The weekend passed in a blur of cheap motel rooms and cheaper food. Natalie spent Sunday night staring at the water-stained ceiling, rehearsing tomorrow's battle.
She'd chosen her weapon, a simple navy sheath dress that cost more than this week's rent but less than Adrian's daily coffee budget. Armor for the war ahead.
Monday morning, the Blackwood building felt different. Less intimidating, more like a fortress she was storming. The security guard remembered her, nodding toward the private elevator.
This time, she noticed the details, the silent efficiency, the way employees moved with purpose rather than fear. Adrian's company had been all glass walls and visible hierarchy. This place was a shark tank; sleek, dangerous, and everyone knew their place in the food chain.
Lucas's assistant, a sharp-eyed woman in her fifties named Margaret, met her at the penthouse elevator. "Mr. Black is in meetings until ten," she said, handing Natalie a keycard and a folder. "Your office is down the hall. Review the Steele shipping division files. He'll expect your initial assessment by noon."
No welcome. No orientation. Just expectations.
Her office was smaller than Adrian's walk-in closet but had the same stunning city view. The folder contained exactly what Lucas had promised, every detail of Adrian's prized shipping division, including the vulnerabilities she'd outlined in her application.
She was halfway through the financials when Margaret's voice came through the intercom. "Mr. Steele is here. He's demanding to see you."
Natalie's blood ran cold. Already? She'd been here forty-seven minutes.
"Send him up," Lucas's voice cut in on the line. He must have been monitoring from his office. "And Natalie? Remember why you're here."
The elevator pinged. Adrian stormed out, his face a mask of controlled fury. He didn't even glance at Lucas's open office door, heading straight for hers.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, slamming her door shut behind him.
"Working," she said, keeping her voice even. "Something you frequently reminded me I was incapable of."
He laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. "Working? You're playing house with a predator. Lucas Black will chew you up and spit you out."
"Like you did?" She met his gaze evenly. "At least he's paying me."
Adrian's eyes dropped to the files on her desk. His expression shifted from anger to disbelief. "Those are my shipping division reports. How did you…"
"Photographic memory," she said sweetly. "You always said it was my most annoying quality."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "This isn't a game, Natalie. These are real companies, real people's jobs. You're going to destroy everything I've built out of spite."
"Out of spite?" She stood, her hands trembling but her voice steady. "You tried to force me to have an abortion. You left me with nothing. This isn't spite: it's survival."
"You think Lucas cares about you?" He gestured toward the closed door. "He's using you to get to me. The moment you're no longer useful, you'll be back in that motel room, only this time with a baby to feed."
The words hit their mark, but she refused to let him see it. "Then I'd better make sure I stay useful."
He grabbed her arm, his grip bruising. "You're coming home. Now."
"That's enough."
Lucas stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as if he'd been watching for some time. He hadn't raised his voice, but the room went cold.
"Get out of my way, Black," Adrian snarled. "This is between me and my wife."
"Ex-wife," Lucas corrected mildly. "And this is my building. You're harassing my employee."
Adrian released her arm but didn't back down. "She's not your employee. She's a confused woman who doesn't understand what she's doing."
"Really?" Lucas moved into the room, his presence somehow taking up all the oxygen. "Because her analysis of your shipping division's weaknesses is more insightful than any report my analysts have produced in six months."
Adrian's eyes flickered to the documents on her desk, then back to Lucas. "Stay away from my company."
"Or what?" Lucas smiled, a cold, predatory expression. "You'll send more threatening emails? Maybe leak another fake scandal to the press? Oh wait, you already tried that last week. How'd that work out for you?"
Natalie watched the exchange, her heart pounding. This was what they meant by corporate warfare, not boardroom meetings, but this raw, personal hatred barely concealed behind polished suits.
Adrian turned back to her, his voice softening in a way that felt more dangerous than his anger. "Natalie, please. Think about what you're doing. This isn't you."
"It is now," she said.
He reached for her again, this time his hand going toward her face. "You don't understand what you're…"
She didn't think. She just reacted.
The slap echoed in the small office, sharp and definitive. Adrian staggered back, his hand going to his reddening cheek. The shock in his eyes was almost comical.
For a moment, nobody moved. Then Lucas let out a low chuckle. "I think she understands perfectly."
Adrian recovered quickly, his expression turning icy. "You'll regret this."
"No," Natalie said, her voice trembling but clear. "I regret the five years I wasted on you. This I'm quite proud of."
He looked from her to Lucas, then back again. "This isn't over."
"It is for you," Lucas said, pressing a button on the wall. "Security will see you out. And Adrian? Next time you want to visit, make an appointment."
Two security guards appeared at the door. Adrian left without another word, but the look he gave Natalie promised retaliation.
When they were alone, Lucas turned to her. "That was... dramatic."
"He touched me first."
"I'm not criticizing." He moved to her desk, picking up the shipping division file. "But we need to move quickly now. He'll be preparing for war."
"I'm ready."
He studied her for a long moment. "Are you? Because this was just the opening skirmish. The real battle starts now."
She met his gaze without flinching. "I said I'm ready."
A slow smile spread across his face, the first genuine one she'd seen from him. "Good. Then let's burn his empire to the ground."
As he left her office, Natalie looked at her stinging hand. She'd crossed another line today. But as she picked up the shipping division files again, she realized something terrifying:
She wasn't sorry. She was hungry for more.