The Hunt Begins

Nathan's POV

I watched Clara Lin walk away from the chaos of her almost-wedding, her white dress a beacon in the afternoon sun. She was nothing like I'd expected. When my intelligence team had first flagged her engagement to Reid, I'd dismissed her as another social climber. Now, seeing her orchestrate Reid's downfall with such precision, I felt something I hadn't experienced in years—genuine interest.

"Mr. Chen!" Reid's voice cut through my thoughts. "Whatever she told you, it's lies!"

I turned to face him, enjoying the way his perfectly controlled facade was cracking. "The SEC seems to disagree. As do the federal agents currently raiding your offices."

"You bastard," he snarled, grabbing my lapel. "You planned this!"

I removed his hand with deliberate calm. "Actually, your bride planned it. I just provided the audience." I straightened my tie. "Consider this karma, Reid. You should have treated her better."

The federal agents were leading him away now, but his eyes burned with a hatred I recognized. The kind of hatred that didn't end with handcuffs and court dates.

My phone buzzed with a text from Clara: "Dinner? I believe we should discuss phase two. - C"

A smile curved my lips as I typed back: "Le Cirque, 8 PM. Wear something other than white."

Walking to my car, I called my head of security. "Double the protection detail on Miss Lin. Reid won't take this lying down."

"Sir, about Miss Lin..." Johnson hesitated. "There's something odd in her background check. Before yesterday, all her patterns were different. It's like she became a different person overnight."

I thought about the way she'd known details of deals that hadn't been made public yet, the precision of her intel, the calculated nature of her revenge.

"Keep digging," I ordered. "I want to know everything."

Back in my office, I reviewed the security footage from the wedding. Clara had played her part perfectly—the innocent bride, right up until the moment she struck. But there had been something in her eyes when she looked at Reid, something that spoke of more than just betrayal.

It was the look of someone who had died and come back with a purpose.

My phone buzzed again: "By the way, the Zhang deal you're planning? The numbers aren't what they seem. Let's talk. - C"

I froze. The Zhang negotiations were completely confidential, known only to my inner circle. How could she possibly...?

Another message appeared: "Careful, Mr. Chen. That look of surprise doesn't suit you. See you at 8. - C"

A laugh escaped me. Clara Lin was proving to be far more dangerous than anyone had anticipated. The little white bride had teeth—and she'd just drawn first blood.

The game was just beginning, and for the first time in years, I was genuinely looking forward to playing. Clara wanted revenge? I would give her so much more than that.

After all, every queen needs a king.

And Alexander Reid was about to learn why I'd earned the nickname "The Wolf of Wall Street."

I pulled up the dossier on Clara Lin, studying her photo. There was something mesmerizing about her eyes—a depth of knowledge that shouldn't be possible for someone her age.

"Sir?" My assistant's voice came through the intercom. "Mr. Reid's lawyers are on line one."

"Tell them I'm unavailable." I stood, grabbing my jacket. "And cancel my meetings for the rest of the day."

I had a dinner to prepare for, and something told me Clara Lin would be the most dangerous woman I'd ever courted.

But then again, I'd always liked playing with fire.

The hunt was on, and this time, I wasn't sure who was the predator and who was the prey.

But I couldn't wait to find out.