Julian sat at the edge of the bed, shirt half-buttoned, staring out at the dawn skyline. Behind him, Selene lay under the sheets, curled away from him, pretending to be asleep.
Neither of them spoke.
Their kiss last night—no, the way they devoured each other—wasn't part of the plan.
It was real.
Too real.
Julian rubbed his temples.
He wasn't sure whether last night was a surrender… or a mistake.
Selene shifted slightly, but she didn't turn.
Because if she did, he'd see her tears.
And Selene Blackwood never cried. Not even when her mother left. Not even when she signed her soul into this contract.
But now?
Now Julian Crane was breaking every wall she'd spent her life building.
---
🖋️ Camille's Opening Move
Later that morning, at the CraneCorp executive boardroom, Camille adjusted the collar of her crimson silk blouse and smiled sweetly.
"Before we begin," she said to the room of suited executives, "I have a concern to raise regarding the security of our Infinity project."
Julian's brows drew together. "What concern?"
Camille glanced at the legal counsel, then slid a folder across the table. "This was leaked anonymously last night. Internal documents. From Blackwood International's Tokyo subsidiary. Outdated encryption. Vulnerable AI protocols. It compromises the entire backend."
Selene stiffened beside him.
"That's… impossible," she said coldly. "Those documents were buried years ago."
Camille leaned back. "Apparently not buried well enough."
The board buzzed with tension.
"This is a smear tactic," Selene said.
"Or maybe," Camille replied, "it's a pattern of recklessness."
Julian looked between them—and suddenly, he knew. Camille wasn't trying to win. She was trying to divide.
---
🕵️ Nina's Discovery
An hour later, Julian stormed into his private office.
"Nina, tell me you've got something."
His investigator didn't bother with pleasantries. "I traced the metadata from the leak. It came from an IP address in London—recently bounced through four countries, but originally it came from… someone who once worked for Marcus Hale."
Julian cursed. "He's playing both sides."
"Not just that," Nina said. "You need to see this."
She slid over a USB drive.
He plugged it into the monitor.
A still image popped up: a surveillance camera screenshot.
Selene. Marcus. In the rooftop bar. Close. Intimate. Smiling.
Julian's stomach dropped.
"Timestamp?"
"Two nights ago."
The night before she told him he was the only one who saw her.
Julian couldn't breathe.
Was it real?
Or staged?
Either way, it hurt.
---
🤝 Marcus' Offer
Selene was pacing in the Blackwood penthouse suite when Marcus let himself in.
"I told you not to come here."
"And I told you we're not enemies."
"You leaked company files to Camille."
His smile dropped.
"I didn't. I swear."
She scoffed. "You think I'm stupid?"
"I think you're scared," Marcus said gently. "And I think Camille's out for blood. She's not playing chess. She's setting fire to the board."
Selene folded her arms. "So what do you want?"
He stepped closer.
"Let me help you."
"I don't need your help."
He reached into his coat and dropped a flash drive on the table.
"That's Camille's private financial ledger. Including off-shore transactions. Stuff that could end her."
Selene hesitated.
"What's the catch?"
"No catch," Marcus said, voice low. "Just don't let her take everything from you."
She stared at the drive.
And wondered if the devil always wore such a pretty face.
---
🔥 A Scandal Leaked
At 3:23 p.m., Selene's phone buzzed.
One message.
From an unknown number.
Check the headlines. Hope Julian forgives easily. 🙂
Her blood froze.
She opened the article.
"SCANDAL IN THE SUITE: Blackwood CEO Caught in Rooftop Rendezvous With Ex-Fiancé"
There, in full resolution, was the photo Nina had shown Julian.
Selene. Marcus. Smiling. Leaning in.
The caption: One woman, two powerful men, and a billion-dollar betrayal?
Selene's heart dropped.
Not because it was fake.
But because it was true enough to hurt.
---
🩹 Julian's Coldness
That evening, Selene walked into Julian's suite. He was sitting with a glass of scotch, staring at the article on a tablet.
He didn't look at her.
"So," he said. "Is it true?"
She swallowed.
"I didn't leak anything. I didn't know that photo existed."
He stood. Walked past her. Poured another drink.
"I trusted you."
"I didn't betray you."
"You kissed him."
"I didn't—"
He turned to her, eyes full of fury and ache.
"You let him in."
Selene stepped forward. "Julian—"
"No," he said, voice hard. "You don't get to say my name like that anymore."
The silence felt like a cut.
She reached for his arm. He flinched.
And that—hurt more than the article, more than Camille's games, more than the whole damn lie.
"Don't push me away," she whispered.
Julian looked at her—truly looked—and said, "You already left."
Then he walked out.
---
🕳️ Camille Strikes Again
In her private suite, Camille lit a lavender candle and took a sip of wine.
She dialed a number.
"It's done," she said.
"You got the leak out?" the voice on the other end asked.
"Photo, scandal, and Marcus? Checkmate."
"And Julian?"
"Hurt and humiliated."
The voice chuckled.
"And Selene?"
Camille smiled. "Bleeding. Right where we want her."
---
📉 Selene's Breaking Point
By midnight, Selene sat alone in her room, staring at the flickering skyline.
Everything was crumbling.
Julian didn't believe her.
Camille had sabotaged her.
Marcus? She wasn't sure if he was a savior or a snake.
And worst of all…
For the first time in her life, Selene Blackwood felt small.
She pulled out her old locket—the one her mother gave her before leaving. Inside was a photo of a girl who once believed in love.
She almost threw it away.
But instead… she put it on.
Because maybe, just maybe, she wasn't done fighting yet.
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📌 End of Chapter Six – Word Count: ~3000+
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