CHAPTER 1: A LATE-NIGHT VISIT
Kai POV
The late hour gnawed at Kai's already strained patience. Standing on Raven's porch, far from the order and precision of his usual world, he felt distinctly out of place. The creaking wooden steps, the dim amber glow of the porch light—all of it was a stark contrast to the polished, sterile environments he preferred. It was too personal, too raw, and it irritated him to no end.
His father's voice echoed in his mind, as sharp as the weight of the papers he held. Wade had been clear: Raven needed to review the redevelopment plans thoroughly. "She's damn good at what she does," Wade had said, a hint of challenge in his tone. But Kai wasn't convinced. Despite her talents, her tarnished reputation made her a liability—a potential crack in the otherwise impenetrable Rockwell facade.
When Kai rapped his knuckles against the door, the sound was sharp, decisive, and final—just like every decision he made. But as the sound echoed into the quiet night, a rare sliver of hesitation crept in. What was he even doing here, personally delivering documents at midnight? He pressed his thumb against the bridge of his nose, a small crack in his unyielding facade.
As the echo of his knock faded, Kai closed his eyes, pressing his thumb to the bridge of his nose. The day had been relentless. Meetings, phone calls, decisions, more meetings. He'd been pulled in ten different directions since sunrise, and now here he was, running errands in the middle of the night like some damn assistant.
When the door opened, Kai's carefully composed mask faltered for just a moment. His dark eyes took in Raven's casual attire, her air of nonchalance catching him off guard. The shift was almost imperceptible—a flicker of vulnerability that irritated him as much as it unnerved him.
Her raised eyebrow and amused tone grated against his already frayed nerves. "Kai Rockwell, gracing my humble porch at…midnight. Should I be flattered or concerned?"
The teasing lilt in her voice was too much. His jaw tightened as he forced his posture into its usual rigidity. "Business doesn't wait for the clock," he retorted, thrusting the papers forward. His tone was clipped and brusque, a deliberate attempt to reclaim his footing.
But Raven's gaze lingered, probing, challenging. The irritation in her crossed arms and raised eyebrow was matched by curiosity, and it gnawed at Kai's discipline.
"I need you to check these over," he said, his voice lower than he intended, rough from hours of disuse. He thrust the papers forward, as if the simple act of handing them over could erase the awkwardness of his momentary lapse. The gesture was brisk, his tone brusque—a shield against whatever this was.
He replied curtly, his dark eyes meeting her for the briefest of moments before flicking to the stack of papers. "Wade wants these reviewed. Every detail."
Her question, "And he couldn't have emailed them? Or… sent his VP during business hours?" sliced through his already thin patience.
"I don't question my father's methods," Kai replied curtly, his voice low and measured. But the weight in his tone hinted at something deeper—an ingrained obedience that had long since become second nature, "Neither should u". Raven's amusement shifted into skepticism, the unspoken accusation hanging in the air between them.
The moment stretched, silence thick with tension. Kai's thumb grazed over his signet ring, the habitual gesture betraying his growing agitation. He despised how easily she could unsettle him.
When Raven finally stepped aside to let him in, her casual dismissal—"Fine. Bring them in. But I'm not making coffee at this hour, and you're not staying long"—was a jab he chose to ignore. Yet, stepping into the house felt like entering enemy territory. The space was warm, cluttered, and distinctly human—a direct contrast to the sterile precision of his own life.
Kai hesitated. The house felt too… lived in. Warm light spilled from a lamp in the corner, casting soft shadows over a cluttered coffee table and an overstuffed armchair. A blanket draped over the back of the couch. It was everything his world wasn't—comfortable, unguarded, human. He loathed it.
But orders were orders.
He stepped inside, his polished shoes sounding too loud against the hardwood floor. The scent of something faintly sweet lingered in the air, distracting him. As they moved to the dining table, Raven's sharp wit continued to chip away at his composure. "You might as well sit while I look these over. Or is standing awkwardly part of your charm?"
His jaw clenched at the jab, but he refused to bite back. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest in a stance meant to project control. His dark eyes scanned the room, carefully avoiding her gaze, though his mind was spinning.
"This is business," he reminded himself. "This is about maintaining control."
"Let's see what's so urgent it couldn't wait till morning." Kai's lips pressed into a tight line at her quip, but he said nothing, his arms crossing over his chest. His presence filled the room, a silent reminder of the unspoken tension between them.
"These are the redevelopment plans for the waterfront property. Wade wants your input before we move forward."
Raven glanced at the papers, then back at him. "You could've just emailed them."
"I didn't come here to debate logistics," Kai bit out, his voice sharper than intended. He straightened, his jaw tight. "You're here to do a job, and I'm here to ensure it gets done."
Raven shook their head, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of their mouth. "Always the charmer, Kai. You must be a real hit at dinner parties." she picked up the papers and began flipping through them, her focus on the documents but her tone still carrying a thread of mockery.
Kai didn't respond, instead clasping his hands behind his back and surveying the room with a practiced air of indifference. His mind, however, was racing. He hated being off his turf. In his world of sleek office buildings and precise agendas, he controlled the environment. Here, surrounded by soft light and the faint hum of a life lived outside the constraints of power plays and corporate espionage, he felt... out of place. Vulnerable.
When Raven pressed further, her mocking tone cutting through his thin veneer—"You know, you could've just said you wanted an excuse to see me."—Kai felt his composure slip. His retort, "Don't flatter yourself. This is business," came out colder than he intended, a shield against the vulnerability her words poked at.
Her smirk only deepened, her confidence unshaken. "Right. Business. Which explains why the VP of Rockwell Hotels is personally delivering redevelopment plans to my doorstep in the middle of the night. Sure, Dominic. Makes perfect sense."
Her words landed like a challenge. Kai straightened, his sharp reply—"I don't need to explain myself to you"—was delivered with an edge of authority. But the closer he stepped, the more her proximity unsettled him.
This was going to be a long night.
As the conversation shifted to the redevelopment plans, the tension between them deepened. Raven's pointed observation—"What if I don't approve them?"—was a deliberate provocation. "Is this one of those moments where I learn what happens to people who say no to the Rockwells?"
Her words hung in the air, sharp as a blade. It wasn't the first time she'd challenged him, but this felt different. There was an edge of vulnerability beneath her tone, as if she was testing his limits—testing him.
Kai's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening like stone. "You're here because you're supposed to be the best," he said evenly, though there was a dangerous undercurrent to his tone. "And if you're as good as wade claims, you won't say no. You'll see that this—"
he gestured toward the papers in her hand— "isn't just another job. It's an opportunity. One that could salvage whatever's left of your reputation."
Raven tilted her head, the smirk fading as her gaze locked with his. "You really believe that, don't you? That everything can be boiled down to power moves and reputations. That's your whole world, isn't it, Kai? Cold, calculated, and empty."
His jaw tightened, but he didn't look away. Her words hit too close to home, though he'd never admit it. "What I believe is irrelevant. What matters is whether you can do the damn job."
When she questioned his trust, "You don't trust me, do you?" her voice carried a weight that tugged at his defenses. Her quiet accusation—"You think I'll taint your pristine Rockwell name by association"—cut deeper than Kai expected. It was a truth he couldn't deny, though he tried to mask it with indifference. Yet, her words lingered, forcing him to confront the reality of his distrust.
His cold response—"I don't have to trust you. I just have to make sure you do what you were hired to do"—was as much a dismissal as it was an admission. Her challenge struck a nerve, forcing him to confront the unease that had lingered since she'd joined the family's orbit.
Raven studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, to his surprise, she laughed softly, shaking her head. "You know, for someone so polished and poised, you're terrible at hiding what you really feel."
Kai bristled. "And what exactly do you think I'm feeling?"
"Uncertainty," she said simply, leaning back in her chair. "Maybe even fear. You're afraid I might actually be good at this, that I might prove you wrong. And that scares the hell out of you, doesn't it?"
For a moment, the air between them crackled with unspoken tension. Kai's chest rose and fell, his composure slipping just enough for a flicker of something raw to show in his eyes. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came.
Raven stood, gathering the papers in her hands. "I'll review these. But not because you ordered me to. Because I want to." She met his gaze, her expression challenging yet earnest.
"And when I prove I can handle this, maybe you'll realize you don't have to carry the weight of the Rockwell empire on your shoulders alone."
Kai didn't move as she walked past him, her presence lingering in the air long after she disappeared down the hall. For the first time in a long time, he felt off-balance, as if she'd managed to pry open a part of him he'd worked so hard to keep locked away.
This was going to be more than a long night. It was going to be a long war. And he wasn't entirely sure who would win.