Chapter 6: Shadows from the Past

Natalie sat in her office at *Evans Holdings*, staring at the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling window. The sun had long since set, and the glass reflected her own contemplative expression. She was no stranger to power plays, but the revelation Adrian had dropped on her last night at the gala still gnawed at her.

*Madeline.*

She had always known the woman was dangerous, but to go as far as sabotaging her? It wasn’t unthinkable. The woman had been desperate to claim Adrian, to ensure Natalie was nothing more than a forgotten footnote in his life. Now, with her rising from the ashes, Madeline must have felt threatened.

A knock at her office door pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Come in,” she called, straightening her posture.

The door opened, and Henry stepped in, his face unreadable. “We have a problem.”

She raised an eyebrow. “That’s never a good way to start a conversation.”

Henry shut the door behind him and placed a folder on her desk. “I received a call from our PR team this morning. Someone leaked internal financial records to the media. They’re painting a picture that you mismanaged funds.”

Natalie’s fingers tightened around the armrest of her chair. “How bad is it?”

He sighed. “They’re twisting numbers, but for someone who doesn’t know better, it makes you look incompetent. And given that you just stepped back into the company’s leadership, it’s going to make waves.”

She exhaled slowly. “Who’s behind it?”

Henry hesitated. “We don’t have concrete proof yet, but my gut says Madeline.”

Natalie let out a dry chuckle. “Of course it is. She’s trying to ruin my credibility before I can even fully establish myself.”

“She’s smart,” Henry admitted. “If the board starts to doubt you, they might push for someone else to take the reins.”

Natalie’s jaw clenched. “Not happening.”

Henry smirked. “That’s what I was hoping to hear.”

She picked up the folder and flipped through the pages, her mind already working on damage control. “We need a counterstrike. Get the PR team on it. I want a detailed breakdown proving these accusations are baseless.”

Henry nodded. “Already in motion. But I should warn you—this might not be the last attack.”

Natalie met his gaze, her resolve steeling. “Let them come. I’m done being a victim.”

---

That evening, she stepped into her penthouse, her body heavy with exhaustion, but her mind still racing. She barely had time to pour herself a glass of wine before her phone vibrated with a text.

**Adrian:** *We need to talk. Now.*

Natalie stared at the message. Her first instinct was to ignore it, but something told her he had more information. And whether she liked it or not, he was still a powerful ally—one she might need, even if she despised the idea.

With a sigh, she replied. *Fine. My place. Thirty minutes.*

---

Adrian arrived right on time. He stepped into her penthouse as though he owned the place, his eyes scanning her like he was assessing her mood.

“I don’t have time for games,” Natalie said, arms crossed. “If you have something to say, say it.”

Adrian slipped his hands into his pockets. “It’s worse than I thought.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

He pulled out his phone and swiped to a set of images, handing it to her. Her stomach twisted as she recognized them—photographs of her having dinner with a well-known real estate mogul from a week ago.

“Who took these?” she demanded.

“Paparazzi,” Adrian said. “But that’s not the problem. The problem is the headline that’s about to drop—accusing you of using ‘underhanded methods’ to gain investors.”

Natalie’s fingers curled around the phone. “So now they’re trying to paint me as some kind of desperate woman sleeping her way into power?”

Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Yes.”

Rage simmered beneath her skin. She had worked too hard, suffered too much, to let anyone smear her name like this.

Adrian watched her carefully. “I can help.”

She scoffed, shoving the phone back at him. “I don’t need your help, Adrian.”

“This isn’t about pride,” he said evenly. “This is about making sure you don’t let them control the narrative.”

She met his gaze, her voice low. “And why do you care?”

A flicker of something—regret, maybe—passed through his eyes. “Because no matter what’s happened between us, I know you don’t deserve this.”

For a moment, the old Adrian surfaced. The man she had once loved. But she shook it off.

“I’ll handle it,” she said firmly. “Alone.”

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “At least let me give you a name.”

She hesitated. “A name?”

Adrian stepped closer, lowering his voice. “The person leaking information isn’t just Madeline. Someone inside *Evans Holdings* is feeding her intel.”

Natalie’s blood ran cold. “Who?”

He locked eyes with her. “Your cousin, Leonard.”

Natalie sucked in a breath. Leonard Evans. He had always been ambitious, but she never thought he’d stoop this low.

Adrian continued, “I got the information from someone on the inside. Leonard’s been meeting with Madeline, slipping her documents and setting up these leaks.”

Natalie’s fingers curled into fists. Betrayal burned through her veins. Family. It was always family who could wound you the worst.

Adrian studied her. “What are you going to do?”

Natalie lifted her chin, steel in her eyes. “What I should have done from the start.”

A slow smirk played on Adrian’s lips. “Then I almost feel sorry for them.”

She met his gaze, unwavering. “They should be.”