Irene_Fejiro

In the heart of a bustling modern city, two worlds collide.

Emilia Stone is the poised and polished heiress to a powerful corporate empire. She lives a life of elegance, expectations, and control—where love is an accessory and vulnerability is a weakness. But beneath the designer dresses and media-perfect smile lies a woman who craves something real.

Sebastian Lores is everything she’s been warned about—rough around the edges, fiercely independent, and unapologetically working-class. He fixes engines by day and minds his own business by night… until a spilled coffee and a sharp-tongued heiress turn his routine upside down.

Their worlds could be different, but their chemistry is undeniable.

As passion ignites between them, Sebastian and Emilia must navigate not only their growing desire, but the harsh glare of judgment, secrets from the past, and the dangerous game of falling for someone completely off-limits.

Will their forbidden flame burn them both—or forge something that can’t be broken?

Forbidden Flame.

The silence of Emilia's office was pierced by a single knock. Not tentative. Not aggressive. Just... familiar.

"Come in," she said, without lifting her gaze from the report in front of her.

When the door opened, Emilia looked up—and froze.

Her brother stood in the doorway, composed in a tailored navy suit, hands tucked in his pockets like he owned the place. The same brother who had vanished from her life after their father's funeral, choosing ambition over blood. The last time she saw him, his eyes had been cold, calculating. Nothing like the warm sibling she once idolized.

"I thought I'd drop by. Heard you've stirred up quite the storm." His voice was light, but his eyes scanned the room—evaluating.

Emilia stood, arms crossed. "Cut to the chase, Charles. You never visit unless it serves you."

He smiled. "I see success hasn't softened you."

"No. It's hardened me where it counts."

They stood in silence, the air thick with unspoken truths. Emilia's heart pounded—not from affection, but from the lingering questions that had haunted her for months. She had begun to suspect that someone close to her family had known about the internal sabotage all along.

"Why now?" she asked. "After everything… Why show up when the dust is finally settling?"

Charles walked closer, slow and deliberate. "Because you're not done. And whether you like it or not, I'm still part of this bloodline."

Emilia's jaw tightened. "Bloodline?" she repeated, a bitter taste in her mouth. "You sold out our family long before any of this began."

"You think I didn't try to stop it?" he shot back, suddenly intense. "I warned Dad. I told him Marcus Vane and his allies were tightening their grip. But he didn't listen. And when things turned ugly, I stayed out because I knew if I got too close, I'd be taken down too."

Emilia's breath caught. "Are you saying you knew about the embezzlement? The manipulation? Liam Ford?"

Charles didn't flinch. "I knew enough. And I'm telling you now because if you think it ends with Vane, you're wrong. There are deeper roots."

Emilia's spine stiffened. She didn't trust him—but he wasn't lying.

She returned to her chair, thinking fast. "Why help me now?"

"Because I'm tired of running from our name. And because I know you'll finish what Dad started—but you're going to need every ally you can get."

And blood—no matter how strained—might still be a weapon in the right hands.

The office was buzzing with activity. Emilia walked into the meeting room —poised, calm, and dangerous. Her legal advisor and PR chief flanked her as she prepared to confront the remaining board members.

He stood at the head of the long table, arms crossed, a thick folder in front of him. "You're late, Em."

"I'm right on time," she replied, eyeing the folder.

Charles slid it toward her. "Everything we need to clean house. Names, transactions, backdoor deals. Marcus has ties with more people than we thought."

Emilia scanned the documents quickly. Her jaw tensed. "We'll burn them all down."

Chapter 27