Page 47 of Safe Place

“Micah.” I point vaguely toward the study. “Does your family own this building?”

“No.” He leans back, smiling like he’s been waiting for this moment. “I own it.”

“You what?” My jaw drops again. “What—how—why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugs, maddeningly casual. “You never asked.”

“I never asked?” I stare at him, incredulous. “And how was I supposed to think to ask something like that?”

He’s grinning now, clearly enjoying himself. “To be fair, it’s not exactly a secret. You knew my last name. And you knew I lived here—in the penthouse, no less.”

I throw the highlighter at him, which he catches easily and sets beside my notes. “Unbelievable. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together. What else are you hiding?”

“I’m not hiding anything. I was never hiding anything, Sophie.” His smirk deepens. “It’s all in my name.”

I slide back onto the seat at the island beside him and open my laptop, pulling up the search engine.

Micah glances over, and when he sees what I’m typing—Micah Vale—he chuckles under his breath.

I hit enter anyway, and the screen floods with results.

The Vale Group.

I scroll, my heart sinking with every headline. Feature after feature—Forbes profiles, glossy magazine covers, photos of black-tie galas. Articles with titles like:

“The Vale Group: A Multi-Billion Dollar Real Estate Empire Reshaping Skylines Across the Globe.”

“Micah Vale Spotted at Charity Gala in Monaco—The Heir to America’s Largest Real Estate Empire Steps Into the Spotlight.”

Images flash by—towering glass skyscrapers with the Vale logo, sprawling luxury resorts in places I can’t even pronounce, and rows of gleaming yachts docked at private marinas.

Oh my God.

This isn’t just wealth. This is the kind of wealth that buys buildings, cities, and entire islands.

And Micah? He’s in the photos. Tuxedo. Handshake with some CEO I vaguely recognize, smiling next to politicians and celebrities like it’s normal for him.

His dad, Leonard Vale. Mother, Elena Harrington Vale. Older brother, Lucas Vale.

“Whoa,” I blurt before my brain can stop me.

Micah laughs, leaning back in his chair. “You could just ask, Soph.”

“Well, I don’t exactly know what to ask,” I shoot back. “So you’re like…really something, huh?”

He smiles. “I’m just Micah, Sophie.”

“It all makes so much sense now,” I say, ticking things off with my fingers. “The penthouse. The expensive car.”

“So,” I continue, “are you, like, training to take over or something?”

“Or something, yeah.” He shrugs, casual as always. “My dad wanted Luke—my brother—to take over, but he made it clear a long time ago he wasn’t interested. So I’m the only choice, really.”

“Well, good thing the only choice happens to be the best choice,” I say, confident that it’s true.

His gaze softens, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “You’ve got faith in me, Lenny?”

“Of course I do.” My own smile slips out before I can stop it.