Nicole felt his hand before she fully processed it.
Warm.
Steady.
Grounding.
For a brief moment inside the descending elevator, the noise in her head—the calculations, the pressure, the constant movement of strategy and threat—quieted just enough for her to notice something dangerous.
She was tired.
Not physically.
Deeply.
And Chase was the first person in years who seemed able to see it without trying to use it against her.
That frightened her more than any enemy currently circling her life.
"I'm fine," she said again, quieter this time.
Chase didn't let go immediately. "You almost collapsed."
"I lost balance."
"You haven't slept in days."
"I've managed worse."
"That doesn't mean you should."
Nicole finally looked directly at him.
Too close.
Everything about him felt too close lately.
The elevator lights reflected softly against the sharp line of his jaw, against the concern he no longer bothered hiding when it came to her.
And the worst part?
She trusted it.
Not fully.
Not safely.
But enough to matter.
The elevator doors opened into the underground parking level.
Neither moved at first.
Then Chase spoke quietly.
"You don't have to fight every second of the day."
Nicole's expression tightened slightly. "You say that like stopping is survivable."
"It is with the right person."
The words landed softly.
Too softly.
Nicole looked away first, stepping out of the elevator before the silence could deepen into something she wasn't prepared to face.
Chase followed beside her.
Not pushing.
Not retreating.
Just there.
Constantly there.
And she was beginning to realize she no longer hated it.
—
The drive back through Manhattan felt different after the board meeting.
News of Daniel Hargrove's removal had already started spreading internally, triggering waves of panic and speculation across financial media. Nicole's phone buzzed endlessly with incoming calls, messages, emergency requests, but for once—
she ignored them.
Chase noticed immediately.
"That's new."
Nicole stared out the window. "Temporary."
"You just publicly destroyed a board member."
"He destroyed himself."
"And now?"
Nicole's gaze drifted toward the skyline. "Now the people behind him adjust."
Blair looked up from the backseat. "I'm starting to realize your life is basically corporate warfare mixed with psychological horror."
Nicole almost smiled faintly.
"Accurate."
Blair leaned forward between the seats. "So are we winning?"
Nicole didn't answer immediately.
Because that depended entirely on how much worse things were about to get.
—
Back at the safehouse, Meredith was already waiting inside.
The second Nicole walked through the door, Meredith crossed the room holding a tablet filled with alerts.
"You caused absolute chaos."
Nicole removed her coat calmly. "Good."
"Investors are divided, legal teams are panicking, and financial media is calling you ruthless."
Nicole handed her the coat without concern. "Also good."
Meredith stared at her for a second before sighing. "You know most people would consider this stressful."
"Most people don't survive long in my position."
Meredith's eyes shifted briefly toward Chase standing nearby.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"You look terrible, by the way," Meredith added.
Nicole narrowed her eyes slightly. "I'm surrounded by critics today."
"That's because you're operating on caffeine and anger."
Blair raised a hand from the couch. "I said the same thing earlier."
Nicole ignored both of them.
Mostly because they were right.
Meredith handed over the tablet. "There's more."
Nicole scanned the screen quickly.
Then stopped.
Her expression changed instantly.
Chase noticed. "What happened?"
Nicole read the message again before answering.
"One of Greg's known associates disappeared three hours ago."
Blair frowned. "Why does that matter?"
Nicole's eyes remained fixed on the report.
"Because someone removed him."
The room quieted.
Meredith crossed her arms. "You think Greg did it?"
"No."
Chase stepped closer. "Then who?"
Nicole slowly lowered the tablet.
"I think someone's cleaning the board."
A chill moved quietly through the room after that.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
Pressure was evolving again.
The operation surrounding Greg was becoming tighter.
Cleaner.
More controlled.
Which meant whoever stood behind all of this was done tolerating loose ends.
Blair looked uneasy now. "That sounds… really bad."
"It is," Nicole admitted.
The honesty caught everyone slightly off guard.
Especially Chase.
Because Nicole rarely admitted danger out loud unless it had become undeniable.
Meredith exhaled slowly. "Then what's the move?"
Nicole went silent for a moment.
Thinking.
Rebuilding.
Calculating.
But beneath all of it, something else kept distracting her now.
Chase.
His hand on her arm.
His voice in the elevator.
You don't have to fight every second of the day.
No one had ever said things like that to her before.
Not sincerely.
Not without wanting something attached to it.
And Chase—
somehow—
kept caring about her even after seeing the worst parts.
It made no sense.
Which was exactly why it was dangerous.
"Nicole."
She looked up.
Meredith was watching her carefully now.
"You disappeared for a second."
Nicole straightened slightly. "I'm thinking."
"No," Meredith replied knowingly. "You're distracted."
Blair immediately looked interested. "Oh, this should be good."
Nicole shot her a look. "Don't."
Too late.
Meredith's eyes moved toward Chase again before returning to Nicole.
Then a slow smile appeared.
"Oh."
Nicole's jaw tightened instantly. "Stop talking."
Blair blinked between them. "Wait—hold on. Are we finally acknowledging whatever this thing is?"
"There is no thing," Nicole said immediately.
"Right," Blair replied dryly. "And Manhattan traffic is relaxing."
Chase looked down briefly, hiding the faint smile that almost appeared.
Nicole noticed.
Which irritated her further.
Meredith folded her arms. "You're slipping, Nikki."
Nicole's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
"You care."
Silence.
Sharp.
Direct.
Nicole laughed once softly, but there was no amusement in it. "That's dramatic."
"No," Meredith said calmly. "That's visible."
Nicole opened her mouth to respond—
Then stopped.
Because Chase was looking at her now.
Not pushing.
Not demanding.
Just waiting.
And suddenly Nicole realized something she had been avoiding for weeks.
The problem wasn't that Chase loved her.
The problem was that somewhere along the way—
she had started needing him near her too.
That realization unsettled her enough that she turned away immediately, moving toward the windows overlooking the city.
Rain had started again.
Soft against the glass.
Behind her, the room remained unusually quiet.
Blair finally broke it.
"So… are we pretending this conversation never happened?"
"Yes," Nicole answered instantly.
"No," Chase said at the same time.
Nicole closed her eyes briefly.
Blair burst out laughing. "Oh, this is getting painful now."
Even Meredith smiled slightly before her phone buzzed sharply in her hand.
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
She checked the screen.
Then her expression darkened.
"Nicole."
Nicole turned back instantly. "What."
Meredith's voice lowered.
"There's been another breach."
The room stilled again.
"Where?" Nicole asked.
Meredith looked up slowly.
"Your penthouse."
Every trace of warmth disappeared from Nicole's face.
"What."
"Security found signs of forced access fifteen minutes ago."
Chase straightened immediately.
Blair went pale. "Someone broke into your home?"
Nicole was already moving for her coat again.
Fast.
Focused.
Cold.
But underneath it now—
for the first time—
Chase saw something else too.
Fear.
Not for herself.
For what someone might have left behind.