The Man Behind the Empire

Hans Development Corporation was not just a company. It was an empire. For decades, the Hans Group has controlled everything from real estate and construction to energy, logistics, and high-tech innovations. But it wasn’t until Aiden Nash McCoy rose to power that the company was transformed into a monster the entire business world feared.

Competitors whispered his name with dread. Banks and investors watched his moves with hawk-like attention. Politicians respected his influence, though many secretly despised the way he bent the economy to his will.

And employees? They called him “The Demon CEO.”

The nickname had not been born from gossip but from lived experiences. One harsh order from him could wipe out an entire competitor overnight. One glare from his icy eyes could silence an entire boardroom. He didn’t need to raise his voice; his presence alone carried authority like a blade pressed against one’s throat.

Aiden was young—too young, many thought, to command such colossal power. Yet he had built a reputation as someone who never lost. Every deal he entered turned into gold for Hans. Every rival who dared to challenge him was crushed and forced into bankruptcy.

Cold. Calculating. Cruel.

That was Aiden Nash McCoy to the world.

But the world never saw him when he was alone.

The Office on the Twenty-Seventh Floor

The twenty-seventh floor of Hans headquarters was sacred territory. No one entered without permission. It was said that even directors felt their knees weaken when summoned there.

At the far end of the floor stood the CEO’s office—vast, minimalist, intimidating. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooked the sprawling city, the towers glittering beneath the late afternoon sun.

Inside, silence reigned.

Aiden sat in his leather chair, one hand resting on his desk, the other holding a photograph. He wasn’t reading reports, nor studying contracts. His sharp, storm-gray eyes were fixed on the picture in his hand.

He had been staring at it for far too long. His fingers tapped the desk—tap, tap, tap—a sound that echoed through the otherwise quiet office.

The man who could ruin empires with a sentence looked almost… human in that moment.

The photograph was of her.

Her face was serene, her eyes clear, her posture confident. There was nothing extraordinary in the photo itself—it was a candid shot, taken at an event. But for Aiden, it was magnetic. He had saved her once, without her knowledge, and ever since, she had haunted his thoughts.

His jaw tightened, his gaze darkened, yet his fingers traced the edges of the picture as if it were something fragile.

Mine, his heart whispered. She doesn’t know it yet. But she is mine.

“Sir.”

A knock snapped him from his reverie. His assistant, George, entered. Loyal, efficient, and discreet—George was one of the few who could stand in this office without fear choking him.

Aiden’s eyes, cold and penetrating, snapped to him. “Did you find her?”

George swallowed. “Not yet, sir. But I’ve traced a few leads. I’ll have her file within forty-eight hours.”

The CEO leaned back in his leather chair, expression unreadable. His fingers steepled before his lips, a gesture that made most men in the corporate world tremble. “Forty-eight hours?” His voice was calm, but the weight behind it could crush bones.

George stiffened. “There were…complications. Her family background isn’t as public as I expected. But I’ll dig deeper.”

Aiden’s gaze darkened. “Complications don’t exist when I give an order.” He leaned forward, the air around him tightening. “I want everything, George. Where she lives. Who does she speak to? Every secret, every shadow. If she’s married, divorced, if she breathes wrong—I want it in her file. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.” George bowed his head slightly, clutching the folder tighter. “I’ll deliver.”

Before Aiden could respond, the office door burst open without so much as a knock. Only one man dared such insolence.

Landry McCoy, Aiden’s younger brother, strolled into the office as if it were his own living room. Unlike Aiden, Landry carried a relaxed, mischievous air. At twenty-two, the younger McCoy brother was known for his charm, his carefree lifestyle, and his ability to irritate Aiden without even trying. He wore his designer suit with the ease of a rebel prince, tie hanging loose around his neck, messy hair, easy smirk, the kind of man who turned boardrooms into playgrounds and scandals into headlines.

“Well, well, Demon CEO,” Landry drawled, eyeing the tension in the room. “I see you’re tormenting George again. Poor man looks like he’s aged five years since morning.”

George exhaled quietly, as though Landry’s presence had permitted him to breathe.

Aiden shot his brother a flat look. “Don’t you knock?”

Landry smirked, flopping lazily into the chair opposite the desk. “Knocking is for people who fear rejection. And last, I checked, you never reject me. You just glower until I get bored.”

“Then get bored faster,” Aiden replied in an icy tone.

But Landry didn’t budge. His sharp eyes, unlike his nonchalant grin, flicked to the folder in George’s hand. “Hmm. Interesting. You’re digging into someone.” He leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. “Who’s the unlucky soul this time? A business rival? A traitor? Or…” his grin widened, wolfish, “…a woman?”

Aiden’s jaw tensed.

George froze, sensing danger, and he decided to take his leave first.

Landry’s laughter rang out. “Oh, I hit the mark. Incredible! The great Aiden Nash McCoy, who treats emotions like weaknesses, suddenly playing detective for a girl?”

“Landry.” Aiden’s voice was sharp enough to cut steel.

But Landry only leaned forward, elbows on his knees, gaze burning with curiosity. “Who is she? Someone from a rival family? An heiress you plan to manipulate? Or maybe—” He stopped suddenly, his smirk fading.

“Tap, tap, tap, tap—are you planning to break that desk? Brother, can you stop tapping that desk? It's annoying!”

Aiden didn’t lift his head. His eyes stayed glued to the photograph.

“Good grief,” Landry muttered dramatically, dropping onto the sofa opposite the desk. “You’ve been staring at that same picture for hours. Honestly, it’s creepy. Are you planning to put a hole in it with your eyes? Or maybe you’ve fallen in love for real with that poor girl in the photo?”

Still, no response. Aiden’s expression remained unreadable.

Landry leaned forward, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Don’t tell me it’s love at first sight. Ha! The great Aiden McCoy, the Demon CEO, brought down to his knees by a woman’s face? Now that would be front-page news.”

Only then did Aiden speak. His voice was deep, calm, and utterly serious. “No. We can’t do such a thing as good citizens who abide by the law.”

Landry blinked. “Eh? Who’s talking about breaking the law? I only said you’re in love. Unless…” He gasped theatrically, “Don’t tell me you’ve considered kidnapping her! Brother, that’s dark—even for you.”

“Landry,” Aiden finally set the photograph on the desk, his eyes narrowing at his younger brother. “If you have nothing better to do, then leave. I don’t have time for your nonsense.”

“Oh, I see. Touchy. Very touchy.” Landry grinned, refusing to leave. “You know, when you tap the desk like that, it’s obvious you’re restless. You never lose control in business meetings, but here you are acting like some love-struck fool. Admit it—you’re obsessed.”

“Shut up.”

“Obsession confirmed!” Landry laughed, pointing an accusing finger.

Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose, patience thinning. “If you insist on being a busybody, then listen carefully. Go find everything about her. Every detail. I want the full report by tonight.”

Landry’s grin froze. “Wait… you’re serious?”

“Very.”

The younger brother leaned back, stunned. “Oh, man. You really are obsessed.” He whistled. “Alright, fine. But if I dig into this, you owe me. Dinner at that French place downtown. With wine. Expensive wine.”

Aiden didn’t even look at him. “George would prepare the report. Not you. You can go play somewhere else.”

“Coward,” Landry muttered, rolling his eyes. “Afraid I’ll meet her first, huh? What if she falls for me instead?”

Aiden’s gaze snapped at him, sharp as a blade. Landry shivered, throwing up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay! Don’t glare at me like that. I value my life.”

He stood, stretching lazily. “By the way, Grandpa’s been talking again. Seems like he’s trying to push your engagement with the eldest daughter of Unistone Group. And this time, he’s serious.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Yeah, well, he doesn’t care about your interests. You know how the old man is.” Landry tilted his head curiously. “So what are you going to do? Break the engagement? Scandalize the family?”

“Get out.”

“Relax,” Landry drawled. “You look like you’re about to murder the next person who breathes wrong. Oh, wait—that’s your default setting.”

Aiden didn’t move, didn’t blink. But silence, from him, was more damning than an admission.

Landry’s grin vanished, replaced by a frown. “Unbelievable. ” His tone hardened. “Aiden, are you insane? Do you even realize what you’re doing?”

Aiden finally spoke, each word deliberate, lethal. “Stay out of it, Landry.”

“No.” Landry’s reply was instant, defiant. “I’ve watched you destroy men for crossing you. I’ve seen you dismantle entire corporations because of a single slight. But this—this is different. You don’t get obsessed. You don’t chase shadows. And yet here you are, treating one woman like she’s your empire.”

Aiden rose slowly, his towering figure casting a long shadow across the desk. His eyes burned with a dark promise. “She is mine.”

Landry shook his head, standing to meet Aiden eye to eye. “Yours? She doesn’t even know what kind of devil has marked her. And when she does, she’ll run.”

Aiden’s lips curved into the faintest, cruelest smile. “Then I’ll break her wings before she has the chance.”

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Landry leaned forward, grinning. “So it is love at first sight. Admit it, brother!”

“Shut up and get out if you have nothing better to do,” Aiden snapped, his patience thinning.

Landry laughed, unfazed. “No wonder you’re still single. Cold as ice. If the old man pushes again, you’ll be stuck with the Unistone heiress. You’d better watch out.”

Aiden’s lips curved into the faintest smirk. “Not me. I’m already married. You should worry about yourself, young Brother—the old man might give you away instead.”

Landry nearly fell off the couch. “What? Married? Since when? Where is my sister-in-law? She must be a goddess if she tamed you! How dare you hide her from me?”

Aiden ignored him, burying himself in files. “If you’re done being childish, leave. I don’t have time for your nonsense.”

“I swear I’ll find her,” Landry declared dramatically as he stormed out. “Even if you hide her under a rock!”

When the office finally grew quiet, Aiden exhaled. He murmured to himself, “You’ll never find her, Landry. Not before I do.”

Later that day, George returned with an envelope in hand. “Sir, the report you requested.”

“Leave it,” Aiden said without looking up.

“One more thing, sir,” George added. “The incident from the other night—she was drugged. If it weren’t for you stepping in, she would have been…” He hesitated.

Aiden’s hand clenched into a fist, his jaw tightening. “Make sure everyone involved pays for it. Start with the bartender.”

“Yes, sir. It’s already in motion.”

When the office finally emptied, Aiden opened the envelope. Inside was the dossier of the woman in the photo. His eyes scanned the words, but it was her name that held him still.

Name: Scovia Lyn Jones Age: 25 Status: Single Family: Sole heiress of the Jones family Occupation: CEO of Scolyn Gem Company (SGC)

Aiden’s fingers brushed the paper as though it were something fragile. His lips curved, the icy mask slipping into something warm.

“Scovia,” he whispered. “I’ve finally found you. I won’t let you slip away again. Never.”

For the first time in years, the cold CEO’s expression softened. His eyes glowed with something close to joy; his entire demeanor had transformed.

When George returned to confirm the meeting schedule, he froze. “Sir? Are you… smiling?”

Aiden cleared his throat and straightened. “Cancel my meeting. I have somewhere more important to be.”

George nodded, still stunned.

And as the office doors closed behind him, Aiden picked up the photograph once more, his eyes dark with determination.

“Scovia… whether you’re ready or not, our paths are about to cross.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***