Davin had always believed obsession was a weakness reserved for lesser men.

He had built his empire on control—numbers aligned, people positioned like pieces on a board, emotions stripped down to leverage. Desire, fear, loyalty, love—everything had a price, everything could be bought or broken. He prided himself on never wanting anything too much.

Until Alyssa.

The realization crept in slowly, like a poison he refused to acknowledge.

It began the night after the board meeting she had dominated with surgical precision. Davin sat alone in his office, the city stretched beneath him in glittering obedience. The lights usually calmed him. Tonight, they felt loud. Restless.

On the large screen...