Chapter 20
Sinclair Corporation
Kiara stood outside the heavy oak doors of Zyan’s office, taking a deep, steadying breath.
She was frustrated.
His cold attitude, constant avoidance, and the suffocating silence in the mansion were driving her crazy. She had spent the last ten minutes pacing the hallway, trying to summon the courage to confront him.
No more. She was done playing his game.
Firming her resolve, Kiara pushed open the doors and barged into the office.
Zyan was lounging comfortably on the large leather couch in the corner of the office. His long legs were stretched out as he casually scrolled through his phone, looking completely relaxed and unbothered.
“Zyan, we need to talk,” Kiara said sharply.
Zyan didn’t even look up from his screen.
“Not now, Kiara. I’m busy.”
A flash of irritation crossed her face.
She let out a cold, mocking sneer and stepped farther into the room.
“We are going to talk. Right now.”
Zyan’s thumb paused on the screen. Slowly, he lowered his phone and finally looked up at her.
His dark eyes were sharp, calculating, and completely unreadable. He didn’t look guilty. Instead, he looked like a man who was entirely in control.
Kiara crossed her arms, refusing to back down under his intense gaze.
“I want an explanation for your behavior. I’m tired of you avoiding me. You’ve made everything between us awkward, and I don’t understand why.”
She took a step closer, lifting her chin defiantly.
“If you’re tired of me, just tell me, and I’ll leave. But if that’s not the case, then explain what’s going on.”
Zyan slowly sat up, tossing his phone onto the cushion. His lazy, relaxed demeanor vanished, replaced by his usual commanding presence.
“No,” he said, his voice dropping an octave, carrying a dark, possessive weight. “You are not going anywhere.”
Kiara blinked, slightly taken aback by the absolute authority in his tone.
He didn’t sound like a man who wanted her gone. He sounded like a man claiming his territory.
“Then explain,” she challenged, holding his gaze.
Zyan stared at her for a long moment before gesturing toward the chair opposite his desk.
“Sit down.”
Kiara remained standing.
“Start anywhere. Why did you try to strangle your own brother?”
Zyan leaned back against the couch, his expression hardening.
“Kade and I had a conflict. I lost my temper.”
Kiara raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
“A conflict? Zyan, you were choking him against a wall.”
“I know what I did,” he replied smoothly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Kade and I have always been close. What happened between us was… complicated.”
He paused, his jaw tightening slightly as he considered how much to reveal.
A sharp knock at the door interrupted him.
Before Zyan could give permission, the door opened, and Alex stepped inside with a thick, confidential folder in his hands. He glanced at Kiara, then back at Zyan, hesitating briefly.
“Boss. Ms. Rose. I apologize for the interruption, but you need to see this immediately,” Alex said, his voice tense.
Zyan’s eyes narrowed.
“What is it, Alex?”
Alex stepped forward and placed the folder on Zyan’s desk.
“Our intelligence team has finally identified the people responsible for distributing counterfeit luxury goods.”
Kiara’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. She walked over to the desk.
“You found them?”
“Yes,” Alex confirmed with a nod. “And the people running the shadow company… it’s the Vale family. They’ve been using a subsidiary to manufacture and sell fake products at the original prices.”
Kiara stared at the files, her mind racing.
The Vales. Of course.
Her father had always been desperate to maintain his lavish lifestyle.
“How long has this been going on?” she asked.
“The company has been in existence for over twenty years,” Alex replied.
“That long?”
She had suspected something like this, but she hadn’t expected Zyan’s team to uncover concrete evidence.
“This is massive,” Kiara said, looking up at Zyan. “If we leak this, Vale Corporation won’t just take a financial hit. They’ll face federal charges.”
Zyan didn’t answer immediately.
Kiara frowned.
“Zyan? Did you hear me?”
He wasn’t looking at her. Nor was he looking at the files.
His eyes were locked onto a single black-and-white photograph stapled to the front of Alex’s report. It showed the couple who had originally established the manufacturing plant years ago.
Zyan stared at the photograph intensely, far longer than necessary.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room felt heavy.
“Zyan?” Kiara asked softly, her earlier frustration forgotten and replaced by sharp curiosity. “Why are you staring at that picture for so long?”
Zyan slowly reached out, his long fingers tracing the edge of the photograph.
When he finally looked up at her, his dark eyes were completely shadowed, concealing a storm of emotions she had never seen before.
“Because,” Zyan said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble, “I know them.”