The past few weeks had been a whirlwind. Her collaboration with Lucien Blackwood had launched her into a realm she had only dared to dream about. Fashion houses were calling. Galleries were booking her months in advance. Her name, once whispered in niche circles, was now spoken with reverence. On the surface, everything shimmered.
She thought of going through the anonymous message that had been haunting her every step. Quickly reached for her phone and read again
"Be careful. The Blackwoods destroy everything they touch."
She didn't give much attention to the message thinking it was the product of jealousy or petty rivalry. But as the days passed, she felt so curious because she had had little conversations with Lucien and still felt hungry to know more.
She stayed awake for several nights digging into the history of the Blackwoods. Their success, power and influence on society.
They had a pattern: invest in struggling businesses, win their trust, then consume them whole. Some were absorbed, others gutted and discarded like broken toys. Many had never recovered.
And then she found it.
A company name buried in a sea of forgotten reports—Lane & Co. Her father's company.
The man she had allowed into her world, into her art, into her heart… was the very embodiment of the empire that had broken her family.
For hours, she stayed still in the silence, curled up on the studio couch, trying to reconcile the dual images of Lucien Blackwood. The polished CEO with a rare, sincere laugh and gentle eyes—and the heir to a corporate dynasty that trampled people like ants.
Eventually, it is morning and she needs to confront him
Lucien didn't look surprised when she arrived at his office unannounced. His expression, unreadable at first, softened as he took in her pale face and shadowed eyes.
"Zara," he said, stepping forward, "What's wrong?"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she placed the printed report on his desk. A single page with the bolded heading: Acquisition Summary – Lane & Co.
Lucien's gaze dropped to the paper. His jaw tightened. "Where did you get this?"
"I dug," she replied coldly. "Because someone warned me. And because I needed to know the truth."
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. "Zara, I had no idea your father's company was involved. I was a teenager when this happened."
"That doesn't erase what your family did," she said, her voice trembling with fury and heartbreak. "They destroyed us. My father—he never recovered from it."
Lucien looked genuinely stricken. "I won't defend the past. But I swear to you, I didn't know. Let me make it right. Whatever you need, I'll—"
"No," she interrupted. "This isn't about favours. This is about trust. And right now, I don't know if I can ever trust you."
He stepped back as if her words were physical blows.
Zara turned around and walked out leaving behind the echo of silence and a man who suddenly looked like a stranger.
That night, as the city drowned in soft rain, Zara returned to her studio. The storm inside her had only just begun. She paced the room, so confused and heartbroken. She couldn't cry, just buried in her thoughts.
A knock sounded at her door.
Cautiously, she approached and opened it, expecting no one.
There was no one there. Only a small, black envelope was placed neatly on the floor.
She picked it up, Project name: "Echelon." Her eyes scanned the content, disbelief knotting in her throat.
It was a secret Blackwood initiative. A new development project aimed at "urban revitalisation"—but in reality, it was a masked buyout operation targeting local art spaces and independent design firms. Her own studio was circled in red.
They were planning to strip her of everything. Again.
Zara's breath hitched. Her hands clenched around the papers.
So it wasn't just history repeating itself. The game was still in motion—and she had become a piece on the board.
But this time, she wasn't going down quietly