SophiaThe car ride back to Bellion’s safe house was suffocating. Not because of the space, but because of Chloe. She sat there, shoulders hunched, eyes downcast, the weight of her own betrayal pressing against her like chains. She wasn’t speaking, and for once, I didn’t feel the need to pull words from her.Because I didn’t trust a damn thing she had to say.Alex drove with calculated ease, his hands tight on the steering wheel, his golden-brown eyes flicking toward the rearview mirror every few seconds to check for a tail. We all knew Nathan wouldn’t just let this go. He never did.“We should have killed him,” Alex muttered, breaking the silence.Bellion, who had been silent beside me, tilted his head slightly. “It’s never that simple with men like Nathan.”I exhaled sharply. “It will be. Because I’m going to make sure of it.”Chloe shifted beside me, flinching slightly, as if she had something to say but was too afraid to speak it.Good.She should be afraid.Because if she thought
SophiaThe night was eerily quiet. Too quiet.I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse, staring at the city below. The distant hum of traffic was muted, the glow of streetlights casting long, sharp shadows across the skyline. But beneath the illusion of normalcy, I could feel it—something was wrong.The uneasy sensation sat heavy in my chest, a quiet warning that refused to be ignored.Then, my phone rang.Bellion.I picked up, already bracing myself.“You need to turn on the news,” he said, his voice sharper than usual.I reached for the remote and flicked on the TV.The moment the screen came to life, my stomach dropped.BREAKING NEWS: FIRE ENGULFS WAREHOUSE IN SOUTH INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTThe footage was chaotic—flames swallowing steel and concrete, thick black smoke curling into the night sky like a living thing. The warehouse wasn’t just on fire. It was gone.My warehouse.A cold numbness spread through my veins.The news anchor’s voice was a distant hum. “…the fire d
Sophia's POV The golden light of dusk spills through my bedroom window, casting long shadows over the sleek, modern furniture. I adjust the diamond studs in my ears, my reflection in the mirror poised yet exhausted. The red silk dress clings to my body, hugging every curve in a way I know Nathan used to love. Tonight is supposed to be special—our anniversary, a chance to remind him of the woman he fell in love with. Lately, things have been distant between us, but I refuse to believe our marriage has lost its fire.I glance at the elegantly wrapped gift on my vanity and smile to myself. It’s a personalized watch, engraved with Forever, S & N. A small token, a reminder of our promises. Maybe this will rekindle something in him, remind him of the nights we spent laughing over cheap wine and takeout before success consumed us. I smooth down my dress, grab my purse, and head out, heart fluttering with anticipation.The drive to Carter Enterprises is smooth, the city lights twinkling like
Sophia's POV The moment the elevator doors slide shut, the weight I had been holding crashes down on me like a tidal wave. My chest tightens, my breath hitching as I lean against the cold steel wall. The image of Nathan and Chloe tangled together is burned into my mind, replaying in vicious loops. My fingers curl into my palms, nails biting into my skin, but it does nothing to stop the storm inside me. The doors open, and I step out into the empty parking garage, the sound of my heels echoing like the hollow ache in my chest. I make it to my car before the first tear falls.I grip the steering wheel, my vision blurring as silent sobs wrack my body. Six years. Six years of laughter, of whispered dreams, of standing beside him through every success and failure. Had it all been a lie? The late nights at the office, the unexplained business trips, the growing distance I had convinced myself was just stress—was it always her? My own sister? The betrayal cuts deeper than I thought possible
Sophia's POV The whiskey burns as it slides down my throat, but it’s nothing compared to the fire raging inside me. Betrayal, humiliation, anger—every emotion collides in a storm I can’t contain. I grip the glass tighter, my knuckles turning white, but no amount of alcohol can erase the image of Nathan and Chloe wrapped around each other. The weight of the night presses down on me, suffocating, until the man beside me speaks again."You look like you want to set something on fire."I turn to him, finally giving him my full attention. The dim light of the bar casts sharp shadows over his face, highlighting the cut of his jaw, the slight smirk playing on his lips. His dark eyes, deep and unreadable, scan me with a curiosity that feels almost dangerous. He’s effortlessly handsome—too handsome. Broad shoulders, tailored suit, the kind of presence that demands attention. There’s something about him, an intensity that unsettles me, but I don’t look away."Maybe I do," I admit, swirling the
Sophia's POV The moment the news breaks, my phone becomes a war zone of calls, texts, and notifications. Headlines splash across every business and gossip site: Sophia Mitchell and Nathan Carter’s Bitter Divorce! Infidelity, Betrayal, and Millions at Stake! Nathan Carter Speaks Out—The Truth About His Marriage! I scroll through the articles, my jaw clenching with every word. Nathan has played his part well—painting himself as the heartbroken husband blindsided by my “unreasonable demands” and “emotional instability.”I expected this. I knew he would try to control the narrative, twisting the truth until he emerged as the victim. What I didn’t expect was the extent of his deception. He’s given exclusive interviews, shedding crocodile tears about how “he tried everything to save our marriage” while subtly implying that I was the one who strayed. The worst part? Chloe is right there by his side, playing the doting, supportive girlfriend.I slam my phone onto the table, my nails digging
Sophia's POV The moment I hear his last name, my world tilts on its axis.Carter.I replay it in my mind, convincing myself that I misheard. But no, the name lingers, heavy and unmistakable. Alex Carter. The same last name as my ex-husband. The same man I’ve vowed to ruin.My fingers tighten around the stem of my champagne glass as I stare at him, my pulse hammering in my ears. His expression is unreadable—calm, composed—but I see it now. The resemblance. The sharp jawline, the piercing gaze, the way he carries himself with effortless authority. How had I not noticed before?I take a slow breath, forcing the rage down. “Tell me I’m wrong,” I say, my voice quieter than I intend, but no less dangerous.Alex doesn’t blink. “You’re not.”A slow, mocking laugh bubbles out of me before I can stop it. “Of course.” I shake my head, biting back the bitterness coating my tongue. “Of all the men in the world, I had to sleep with you.”His lips twitch, but there’s no amusement in his eyes. “Seem
SophiaI kneel beside an open suitcase, neatly folding a silk blouse before placing it beside the others. The penthouse is eerily quiet, like the air itself is holding its breath. No soft music playing in the background. No laughter drifting from the other room. Just silence.My things are half-packed—some already sealed away in labeled boxes, others scattered around, waiting for me to decide what stays and what goes. I can't live here anymore. Everything reminded me of Nathan. Everything. We had spent so much time together. We made a lot of decisions together too. Like the clock on the wall, we bought that together just like almost everything in this house. I can't live here anymore. I needed a clean slate. So, I got a studio apartment in the other part of town. This time, I would decorate how ever I pleased, with whatever I wanted to. I reach for a framed photo on the nightstand—our wedding picture. Chloe was my chief-bridesmaid. She looks so happy beside me in the photo. Was sh
SophiaThe night was eerily quiet. Too quiet.I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse, staring at the city below. The distant hum of traffic was muted, the glow of streetlights casting long, sharp shadows across the skyline. But beneath the illusion of normalcy, I could feel it—something was wrong.The uneasy sensation sat heavy in my chest, a quiet warning that refused to be ignored.Then, my phone rang.Bellion.I picked up, already bracing myself.“You need to turn on the news,” he said, his voice sharper than usual.I reached for the remote and flicked on the TV.The moment the screen came to life, my stomach dropped.BREAKING NEWS: FIRE ENGULFS WAREHOUSE IN SOUTH INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTThe footage was chaotic—flames swallowing steel and concrete, thick black smoke curling into the night sky like a living thing. The warehouse wasn’t just on fire. It was gone.My warehouse.A cold numbness spread through my veins.The news anchor’s voice was a distant hum. “…the fire d
SophiaThe car ride back to Bellion’s safe house was suffocating. Not because of the space, but because of Chloe. She sat there, shoulders hunched, eyes downcast, the weight of her own betrayal pressing against her like chains. She wasn’t speaking, and for once, I didn’t feel the need to pull words from her.Because I didn’t trust a damn thing she had to say.Alex drove with calculated ease, his hands tight on the steering wheel, his golden-brown eyes flicking toward the rearview mirror every few seconds to check for a tail. We all knew Nathan wouldn’t just let this go. He never did.“We should have killed him,” Alex muttered, breaking the silence.Bellion, who had been silent beside me, tilted his head slightly. “It’s never that simple with men like Nathan.”I exhaled sharply. “It will be. Because I’m going to make sure of it.”Chloe shifted beside me, flinching slightly, as if she had something to say but was too afraid to speak it.Good.She should be afraid.Because if she thought
SophiaThe sound of Chloe’s ragged breathing filled the back seat of Alex’s car as we sped through the empty streets. She was barely holding herself together, her fingers curled into the fabric of her dress like she could ground herself through sheer force of will. She had been quiet since we left Nathan’s mansion, too quiet. But I wasn’t in the mood to coax words out of her.She had made her choices. And now, she was facing the consequences.Alex glanced at me from the driver’s seat, his expression unreadable. “She needs medical attention,” he said, voice low but firm.“She needs to start talking,” I countered, turning in my seat to face her. “Why did Nathan take you?”Chloe swallowed hard, staring at the passing streetlights like they held the answers. “He said I was a liability,” she whispered. “That I was an unfinished problem that needed to be taken care of.”A sharp pulse of satisfaction ran through me. So, Nathan wasn’t invincible after all. If he was eliminating liabilities, i
SophiaI leaned against the city skyline from the penthouse window, my hand clenched around the stem of a wine glass. The amber liquid inside didn't much ripple, but my mind was far from still. The battle between Nathan and me had grown more powerful than business, more powerful than revenge. It was personal now.Bellion's voice echoed in my head. "Chloe's been exposed. Nathan hasn't moved yet."That was the problem.Nathan never remained still.I looked over at Alex, who was sitting on the couch, watching me. His suit jacket draped over the arm of the couch, his white shirt sleeves rolled up as he sipped a drink. He was just as tired as I was."He's plotting something," I said finally.Alex sighed. "Of course, he is."I set my glass on the table and folded my arms. "Then why do I get the feeling that we're still one step behind?"Alex stared at me with all seriousness. "Because Nathan is most dangerous when he is quiet. He is letting the world destroy Chloe first before he moves."I
SophiaI stood in the doorway of my office, looking out over the city I had fought so long to reclaim. The skyline burned gold in the early evening light, the glass towers creating the illusion of tranquility. But inside me, inside this war I was waging, it was anything but peaceful.Nathan had begun it, setting fire to the orphanage, and I had retaliated. A move for a move. A game of burn and destroy.But now we were past retaliating.This was no longer a battle.It was a reckoning.A gentle knock at the door snapped me out of my trance. Bellion entered, his face as serene as ever, but his eyes sharp. "It's done."I turned to face him, my fists curled around the edge of my desk. "And?"Bellion gave me a black leather folder. "The case is airtight. Offshore accounts. Illegal arms dealings. Bribes. This—" He tapped the folder. "—is what takes Nathan Carter down."I exhaled slowly, heart rate consistent. "Then we run it."Bellion hesitated, and that was so out of character that I notice
SophiaThe orphanage retained the scent of smoke. It clung to the walls, to the furniture, to the air that I inhaled, like a reminder of what had happened.I stood in the remains of what had been the children's library, my fists clenched at my hips. The bookshelves were burnt half-way, some scattered on the floor, their cracked and blackened spines gleaming. Ash swirled in the sun through the shattered windows, coating the desecrated remains of the world I'd built for them.For them.And Nathan had laid waste to it.I gasped hard through my nose, trying to suppress the anger raging hotter than the fire that had nearly consumed this structure.Behind me, Mrs. Peterson crossed her arms, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. "They could have died, Sophia. If we hadn't smelled the smoke in time..." Her voice broke. She took a shuddering breath, fighting to continue. "Whoever did this wanted to make a point. And we both know who that is."I already did.I turned around, my face c
SophiaI barely slept.Chloe's voice lingered in my mind like a dirge. Not the threat, but the words. Not the implication—that it was going to happen. But the finality of it."Tyler's going to steal something from you. This time, it's personal."She'd smiled when she spoke. Not with menace—but at last.And that frightened me.I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers tapping a restless rhythm against my knee. The city outside the hotel window was already awake, the skyline burning with streaks of early morning light.Alex remained sleeping on the couch, his shirt unlatched at the collar, his face serene in a way that did not usually happen when he was awake. He had remained sitting with me for the majority of the night, observing, waiting—aware I would never reveal to him what was really bothering me.Because I had no idea how to tell him.For the first time since this war began, I wasn't sure I was prepared for what lay ahead.Nathan's always played a game of power, a game of dominati
SophiaCity lights streaked across the car window, neon smudges against the black ink of night. The hum of the engine filled the silence between us, thick with all we had not said and tension that refused to disperse.Nathan had lost.But why did it seem like we were still caught up in his game?I curled my fingers around the detonator, its smooth edges cold in my hand. Its power should have been satisfying. The way Nathan's smirk had faltered, the way his shoulders had stiffened when he'd realized I'd outmaneuvered him.But his parting words gave me hesitation."You think you've won?"Alex was beside me, his form coiled in repressed anger, his amber eyes fixed ahead. His knuckles were white on his knee, his fingers twitching as though he was struggling not to pull a gun on the air itself.I exhaled slowly. "Say it."His head moved slightly, his jaw tight. "Say what?""That you think I should have let you kill him."Alex's mouth opened, then closed again. He inhaled through his nostri
SophiaThe moment the countdown stopped, the air in the warehouse shifted. Silence stretched, thick and unyielding, as if the universe itself had paused, waiting to see what would happen next.Nathan stood motionless, his smirk still lingering, but something flickered in his eyes—something close to frustration. He hadn’t planned for this. He hadn’t expected me to win.For the first time in this game we'd played, I saw the cracks in his perfect control.Alex still had the gun pressed to Nathan's temple, his breath steady, his grip tight. I could see the math in his eyes—whether killing Nathan here, now, would subtract from or add to our problems.I already knew the answer.It wouldn't be enough.It had taken Nathan years to construct his empire, ringing the city with his power like an impenetrable fist. Assassinating him would only make him a martyr to the citizens who still remained faithful to him.We had to dismantle him piece by piece.Destroy him in a way he could never recover fr