Zane's POV
I'm going to destroy Victoria Chen.
That's my first thought as I drive away from the cafe, Aria quiet beside me. Nobody threatens the people I care about. Nobody.
"Where are we going?" Aria asks softly.
"My office. I need to make some calls." My hands grip the steering wheel tighter. "Victoria thinks she has power because her father's a senator. But she forgot something important."
"What's that?"
"My family owns half the hotels in this city. We know everyone's secrets. Including hers." I glance at Aria. Her eyes are red from crying, her hands still shaking. Victoria did this. Made this beautiful, strong woman feel worthless.
That was her biggest mistake.
My office building is downtown—twenty floors of Hartley Empire headquarters. On Sunday, it's mostly empty. Perfect. I park in my private spot and lead Aria to the elevator.
"Zane, I'm scared." She grabs my hand. "What if this makes things worse? What if—"
I pull her close, cutting off her words with a kiss. Not heated. Just firm. Reassuring. "Trust me. By tonight, Victoria won't be a problem anymore."
The elevator opens to the executive floor. My office takes up the corner—windows overlooking the bay, expensive furniture I barely notice anymore. I've spent more time here than my own penthouse lately, trying to prove to my father I'm worthy of eventually running this company.
Today, I'm using every resource we have.
I pull up my computer and start typing. Aria sits on the leather couch, watching me with worried eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"Research. Victoria's been carefully maintaining her perfect image for years. Senator's daughter. Stanford graduate. Charity work. But everyone has secrets." I click through files. "Last year, there was an incident at one of our hotels. A party that got out of control. Drugs involved. The hotel manager wanted to call police, but someone paid him off to stay quiet."
"Victoria?"
"Her credit card paid for the room. Her friends were the ones doing cocaine in the bathroom. We have security footage." I find the file and pull it up. Grainy video shows Victoria laughing as her friends lay out lines on the bathroom counter. She's not doing drugs herself—smart girl—but she's clearly hosting.
"Her father doesn't know about this?" Aria leans over my shoulder.
"No one knows. My father buried it as a favor to Senator Chen. Good business relationships and all that." I copy the files to a USB drive. "But if Victoria wants to play dirty, she should remember: we have the dirt."
Aria's quiet for a moment. "This feels wrong. Blackmailing her back."
"She threatened you first." I turn to face her. "Look, I don't like it either. But Victoria gave us two choices: let her destroy us, or fight back. I choose fight."
"What if she calls our bluff? Sends the photos to Maya anyway?"
"She won't. Because Victoria Chen cares about one thing more than anything else: her reputation. If this video gets out, her father's political career takes a hit. She becomes a scandal instead of a perfect daughter. She won't risk that."
My phone buzzes. Text from Marcus, my assistant: "Heard you needed info on VC. Found something interesting. Call me."
Perfect timing. I dial him immediately.
"Marcus. What do you have?"
"Boss, you sure you want to go after Senator Chen's daughter? That's dangerous territory."
"Just tell me what you found."
Papers rustle on his end. "Victoria Chen has been telling people you two are engaged. Not dating. Engaged. She's been showing off a ring at social events, telling everyone you proposed last month."
My blood runs cold. "What?"
"Yeah. I've got three separate sources confirming it. She's planning some big engagement announcement at next week's charity gala. Your mother apparently knows and approves."
I'm going to be sick. "My mother knows?"
"According to my sources, yeah. Charlotte and Mrs. Chen have been planning this for months. They see it as a merger, not a marriage."
Of course they do. To my mother, love is weakness. Strategic partnerships are what matter.
"Thanks, Marcus. Send me everything you have."
I hang up and look at Aria. Her face has gone pale.
"She's telling people you're engaged," Aria whispers. "Your mother knows."
"My mother can mind her own business." But my stomach twists. This is worse than I thought. If Victoria's already spinning this story, backing out will be messy. Humiliating for her. Which means she'll fight even harder.
"Zane, maybe we should just end this. Tell Victoria she wins. I can't compete with—"
"Stop." I cross to her, gripping her shoulders. "You're not competing with anyone. Victoria's living in a fantasy world where she thinks she can buy me like property. She's wrong."
"But your mother—"
"Has controlled my life for twenty-eight years. Who I date, where I work, what I wear to family dinners. I'm done letting her make my choices." I cup Aria's face. "I choose you. Not because you're convenient or good for business. Because when I'm with you, I actually feel something. Do you understand? For the first time in my life, I feel alive."
Tears fill Aria's eyes. "I feel it too. But I'm terrified."
"Good. That means it matters." I kiss her forehead. "Now here's what we're going to do. I'm calling Victoria. Setting up a meeting. Tonight, before her midnight deadline."
"What will you say?"
"That if she sends those photos to Maya, her drug party video goes viral. Along with proof she's been lying about our engagement. Her father will be furious. Her reputation ruined. She'll be the girl who lied about marrying a Hartley."
"That's brutal."
"She started this war. I'm just finishing it." I pick up my phone. "Last chance to back out, Aria. Once I make this call, there's no going back."
Aria stands up, wiping her tears. When she looks at me, there's steel in her eyes. "Make the call."
Pride swells in my chest. This girl. This brave, beautiful girl who was crying in my arms an hour ago just stood up to fight beside me.
I'm definitely in love with her. The realization hits like lightning. Too soon. Too fast. Too dangerous.
But absolutely true.
I dial Victoria's number. She answers on the second ring.
"Zane. I was hoping you'd call."
"Meet me at the Hartley Grand Hotel. Penthouse suite. One hour." My voice is ice-cold. "Come alone."
"Oh, did Aria run crying to you? How sweet. But it doesn't change—"
"I have security footage of your little party last year. The one with cocaine. Want to discuss it over drinks?"
Silence. Long, heavy silence.
"You're bluffing," Victoria finally says, but her voice wavers.
"Try me. One hour. Or tomorrow morning, that video hits every news station in California." I hang up before she can respond.
Aria stares at me. "Do you really have the footage?"
"Yes. My father would kill me for using it, but yes."
"What if she doesn't show up?"
"She'll show up. Because Victoria Chen's smart enough to know when she's beaten." I check my watch. "We have an hour. Let's get coffee and plan exactly what we're going to say."
We're halfway to the elevator when my phone rings again. Unknown number. Against my better judgment, I answer.
"Zane Hartley?" A man's voice. Deep. Unfamiliar.
"Who is this?"
"Someone who's been watching you. And I have information you need about Victoria Chen. About why she's really targeting Aria."
My blood runs cold. "What information?"
"Not over the phone. Meet me at Pier 39. South end. Thirty minutes. Come alone."
"I'm not—"
"This is about your sister, Mr. Hartley. About Maya. If you care about keeping her safe, you'll come."
The line goes dead.
I stand frozen, phone in my hand. Aria's looking at me with concern.
"Who was that?"
"I don't know." My mind races. "But they mentioned Maya. Said Victoria's targeting you because of something involving my sister."
"That doesn't make sense. Maya and Victoria barely know each other."
"That's what worries me." I look at Aria. "I have to go meet this person. Find out what they know."
"Not alone. That's obviously a trap."
"Maybe. But if there's even a chance Maya's in danger..." I can't finish the sentence. Maya's my little sister. My responsibility. I failed her once before, five years ago. I won't fail her again.
"Then I'm coming with you," Aria says firmly.
"Absolutely not. If this is dangerous—"
"Then you definitely shouldn't go alone." She grabs her purse. "We're in this together, remember? You don't get to protect me by taking stupid risks."
I want to argue. Want to lock her in this office where she's safe.
But looking at her determined face, I know she won't stay behind.
"Fine. But you stay in the car. If anything seems wrong, you drive away immediately. Promise me."
"I promise."
We head to Pier 39, my stomach twisting with each passing minute. This anonymous caller. Victoria's threats. My mother's secret engagement plans. It's all connected somehow. I can feel it.
The question is: how deep does this conspiracy go?
And who else is going to get hurt before we find out?