Chapter 1 Prologue
The Night the Empire Blinked
The flashbulbs started before the car even stopped. Courtney knew that sound now — the rapid, electric snap-snap-snap of cameras firing like warning shots. It had become background noise over the past year. A byproduct of loving a McKay. But tonight felt different. Tonight, the air tasted metallic.
The gala banner stretched across the entrance of the McKay Grand: McKay Enterprises Global Expansion Initiative. Damian’s first official international announcement as acting CEO.
His night. Their night.
Courtney smoothed her dress before the driver opened the door. Midnight blue silk. Structured. Intentional. She wasn’t here as arm candy. She was here as strategy. The PR rollout had been her blueprint. Damian stepped out first. Tall. Controlled. Perfectly tailored in black. He didn’t glance at the cameras. He never did. His composure was part of the myth. Then he turned and offered his hand to her. Not possessive. Not performative. Equal. The crowd reacted immediately.
“Damian! Over here!”
“Courtney! Smile!”
“Are the engagement rumors true?”
She gave the cameras a composed smile. Calm. Polished. Unshakeable. Beside her, Damian’s fingers brushed the small of her back — subtle reassurance. Inside, the ballroom shimmered with wealth and power. Investors. Board members. International partners. The kind of people who smiled with their mouths and calculated with their eyes. This was chess. And Damian McKay never lost at chess.
He delivered his speech flawlessly. Measured. Visionary. Controlled. Markets would open overseas. New technology sectors. Ethical reinvestment initiatives. A bold move that would solidify McKay Enterprises as untouchable. Courtney watched from the side of the stage, pride blooming in her chest. He wasn’t just stepping into his father’s empire. He was reshaping it. Applause thundered.
Stock would surge tomorrow. Headlines would praise him. Everything was going according to plan. Until it wasn’t.
Courtney felt her phone vibrate in her clutch. Once. Twice. Three times in rapid succession. Her stomach tightened. She slipped it out discreetly. Notifications flooded the screen.
Breaking: McKay Enterprises Under Investigation?
Exclusive Photos: Damian McKay’s Private Dinner with Rival CEO.
Is the McKay Empire Built on Deception?
Her pulse stumbled. What? She opened the first article. A photograph filled the screen. Damian. Seated at a private restaurant table. Across from him — a striking woman in red.
The headline scrolled beneath:
Damian McKay Spotted in Secret Negotiation with Ardent Global’s CEO Days Before Alleged Insider Trading Activity.
Ardent Global. The rival corporation circling them for months. The image angle was intimate. Too intimate. The implication obvious. Courtney’s blood ran cold. She knew that dinner. It had been strategic. Necessary. Quiet. She’d helped draft the talking points. But the narrative spinning online? It wasn’t about business. It was about betrayal. Another alert. This one worse.
Sources claim confidential information may have been exchanged. Investigation pending.
Her breathing slowed. Not panic. Analysis. Who leaked this? She looked up at Damian across the ballroom. He was shaking hands, unaware. Smiling. A shark in a room full of sharks. And suddenly, the water smelled like blood. Courtney crossed the room, heels sharp against marble. She didn’t run. She didn’t rush. She leaned close to him as he finished with an investor.
“Don’t react,” she murmured.
His eyes shifted to hers instantly. Calm. Assessing.
“What happened?”
“We have a problem.”
She handed him her phone. She watched the exact moment he saw the headline. His jaw didn’t clench. His posture didn’t change. But his eyes? They hardened. He scrolled once. Twice. Then handed it back.
“Who else knows?” he asked quietly.
“It’s everywhere.”
Across the ballroom, phones were lighting up. Whispers began. Subtle at first. Then spreading. Board members stepped aside in pairs, murmuring. An investor glanced at Damian with sudden calculation. The media inside the event were already typing. Courtney’s mind raced. Timing was intentional. The article dropped during the speech. Maximum damage. Maximum doubt.
“You didn’t leak anything?” she asked, needing to hear it.
His gaze snapped to hers. Cold. Offended.
“No.”
“I know,” she said quickly. “I know.”
But perception didn’t care about truth. Across the room, a television mounted above the bar flickered. Financial news. A ticker crawled along the bottom.
MC KAY ENTERPRISES SHARES DIP AFTER INVESTIGATION RUMORS.
It had begun. Damian leaned closer.
“This is coordinated.”
“Yes.”
“Ardent?”
“Or someone internal.”
That possibility hung between them. Internal meant betrayal. Internal meant war. A reporter approached before they could say more.
“Mr. McKay, any comment on the allegations of impropriety with Ardent Global?”
Allegations. The word sliced cleanly. Courtney watched Damian shift. Not defensive. Not rattled. Strategic.
“There are no allegations,” he said evenly. “There is speculation fueled by incomplete information. McKay Enterprises operates within full legal and ethical compliance.”
Calm. Unshaken. But Courtney knew him. His pulse would be steady. His mind would already be mapping counterattacks. Another reporter chimed in.
“Is it true confidential data was exchanged during a private dinner with Ardent’s CEO?”
He didn’t blink.
“I meet with competitors regularly. It’s called business.”
Flash.
Flash.
Flash.
The cameras loved pressure. Courtney stepped forward.
“Tonight is about global expansion and ethical investment initiatives,” she said smoothly. “We won’t dignify rumor with reaction.”
Her voice didn’t waver. Inside? Her stomach twisted. Because this wasn’t just corporate. It was personal. A final notification lit her phone. Anonymous source claims insider tip led to suspicious stock movement tied to McKay Enterprises board member.
Board member. Internal. This wasn’t a smear. It was an attack designed to fracture. Damian placed his hand lightly at her back again. Grounding. But this time, she felt the tension in his fingers.
“Go upstairs,” he murmured under the noise. “I’ll handle this.”
Her chin lifted.
“No.”
“Courtney.”
“I built the communication strategy for this expansion,” she said quietly. “I’m not hiding.”
A flicker of something crossed his expression. Pride. Worry. Possessiveness.
“Things are about to get ugly,” he warned.
She met his gaze steadily.
“Then we stand in it together.”
Across the ballroom, stock numbers dipped again on the ticker. A board member avoided eye contact. Another stepped toward Damian with a tight smile. Courtney understood it then. This wasn’t random. This was a power play. And someone wanted Damian to look young. Reckless. Compromised. They wanted the board to doubt him. They wanted investors nervous. They wanted Courtney framed as distraction. The empire wasn’t blinking. It was being tested.
Damian turned to face the room fully. Shoulders squared. Voice steady.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he announced, “it seems someone mistook ambition for weakness.”
The murmurs quieted. Courtney stood beside him. Not behind. Cameras captured the image: Damian McKay — calm in crisis.
Courtney — unflinching at his side. By midnight, the headlines would escalate. By morning, markets would react. By next week, alliances would fracture. But as the ballroom buzzed and speculation spread like wildfire, Courtney felt something sharp and electric settle in her chest. This wasn’t just a scandal. This was war. And Damian McKay had just been challenged in his own kingdom. She slipped her hand into his. Let them watch. Let them speculate. Let them try to shake the throne.
Because if someone wanted to test the empire—
They were about to learn exactly how dangerous a McKay could be.
And how much more dangerous he was
with her beside him.