Louis was just a poor man who happened to get caught up in her world.

What if all of this was just a game to Cleopatra?

What if he was just a tool she used to achieve her goals?

However, every time Cleopatra looked at him with that intense gaze, he felt something different.

Something he couldn't ignore.

Was this love?

Or just a game so deep that he couldn't escape?

Louis stared at the papers scattered on the table, trying to find answers.

Cleopatra slowly closed her laptop.

She turned to Louis, her eyes radiating something deeper than her usual teasing look.

"You know," she said softly, "I'm becoming more convinced that you're the right choice."

Louis lifted his face, staring at Cleopatra in confusion.

"Choice for what?"

Cleopatra smiled, but this time, it wasn't her usual mischievous smile.

"For being someone who stays by my side… longer than you think."

Louis couldn't say anything.

His heart pounded.

Was he ready to love Cleopatra?

Or was this just the beginning of a new battle within himself?

Louis let out a long sigh.

"Cleo… I still don't know if I can do this."

Cleopatra raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair.

"Do what? Marry me?" she asked casually, but there was a slight tension in her voice.

Louis looked at her.

"Yes. And also… love you."

This time, Cleopatra was silent.

Her eyes softened slightly, but her expression remained unreadable.

She hadn't expected Louis to say it so bluntly.

"I never asked for your love, Toreto," Cleopatra finally said, her voice calm. "I only asked you to trust me."

Louis swallowed hard.

"And what if I start loving you, but you only see me as part of your strategy?"

Cleopatra was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly.

She stood up, walking closer until they were only inches apart.

Louis could feel her warmth, but this time, he didn't back away.

"If that happens," Cleopatra whispered, "would you regret it?"

Louis couldn't answer.

Because he knew the answer was no.

He wouldn't regret it.

What he feared wasn't Cleopatra's game.

What he feared was the reality that he was truly falling in love with this woman.