When she stepped out of the building, Maya Hayes looked up at the sky and felt the urge to scream. "What am I going to do?" she whispered to the empty air. Of all the men in the world, she had somehow slept with Damien Knight, the president of the Sterling Group in Northwood, a man with the power to blot out the sun. If he ever found out she had secretly given birth to his children, what would he do? Would his fury lead him to torture her, to ruin her life? Or worse, would he take the children away? No. That could never happen. Damien Knight must never learn her secret. The children were hers, and hers alone. "I can't go to KING," she decided, her resolve hardening. "I'll just have to see what other interviews I can find." But after a day of such chaotic twists, any joy she might have felt about finding a job had evaporated completely. Her mind a whirlwind of worries, she walked toward the subway station when a loud commotion erupted nearby. An old man was splayed on the ground in front of a black Rolls-Royce Phantom, leaning against its grille and slapping his legs. "Oh, the heavens see this injustice!" he wailed. "You've broken my leg! I'll never walk again! You're not leaving until you pay me!" The driver, a man in a crisp uniform, glared down at him. "My car wasn't even moving! How could I have hit you? This is a scam!" "You hit me! It's as clear as day! Now pay up, or I'm not moving!" Seeing the scene, Maya Hayes hurried forward. "What's wrong with you?" she demanded of the driver. "How can you hit someone and not take responsibility? Are you bullying him just because he's old?" The old man’s eyes lit up. "Exactly! The public can see the truth! Give me the money, or I'll die right here!" Standing at the entrance of the high-end clubhouse they'd just exited, a tall, powerful figure watched the scene unfold, his sharp, deep-set eyes missing nothing. Kay Shaw started to move forward, but Damien Knight stopped him with a slight raise of his hand. "Mr. Knight," Kay Shaw murmured, glancing at his boss's cold, chiseled profile. He hesitated. "That woman is meddling without knowing the facts. Is she a good Samaritan, sir, or just incredibly naive?" "He's old, does that make him easy to bully? This is too much!" Maya declared hotly. "Sir, take out your phone. I'll take a picture for you as evidence so he can't get away with this!" "Yes, yes, a picture! You're a smart girl," the old man said, eagerly handing his phone to Maya. The moment the phone was in her hand, Maya turned and bolted. "Hey! Stop! Don't you run with my phone!" The old man shot to his feet and sprinted after her. He cut her off in just a few steps, his face contorted with rage. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Give me back my phone!" "You... you seem fine," Maya said, looking him up and down with feigned surprise. "Didn't you say your leg was broken?" It was only then that the old man realized his frantic chase had exposed his lie. He'd forgotten all about his supposed injury. "You—!" he sputtered, too furious to form a coherent sentence. Maya rolled her eyes and walked back to the driver. "It's all right now. I can testify that his legs are perfectly fine." "Thank you," the man said, offering a slight, respectful bow. "You're welcome," Maya smiled, but she didn't see the old man's eyes turn vicious. He snatched a heavy brick from a nearby construction pile and lunged, swinging it at the back of her head. The driver had only enough time to yell, "Be careful!" Maya spun around just as the brick changed trajectory, now aimed directly at her face. Frozen with fear, she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact. But the pain never came. She cautiously peeked open one eye. The brick was stopped in mid-air, just inches from her face. Another hand, appearing from nowhere, had clamped around the old man's wrist. His face was twisted in a grimace of pure agony as the brick tumbled from his numb fingers. Maya looked up in astonishment at her savior's face and froze. The old man looked to be in excruciating pain, but Damien Knight's expression was glacial, utterly devoid of mercy. "If you're so intent on being injured, allow me." With those chilling words, he gave the old man's wrist a casual, brutal twist. A sickening crack echoed in the sudden silence. "Aaaargh!" The old man howled, clutching his shattered wrist. Bodyguards immediately materialized, dragging the screaming man away until his cries faded into the distance. Maya just stood there, too stunned to process what she'd just witnessed. She had never heard the sound of a bone breaking before—so close, so horribly final. "Mr. Knight," the driver said, "I was in a difficult spot. Thank you to this young lady for her help." The driver's voice snapped Maya out of her trance, and a desperate urge to flee seized her. "It was nothing. I really have to go." She turned, but a steel-like grip clamped around her wrist, stopping her cold.

Chapter 5: Her Dangerous Secret