Blackwood International's lobby was buzzing with the Monday morning rush.
Aria adjusted her blazer and stepped off the elevator with purpose, ignoring the subtle stares she'd begun to recognize. Ever since the gala, eyes had followed her in the hallways. Whispers died whenever she passed. Everyone was wondering the same thing:
Was she sleeping with the boss?
She wasn't.
Not yet.
But she could feel the danger of it inching closer with every look Dominic gave her.
She entered the executive wing and made her way toward Dominic's office, mentally reviewing his schedule for the morning. As she reached for the door handle—
"Don't."
The voice was low. Female. Silky and sharp like a blade.
Aria turned, startled.
A tall, blonde woman stood by the window, arms crossed, dressed in blood-red heels and a matching suit that screamed power and poison. Her blue eyes were icy and assessing.
"I wasn't talking to you," Aria said politely. "But if you have a problem—"
"I do," the woman replied, stepping closer. "And it's standing in front of Dominic Blackwood's office like she belongs here."
Aria stiffened. "And you are?"
The woman smiled without warmth.
"Lana Pierce."
Aria blinked. The name rang in her ears like a siren.
Dominic's ex.
His former business partner.
And the woman who once held his engagement ring.
"Right," Aria said slowly. "Should've guessed from the entitlement."
Lana's smile sharpened. "Feisty. That's cute. How long do you think you'll last?"
"I plan to do my job, not win a popularity contest."
"Oh, sweetheart," Lana said with mock pity. "You're not even on the right battlefield."
"I don't have time for games."
"No," Lana said, stepping in until she was inches away, "but you're already playing one. Whether you know it or not."
Aria met her gaze, unflinching. "If this is some kind of jealous ex thing, save it. I'm not interested in Dominic."
Lana laughed once. "You will be. And he'll let you believe you're special, right up until he doesn't."
Aria narrowed her eyes. "Funny, I thought you were the one he left behind."
Lana's smile vanished.
For a beat, the air between them crackled.
Then Lana leaned in, her voice dropping to a hiss. "You have no idea what he's capable of. You think you're falling into a dream? No, darling. You're being swallowed by a machine. Dominic Blackwood doesn't love. He owns. And when he's done owning you, he discards."
"I'm not afraid of him."
"You should be."
Lana pulled something from her clutch—a flash drive—and pressed it into Aria's palm.
"Watch it," she said. "If you want to know what kind of man you're really working for."
Then, without another word, she turned and strutted down the hall, heels echoing like gunshots.
Aria stared at the flash drive for a long moment.
Her hands shook as she slid it into her bag, just as Dominic's office door opened.
He stepped out, brows raised. "Problem?"
She smiled too quickly. "No. Everything's fine."
He didn't press.
But as she followed him into the office, her mind was racing.
Later That Night…
Aria sat on the edge of her bed, laptop open, fingers trembling over the keyboard.
She stared at the flash drive now plugged into her USB port.
Should she look?
Would it even be real?
Lana was clearly bitter. Untrustworthy. But something in her eyes… something in her voice had unsettled Aria more than she wanted to admit.
With a deep breath, she clicked the folder.
Inside: one video.
Titled: "Dominic Blackwood – 2019 Confidential Footage"
She pressed play.
The screen flickered.
A grainy image appeared—Dominic, standing in a boardroom, face unreadable, eyes cold. Across the table sat a trembling man in a suit, sweat beading on his forehead.
"You knew the terms," Dominic's voice snapped.
"I—I didn't think she'd take it to the press," the man stammered.
Dominic leaned forward. "Then you shouldn't have slept with a whistleblower."
"But she—she threatened me, Dom!"
Dominic turned to someone off-camera. "Make sure he's out by morning. Strip his stock options. Seal the NDA."
The camera shook slightly as someone whispered, "That'll destroy him."
Dominic's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"Then let him burn. He's a liability. And liabilities don't belong in my empire."
The screen went black.
Aria sat frozen.
Dominic's face—so calm, so unflinching—was etched in her mind.
What had she just seen?
A man protecting his company?
Or a man capable of ruin without remorse?