đź“–Â Chapter Six: The Past That Ties Them
Alexander Wolfe was seventeen when it all happened—the scandal that nearly destroyed his family's empire.
His father, Gregory Wolfe, had been ruthless in business and cruel at home. The media adored him. His enemies feared him. But behind the steel and money was corruption, and one night, it all came crashing down.
There had been a whistleblower.
An employee inside Wolfe Global who leaked financial documents to a journalist. Someone who knew about the offshore accounts, the shell companies, the bribes buried beneath fake contracts.
That man's name?
Richard Blake.
Emma's father.
Alexander hadn't seen the connection at first when Emma applied to be his assistant two years ago. She hadn't listed her father's full name. She'd kept her past buried, just like he had.
But his security team had found it all when he had her vetted for the marriage contract. The moment he saw her file, his blood turned cold.
The daughter of the man who'd brought down his family.
Because of Richard Blake's whistleblowing, Wolfe Global had nearly collapsed. The scandal led to Gregory Wolfe's "retirement," which was really exile. The board turned on the patriarch. Investors fled. Catherine Wolfe never forgave it.
And neither did Alexander.
But then came the twist: Richard Blake had never profited from exposing the Wolfes.
He'd died with nothing. No career. No protection.
The real story had been buried.
He wasn't a traitor—he was a man who did the right thing.
A man who'd paid the price.
And now his daughter had unknowingly walked into the hands of the family he'd once tried to bring down.
So why had Alexander chosen Emma?
At first, it was control. Revenge. Power. A way to keep the last trace of Richard Blake under his thumb.
But then Emma looked at him—with those eyes full of defiance and quiet strength—and everything shifted.
She didn't know.
She was innocent.
But being around her reminded him of everything he hated—and everything he secretly longed for.
He leaned back in his leather chair, staring at her image in the security camera feed.
"Emma Blake," he whispered to himself. "You're either going to save me… or destroy me."