Two weeks passed.
On the surface, the scandal surrounding Caldwell had quieted. The media storm faded. Investors hesitantly returned. The city exhaled.
But Damien knew better.
The silence wasn't safety it was preparation.
Inside Lancaster Tower, Mercer placed a confidential dossier on Damien's desk.
"Their next play is subtle."
Damien opened the file.
Multiple photographs:
New charity board members approaching Ariana.
A new personal assistant quietly recommended for Ariana.
Invitations to exclusive private circles.
"They're surrounding her," Mercer said gravely.
"Social infiltration. Psychological warfare."
Damien's voice turned dark.
"Who are they?"
Mercer shook his head.
"No direct ties to Caldwell. They're ghosts. Highly sophisticated. Clean records."
Damien's jaw clenched.
"This isn't Caldwell anymore."
Later that afternoon, Ariana attended a high-profile luncheon.
Seated beside her was a refined, graceful woman named Vivienne Leclair poised, elegant, perfectly disarming.
"You've adapted well to this world, Mrs. Lancaster," Vivienne said with a warm smile.
Ariana returned the smile cautiously.
"I'm still learning."
Vivienne's voice lowered, intimate.
"Behind every powerful man stands a woman who carries the real burden, don't you agree?"
Ariana tensed slightly.
"Power is complicated."
"Indeed," Vivienne whispered, her eyes sharp beneath the kindness.
"And those who survive it... must sometimes make impossible choices."
Ariana's heart skipped.
The conversation was light yet perfectly calibrated to unnerve.
Back at the penthouse, Ariana sat before Damien.
"They're coming at me differently now," she said quietly.
Damien's expression hardened.
"You met Vivienne."
"You know her?"
His eyes darkened further.
"She doesn't exist in any official capacity. But yes she works for whoever's behind Caldwell. Possibly even runs them."
Ariana swallowed.
"She said things... carefully. Like she was testing me."
"That's exactly what she was doing."
Damien stood, pacing briefly, calculating.
"They want to isolate you. Make you doubt. Pull you away from me without even realizing."
Ariana's voice trembled.
"Damien… what if they succeed?"
His voice was cold steel.
"They won't."
Across the ocean, inside her private estate, the woman watched the luncheon recording.
Her assistant nodded approvingly.
"Vivienne executed the probe flawlessly."
The woman smiled faintly.
"She's already questioning herself."
Her assistant added, "Lancaster suspects infiltration."
The woman's eyes narrowed.
"Let him."
She walked to the massive window overlooking the dark cliffs.
"Soon... we won't need Caldwell anymore. Lancaster will destroy himself protecting what he loves."
Her voice dropped to a near whisper.
"And Ariana? She'll be mine before he even realizes it."