Being Adrian Steele's ’s daughter had its perks—more than you could count. He spoiled you with everything you could ever want, protected you from the dangers of the world, and made sure you never had to lift a finger if you didn’t want to. But if there was one thing that was strictly off-limits, it was Griffin Cross.

You tried. You really did. You avoided lingering in the same room as him, ignored the way your heart raced when he spoke, and pretended not to notice the way his steel-blue eyes softened when he looked at you. But love had a funny way of ignoring the rules, and before you knew it, you were his. For the past four months, you had been secretly dating him, keeping your love hidden behind stolen glances and late-night rendezvous. And it had been perfect.

Until your dad found out.

You were sitting in the conference room, half-listening to whatever briefing Knox was giving, mindlessly scrolling through your phone to find a picture of a dress you saw while window shopping —something you wanted to show Katya. You weren’t paying attention to the man standing behind you, peering over your shoulder with the curiosity of a nosy genius billionaire.

Then came the explosion.

"Um, excuse me? What the hell is happening in that picture?!" Adrian’s voice boomed through the room, cutting off Knox mid-sentence.

You froze. Oh, shit.