The months that followed were a blur of triumphs. The dark, pressurized atmosphere of Edna's first weeks at Stone Industries had transformed into something glowing and hopeful. She hadn't just survived the "Ninety-Day Protected Period"—she had conquered it.
On graduation day, the sun shone brilliantly over the university quad. Edna stood at the podium as Valedictorian, the wind whipping her black gown. As she looked out over the crowd, her eyes immediately found the one person who stood out like a mountain among hills. Scott Stone was leaning against his black sedan at the back of the crowd, arms crossed, watching her with an unreadable expression. He hadn't sat in the VIP section. He had simply... shown up.
"Success isn't about what you're born into," Edna told the graduating class, her gaze locked with Scott's. "It's about what you refuse to leave behind."
Later that evening, the celebration moved to a small, loud bistro.
"I can't believe it!" Mary shrieked, shoving her hand into Edna's face. A modest but beautiful sapphire sparkled on her finger. "Paul—can you believe it? Paul proposed! He took me to that little park by the docks and actually got on one knee!"
Edna hugged her friend tight, her heart swelling. "I'm so happy for you, Mary. You deserve every bit of this."
But as Edna watched Mary and Paul celebrate, she felt a familiar tug of loneliness. Scott had sent a massive bouquet of lilies to the restaurant, but he wasn't there. He was still keeping his distance, still playing the role of the benefactor rather than the man who had kissed her until the world stopped spinning.
The next morning, Edna walked out of her apartment to find a sleek, pearl-white electric sports car parked at the curb. A red ribbon was tied around the side mirror.
Scott was standing nearby, checking his watch.
"What is this, Scott?" Edna asked, her jaw dropping.
"Your commute to the new headquarters is thirty miles," Scott said, his voice clipped and professional. "Taking the bus is an inefficient use of your time. This is a performance-based bonus for your graduation honors."
Edna walked around the car, running her hand over the cool, expensive metal. "This is a hundred-thousand-dollar 'bonus,' Scott. It's too much."
"It's a tool for a top-tier employee," Scott countered, stepping closer. For a second, the mask slipped, and his eyes softened. "You earned it, Edna. Stop fighting me on everything and just drive the car."
"Is that all it is?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. "A tool?"
Scott's jaw tightened. The words 'I bought it because I want you to be safe' and 'I bought it because I love seeing you win' were right there, behind his teeth. But instead, he just nodded once. "It's business, Edna. Don't read into the fine print."
He turned and walked away before she could see the frustration in his eyes. He was protecting her, providing for her, and elevating her—but he was still terrified that if he said the words out loud, he would lose his power over his own heart.
The Search Begins
With her degree in hand and a new position as a Junior Executive, Edna finally had the resources she had dreamed of. But she didn't spend her first real paycheck on clothes or jewelry.
She hired a private archivist.
"I need to know about the 'River Glen' fire," Edna told the researcher as they sat in a quiet corner of the city library. She pushed a faded, charred photograph across the table—the only thing she had from her childhood. It showed a man and a woman standing in front of a small, elegant estate.
"The records from twenty years ago are patchy, Miss Rivers," the archivist said. "But the name on the deed of that house wasn't Rivers. It was Sterling."
Edna froze. "Sterling? Like the Sterling building Scott's father used to own?"
"Exactly. Your parents weren't just 'lowly' people who died in an accident, Edna. Your father was Thomas Sterling, the man who co-founded the original firm with Richard Stone. They were partners... until the fire."
Edna felt the world tilt. She had spent months running away from the "Stones" of the world, only to find out her blood might be intertwined with theirs in a way that was far from accidental.
As she sat in her beautiful new car that night, she realized the "Desire" Scott felt for her might be the very thing that would eventually burn his family to the ground.
The Investigation Deepens
Edna is digging into a past that Richard Stone killed to keep secret.