The restaurant lights shimmered with soft background music. Vivian sat across from Adrian in a crimson dress that matched the wine in her glass. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped against the stem as she scrolled through the latest headlines on her phone. Every flick of her finger made her smirk deepen.
"Look at this one." She turned the screen toward Adrian. King's Mistress Moves In? Mystery Woman Hides in Penthouse.
Adrian chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "The press never fails when you give them blood to drink. This will spread like wildfire."
Vivian's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Good. Let them tear his perfect image apart. Let them see Alexander King not as the untouchable golden boy, but as the man who uses women, hides them away, and then discards them when he's bored."
She sipped her wine slowly, savoring it like victory.
Adrian tilted his glass, studying her over the rim. "Careful, Vivian. You sound more of a bitter ex than a strategist."
Her smile faltered, but only for a second. "Don't confuse bitterness with focus, Adrian. Alex thought he could humiliate me, replace me and walk away clean. I won't rest until he feels what I felt. Betrayal and shame."
Adrian set his glass down, his expression unreadable. "And what about the girl?"
"Elena?" Vivian's lips curled into a sharp smile. "She's the key. Sweet, ordinary Elena.
She doesn't belong in his world, and deep down she knows it. All I have to do is remind her. Threaten her. Push her until she cracks and runs back to whatever little life she came from."
Adrian leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "Threats alone won't work. If Alexander thinks she's in danger, he'll only hold her tighter. He's stubborn like that."
"Then we'll make her believe she's the danger," Vivian countered smoothly. "We'll spread it until the world sees her as nothing but another notch in Alexander's bedpost. She'll drown in whispers of 'mistress' and 'homewrecker.' Her friend Sophie too—poor, nervous Sophie. Do you think Elena will stay once she sees Sophie suffering because of her choices?"
Adrian's lips twitched into a thin smile. "Cruel. I like it."
Vivian leaned back in her chair, satisfied. "It's not cruelty. It's justice."
For a moment, they sat in silence, the orchestra's soft music weaving through the room.
Then Adrian's smile sharpened. "And what of me? Don't forget, Vivian, this is more than a love vendetta for me. Alexander has what I want, what he stole. Every piece of his empire I can rip away, I will. This scandal is only step one."
Vivian tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "You still haven't told me what exactly he stole."
His gaze turned to steel, shadows darkening his handsome features. "Let's just say Alexander King built his empire on a foundation that wasn't his. When the truth comes out, not even his billions will save him."
Vivian studied him for a long moment, then smiled, slow and wicked. "Then let's destroy him piece by piece. Reputation. Empire. Heart."
Their glasses clinked softly, a toast to ruin.
Neither of them noticed the waiter passing by, his eyes flicking toward them with unease, his phone already buzzing in his pocket.