Blink Twice - Shaboozey, Myles Smith; Rare - Selena Gomez
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Chapter Fifteen
Jeffrey Black sat in his office, the city sprawled beneath him like a kingdom already half his. But the view did little to soothe the weight pressing down on his shoulders. His father's message from earlier that morning still echoed in his mind: "You won't inherit the company entirely unless you marry, and soon. Do not make me repeat myself."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. Marriage. Expectations. Dynasty. Everything he had worked toward, everything he controlled, was now contingent on a social arrangement that felt more like a trap than a privilege.
Jason leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "You look like you're about to wage war on the world… or just on your family. Which is it today?"
Jeffrey shot him a look. "Why is it always fun for you to witness my suffering?"
"Because misery is hilarious," Jason said, strolling into the office with a casual ease. "Plus, I get to eat popcorn while you argue with a room full of suits about your love life."
Jeffrey groaned, sitting back in his chair. "You realize this isn't a joke, right? The board, Grandfather, even Dad, they want me to settle. They've practically drawn a timeline on a whiteboard, detailing when I should propose, when I should announce, and, God forbid, when I should start a family."
Jason snorted. "Well, you could just tell them you've fallen in love… with someone inconvenient."
Jeffrey's eyes narrowed. "Inconvenient is an understatement. And you know exactly who I mean."
Jason's grin widened. "Ah, Miss Dalton. The empire queen herself. Beautiful, brilliant… and seemingly immune to your charm."
Jeffrey muttered, "Immune? Hardly. She's just… complicated."
Jason plopped down in the guest chair, spinning it lazily. "Complicated is good. Makes the game more interesting. Trust me, you've met your match, and she knows it."
Meanwhile, Diane Dalton was finishing her own late-night work session in her studio, surrounded by fabrics and designs that felt like extensions of herself. Chelsea had left hours ago, promising to "report live from Jason's antics" the next morning, and Diane was left alone with her thoughts, an empire to run, a brand to protect, and a mind that couldn't stop wandering to Jeffrey.
Surprisingly or not, Jason and Chelsea met when they were both trying to spy on Diane and Jeffery on their date and they hit it right off.
The memory of their lunch lingered: the subtle glances, the barbed yet playful conversation, the way he had driven her home with that infuriating calm confidence. The thought made her pulse quicken and her mind rebel against logic.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Chelsea: Jason just sent me a hilarious selfie of him trying on your designs. You'll die laughing.
Diane laughed softly, replying, Send it. I need this. She leaned back, rubbing her eyes, the lines between professional obligations and personal curiosity blurring more than she wanted to admit.
Back in Jeffrey's office, the two brothers strategized quietly. "You know," Jason said, leaning forward, "if you play this right, you don't just keep the company. You get to see what it's like to have someone who actually challenges you… someone worth your attention."
Jeffrey raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you're trying to set me up for chaos."
"Chaos is part of life," Jason replied, smirking. "And trust me, if anyone can handle it, it's you. But maybe, just maybe, this time, the chaos will be… fun."
Meanwhile, Diane's thoughts drifted to the subtle smile Jeffrey had given her at lunch, the one that lingered like a challenge. She couldn't tell if it was an invitation or a warning, but somehow, she wanted both.
Chelsea's message buzzed again: Jason says he's inviting me to dinner tomorrow. Your designs are on the menu. He's ridiculous. And handsome. Be careful.
Diane typed back a quick: Noted. Keep him in check.
She paused, staring at the screen. Even as she tried to remain rational, a smile tugged at her lips. It seemed the worlds of business, family, and unexpected romance were colliding in ways she had never anticipated.
Although, she anticipated a text from a particular someone, buh nothing, she decided to take the first step this time. She found his contact on her phone and send him a text...
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In his penthouse, Jeffrey poured himself a glass of whiskey, swirling it slowly. His phone lit up with a message from Diane, simple yet charged: Thank you for lunch. I survived your company.
A small chuckle escaped him. "She's impossible," he murmured. And in that impossibility, he felt a spark he hadn't realized he was missing.
Across the city, Diane Dalton leaned back in her chair, fingers tracing the edge of a fabric sample. Empire, influence, expectation, none of it mattered as much as the little chaos he had introduced into her life. And she had to admit, secretly, she was curious.
The night deepened, both of them alone yet entangled in invisible threads of challenge, strategy, and undeniable attraction. Tomorrow promised meetings, decisions, and perhaps another encounter, but tonight, the city held only the two of them in the quiet tension of what was yet to come.
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