The city lay quiet beneath the floor-to-ceiling windows of Alexander King's office. The skyline glowed faintly in the distance, but Alexander barely saw it. His reflection stared back at him in the glass, sharp lines, tired eyes, a man carrying weight no one else could see.
He had left Elena's apartment hours ago, yet her voice still echoed in his ears. "Don't drag Sophie into this. She has nothing to do with you."
If only it were that simple.
A knock sounded at the office door.
"Come in," Alexander said, not turning.
Daniel entered, carrying a slim folder. "We traced the calls made to Miss Sophie. All from the same burner phone. And all lead back to the same source."
Alexander finally turned, his gaze hard. "Adrian Holt."
Daniel nodded once. "As expected."
Alexander's jaw clenched. He should have known Adrian would move quickly. Adrian never wasted time once he spotted a weakness.
Daniel hesitated, then added, "Sir, if I may… she doesn't understand the danger. Miss Hayes. She won't stay put."
Alexander's lips pressed into a thin line. "I know."
Silence stretched for a moment before Daniel placed the folder on the desk and stepped back.
"Do you ever wonder," Daniel said carefully, "if things would be different if you and Holt hadn't started together?"
The question hung heavy in the air. Alexander's gaze drifted to the folder, but his mind was already elsewhere.
Different.
Yes, things would have been very different.
Ten years ago;
Alexander had been twenty-three, barely out of graduate school, determined to prove himself outside of his father's shadow. That was when he met Adrian Holt.
Adrian was everything Alexander wasn't, loud where Alexander was quiet, charming where Alexander was controlled. They had been introduced at a networking event, two young men with big ideas and bigger egos. Against all odds, they had hit it off.
At first, they were partners. Adrian had the charisma, the reckless daring; Alexander had the discipline, the sharp mind for numbers. Together, they made deals no one thought possible. They climbed fast, too fast, drawing attention from competitors twice their age.
It started small with Adrian pushing for riskier deals and Alexander reining him in. Then came the contracts Adrian "forgot" to mention, the clients Alexander discovered had been courted behind his back.
The final fracture came with the Crownwell Contract, a multimillion-dollar deal that could have secured both their futures. Adrian wanted to cut corners, grease hands under the table. Alexander refused.
When the contract was awarded to Alexander alone, Adrian snapped.
"You think you're better than me," Adrian had hissed, eyes burning with a fury Alexander had never seen before. "But you're nothing without me. Nothing!"
Alexander had walked away that night, ending their partnership.
But Adrian hadn't stopped.
He launched his own company, building it on aggressive deals and ruthless tactics. He spread rumors about Alexander's methods, tried to steal clients, even leaked false scandals to the press. Their rivalry had evolved since then.
Vivian Dawson had been Alexander's girlfriend at the time. After their bitter breakup, she had slid effortlessly into Adrian's orbit. Together, they became a weapon. Adrian with his hunger for revenge, Vivian with her obsession for control.
It wasn't just business anymore. It was personal. Adrian wasn't satisfied with building his empire. He wanted to tear Alexander's down.
Alexander's hand tightened around the edge of the desk as the memories faded.
Daniel stood silently, waiting.
"He blames me," Alexander said finally, his voice low. "For the deals he lost. For the reputation he couldn't build. For Vivian choosing him only after she realized she couldn't control me."
Daniel inclined his head. "And now Miss Hayes is part of that equation."
Alexander's chest tightened at her name. Elena. She hadn't asked for this war. She hadn't asked to be caught in the crossfire of two men's past sins.
But Adrian didn't care. Adrian never cared who he burned to get what he wanted.
Alexander turned back to the window, his reflection once again merging with the city lights. "This rivalry ends," he said quietly, "one way or another."
And for the first time in years, Alexander wasn't thinking about boardrooms or contracts. He was thinking about Elena, her wide eyes, her trembling hands, the way her voice broke when she begged him not to drag her and her friend into danger.
He couldn't let Adrian win. Not this time.
Not when there was so much more at stake.