Adrian Holt's penthouse overlooked the same city as Alexander King's but it didn't sparkle the same. From Adrian's side of town, the skyline looked harsher, wrapped in smoke and neon.
He leaned back in his leather chair, a cigar smoldering between his fingers. Each curl of smoke rose like a secret he wasn't ready to share.
Across the glass table, Vivian perched delicately, legs crossed, one manicured finger tapping against a thin file. The sound was sharp.
"She's nervous," Vivian said flatly. "The friend—Sophie. She's already jumpy. Another push, and she'll fold."
Adrian's lips curled into a smile, slow and dangerous. "That's good. That's the point. If the friend breaks, Elena won't have anywhere to run. And when she turns to Alexander…" He let the words trail off, savoring the tension like fine wine.
Vivian tilted her head, studying him. "You're convinced he cares that much? Enough to let a woman trip him up?"
Adrian took a long drag of his cigar, exhaled smoke that hung in the air like a storm cloud. "He already does. He wouldn't be keeping her locked away in that penthouse if she didn't matter. You know Alexander. He doesn't waste time or risk on anyone who's dispensable."
Vivian's lips twitched, part smile, part sneer. "He used to say the same about me."
Adrian's gaze flicked toward her, sharp and assessing. "And look how that ended."
Vivian's eyes narrowed, but she didn't look away. "It ended because he was a coward. Because he couldn't handle fire. He wanted control, order, everything neat and polished. I wanted passion. Risk. He couldn't give me that. He never could."
Adrian chuckled darkly, swirling the drink in his glass. "Or maybe he realized passion with you meant war. That's not cowardice, Vivian. That's self-preservation."
Her nails tapped harder against the file. "You think you know him better than I do?"
"I do," Adrian said simply, voice cutting through the room. "I've been watching him since the day he took what was supposed to be mine."
Vivian arched a brow. "The business deal? Or the crown of golden boy everyone worships?"
"Both," Adrian snapped, then caught himself, smoothing his tone back into velvet. "He's built an empire on reputation. Integrity. His perfect image. But images crack when pressure's applied. And Elena… she's the perfect pressure point."
Vivian leaned forward slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "And what happens when you've applied enough pressure? Adrian's smile widened, razor-thin. "Then Alexander finally learns what it's like to lose everything he thought was untouchable."
Vivian was silent for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the city lights. When she spoke again, her voice was quieter, but sharper. "And what do I get out of this, Adrian? Revenge is sweet, but I want more than crumbs."
Adrian studied her, noting the bitterness laced in her words. "You want him to suffer. Don't pretend otherwise. He didn't just leave you, Vivian. He exposed you. Do you think people forgot the scandal? The whispers about your desperation, your obsession?"
Vivian's jaw clenched, but her eyes gleamed with cold fire. "He humiliated me. Stood there with that perfect calm and told me it was over, as if I was disposable. As if I was… unworthy."
Adrian leaned closer, his voice a low growl. "And now? Now you'll be the blade. You'll smile, play the ally, while you cut her from under his arm. By the time he realizes, it'll be too late."
The room fell into silence, thick with unspoken promises and poisonous intent. Vivian's expression softened into something like satisfaction, though her eyes still betrayed a flicker of something else, hurt maybe, or envy.
Adrian stood and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window. His reflection stared back at him: sharp jawline, storm-gray eyes filled with hunger. The city lay beneath him, pulsing with light, unaware of the storm brewing above.
"Alexander King has always thought he was untouchable," Adrian murmured, almost to himself. "But every empire has a weak stone in the foundation. His is Elena Hayes."
He raised his glass, a mocking toast to the skyline. "To old rivals. To old wounds. And to the game that never ends."
Vivian's voice followed him, soft and laced with venom. "Let's just hope you don't underestimate her the way you accuse Alexander of underestimating me."
Adrian's smile sharpened. "Oh, I never underestimate a pawn."