THE MAN BEHIND THE NAME

ANIYA’S POV

“KC Sterling?”

I repeated the name, waiting for Ethan to explain.

“Yes.”

I leaned back in my chair.

“I don’t understand. Why would he be interested in my company?”

“You submitted a proposal to several private investors this morning.”

My eyebrows lifted.

“I haven’t submitted anything.”

There was a pause.

“Then someone must have forwarded your business plan to him.”

I frowned.

I hadn’t shown my proposal to anyone except Maya.

“How did he get it?”

“I can’t answer that.”

His calm response made me suspicious.

“Then why are you calling me?”

“Mr. Sterling would like to meet you.”

I almost laughed.

“I don’t even know who he is.”

“You’ll have the opportunity to find out.”

I looked at the folder containing my business plans.

I had spent years dreaming about starting my own fashion company, and now, barely twenty-four hours after deciding to leave my marriage, an unknown investor was asking to meet me.

It sounded too convenient.

“What exactly does he want?”

“An investment opportunity.”

“And what does he get in return?”

“That is something you can discuss with him.”

I was silent.

There was something about the conversation I didn’t like.

Too many unanswered questions.

Too much confidence in his voice.

“Where does he want to meet?”

Ethan gave me an address.

I wrote it down.

“Tomorrow at noon.”

“Fine.”

I ended the call.

Maya looked up from her laptop.

“Well?”

I turned my phone toward her.

“Someone named KC Sterling wants to meet me.”

She stared at the name.

“You’ve heard of him?”

“No.”

Maya grabbed her phone.

“Neither have I.”

She immediately started searching.

A few seconds later, her expression changed.

“What?”

She looked at me.

“That’s weird.”

“What?”

“There are barely any personal details about him.”

She turned the screen toward me.

There were several articles about KC Sterling.

Business acquisitions.

Investment deals.

Luxury properties.

International companies.

But almost nothing about his personal life.

One article described him as one of the youngest and most influential investors in the city.

Another mentioned his reputation for being ruthless during negotiations.

I scrolled through the page.

“He doesn’t look like someone who invests in new designers.”

“He doesn’t,” Maya replied.

“Then why me?”

“That is what I would like to know.”

I locked my phone.

“Maybe I shouldn’t go.”

Maya shook her head.

“No. Go.”

I looked at her.

“But be careful.”

I nodded.

“I will.”

The following afternoon, I arrived at the address Ethan had given me.

It was an impressive building in the heart of the business district.

I stepped through the glass doors and approached the receptionist.

“I’m here to see Mr. Sterling.”

She checked her computer.

“Ms. Harlow?”

“Yes.”

“He’s expecting you.”

She picked up the phone and spoke quietly before looking back at me.

“Someone will escort you upstairs.”

A man in a dark suit approached.

“Ms. Harlow.”

I followed him into the elevator.

As the doors closed, I caught my reflection in the polished metal.

I had dressed carefully.

A cream blazer.

Black trousers.

Simple jewelry.

My hair was neatly styled.

I wanted to look professional.

Not like a recently divorced woman desperately looking for a second chance at her life.

The elevator opened.

The man led me through a quiet hallway before stopping at a large wooden door.

He knocked once.

“Come in.”

The voice from inside was deep and calm.

The man opened the door.

I stepped inside.

The first thing I noticed was the view.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire city.

The second thing I noticed was the man standing beside the window.

KC Sterling turned toward me.

He was tall.

Very tall.

His black curly hair was neatly styled, and his dark suit fit him perfectly. A small tattoo disappeared beneath the collar on the left side of his neck.

His expression was calm, almost unreadable.

His eyes settled on me.

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then he walked toward me.

“Aniya Harlow.”

It wasn’t a question.

I nodded.

“KC Sterling.”

His lips curved slightly.

“I’m glad you came.”

I extended my hand.

He took it.

His grip was firm but gentle.

“Thank you for meeting with me.”

“Sit.”

I sat across from him.

He took the chair opposite mine.

For a moment, he simply studied me.

I wasn’t sure what he was looking for.

Finally, he placed a folder on the table.

I recognized it immediately.

My business proposal.

My eyes narrowed.

“How did you get this?”

“I have my sources.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

His expression didn’t change.

“I know.”

I leaned back.

“You’re asking me to trust you with my business, but you won’t tell me how you got my private documents.”

“You’re right.”

He opened the folder.

“Then let’s start again.”

He pushed it toward me.

“I received your proposal through a business associate. I reviewed it myself.”

“And?”

“I think you have potential.”

I almost smiled.

“Potential?”

“You have a good concept, but your financial structure needs work. Your manufacturing plan is incomplete, and your projected expansion is too aggressive for a company without established distribution channels.”

I stared at him.

He had actually read it.

All of it.

“You went through my entire proposal.”

“Twice.”

That surprised me.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t invest in businesses I don’t understand.”

I studied him.

“Then why invest in mine?”

He leaned back.

“Because you have something most new entrepreneurs don’t.”

“What?”

“Resilience.”

I frowned.

He continued.

“You put your fashion career on hold for four years. You walked away from it, but you didn’t lose the ability to create.”

My expression changed.

“How do you know about my marriage?”

“I know who Corbin Vale is.”

My stomach tightened.

“So this is because of him?”

“No.”

His answer came immediately.

“This is because of you.”

I didn’t know what to say.

KC opened another document.

“Your divorce became public this morning.”

I looked down.

I hadn’t realized the news had already spread.

“People are already talking about your marriage. They’re going to talk about your divorce. Some will assume your fashion company is an emotional reaction.”

His eyes met mine.

“Don’t give them the satisfaction of being right.”

Something about those words struck me.

“I don’t want to build this company because of Corbin.”

“Good.”

“I want to build it because I should have started it years ago.”

For the first time, his expression softened.

“Then we understand each other.”

I picked up the proposal.

“What exactly are you offering?”

“Capital.”

“How much?”

He named an amount.

I stared at him.

It was more than I had expected.

“You’re serious.”

“I don’t waste time.”

“And what do you want in return?”

“A percentage of the company.”

I studied the terms.

They were surprisingly fair.

“You’re not asking for control.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s your company.”

I looked up.

He held my gaze.

“You should be the one making the decisions.”

For some reason, those simple words affected me more than they should have.

Corbin had never told me that.

Not about my fashion dream.

Not about my decisions.

Not about my future.

I closed the folder.

“I need time to think.”

“Take it.”

I stood.

KC stood as well.

As I reached the door, his voice stopped me.

“Aniya.”

I turned.

“Don’t let what happened to you become the reason you stop trusting yourself.”

I stared at him.

He continued calmly.

“Your husband made you doubt your value. Don’t make the mistake of doing the same thing to yourself.”

For a moment, I couldn’t speak.

Then I nodded.

“Thank you.”

I walked out of his office.

The elevator doors closed behind me.

I leaned against the wall and exhaled.

I had expected a businessman.

I hadn’t expected him to understand so much after one conversation.

But there was something else about KC Sterling.

Something I couldn’t quite explain.

He was composed.

Controlled.

Almost too controlled.

And as the elevator descended, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was much more to him than the businessman everyone knew.

Meanwhile, several floors above, Ethan walked into KC’s office.

“She’s gone.”

KC nodded.

“What do you think?”

Ethan hesitated.

“You’re interested in her.”

KC looked toward the window.

“I said she’s a good investment.”

“You didn’t need to meet her yourself for that.”

KC said nothing.

Ethan folded his arms.

“She’s just gone through a divorce.”

“I know.”

“From Corbin Vale.”

“I know.”

“And you’re still considering bringing her into our world?”

KC’s expression hardened.

“She isn’t coming into my world.”

He looked down at the city below.

“I’m making sure my world doesn’t reach hers.”

Ethan stared at him.

“That sounds like you’re already worried about her.”

KC didn’t answer.

Because for the first time in a very long time, there was a woman he wanted close enough to protect…

And far enough away from the darkness surrounding him.