Chapter 7: The Woman in the Shadows

Lena barely had time to process the sharp tension that filled the air before the woman turned her piercing blue gaze toward her.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence was thick,dangerous, almost as if something unseen crackled between them.

Then, the woman smiled. A slow, calculated curve of her lips.

“Well,” she drawled, taking a step closer. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

Ethan remained silent. His body tensed just enough for Lena to notice—like a man preparing for battle.

Lena squared her shoulders. “Lena Reyes.”

The woman’s gaze flicked over her, assessing. “Ah, the journalist.” Her voice was smooth, perfectly controlled. “I’ve heard about you.”

Lena raised a brow. “That’s interesting. I don’t believe I’ve heard about you.”

A flash of something,annoyance? amusement?flickered in the woman’s eyes before she extended a hand.

“Victoria Caldwell.”

The fiancée.

Lena ignored the offered hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Victoria let out a soft laugh, dropping her hand without missing a beat. “Likewise.”

But there was nothing genuine about it.

Ethan finally spoke. His voice was sharp, cutting through the tension.

“Victoria, what are you doing here?”

Victoria turned to him, tilting her head. “That’s a strange question, darling. I should be asking you that.” Her gaze shifted back to Lena. “I didn’t realize we were entertaining guests.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “This isn’t what you think.”

“Oh?” Victoria’s eyes glinted. “And what do I think?”

Lena watched the exchange carefully. This wasn’t just a fiancée stumbling upon her future husband talking to another woman. There was something deeper here,something laced with quiet hostility and unspoken history.

Victoria wasn’t just any woman. She was the kind who played the long game.

And she was already trying to figure out how Lena fit into the puzzle.

“I should be going,” Lena said, testing the waters.

But before she could move, Victoria stepped into her path.

“Nonsense,” she purred. “I insist you stay. After all, we wouldn’t want anyone getting the wrong impression, would we?” She said to Lena but her gaze was on Ethan,with a smirk on her face.

The threat was subtle but unmistakable.

Lena could feel Ethan’s gaze burning into the side of her face. This was a test. And walking away now would mean handing Victoria the upper hand.

So she stayed.

Lifting her chin, Lena met Victoria’s gaze head-on.

“I suppose a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.”

Victoria’s smile widened but her eyes remained cold.

“Perfect.”

She gestured toward the bar. “Shall we sit?”

Ethan didn’t move. His tension was palpable

Lena could feel the weight of Ethan’s gaze pressing into her as Victoria took a slow, measured seat at the bar. It was an unspoken warning, a silent plea for her to tread carefully.

But Lena had no intention of backing down.

She slid onto the stool opposite Victoria, matching her poise with effortless defiance. If Victoria was playing a game, Lena knew she had to play it too.

The bartender hesitated, glancing at Ethan for approval before cautiously pouring a fresh glass of whiskey for Victoria. She accepted it with a graceful nod, her fingers trailing along the rim of the glass as if she had all the time in the world.

“You must be quite the journalist, Ms. Reyes,” Victoria mused, her tone dripping with polite curiosity. “Not everyone gets to sit down with Ethan, let alone secure a private meeting with him twice.”

Lena tilted her head, refusing to let Victoria’s words unnerve her. “I like to think my persistence pays off.”

Victoria chuckled, a soft melodic sound that barely reached her eyes. “Persistence. Such a charming way to put it.”

Ethan exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening around his own glass. “Enough, Victoria.”

“Oh, darling,” Victoria cooed, reaching out to trace a feather-light touch along Ethan’s wrist. “I’m just making a conversation.”

Lena watched the way Ethan flinched, subtle but undeniable. He didn’t like her touching him.

Interesting.

Victoria must have noticed it too, because her smile faltered for a split second before she smoothed it over.

“I have to admit,” she continued, shifting her attention back to Lena. “It’s refreshing to see a woman so determined in her work. Many people in your profession would have given up if the doors kept closing on them. But not you.”

Lena let out a small breath, choosing her next words carefully. “I’m not the type to walk away just because things get difficult.”

Victoria’s smile sharpened. “No, I don’t suppose you are.”

The tension thickened, so heavy it was nearly suffocating. But Lena held her ground.

She could feel Ethan beside her, his silence speaking volumes. He was watching, waiting, measuring.

And so was Victoria.

This wasn’t just a casual conversation,it was an assessment, a battle waged with carefully chosen words and veiled threats.

Finally, Victoria leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. “Tell me, Ms. Reyes,” she said smoothly. “What exactly is it that you want from Ethan?”

Lena blinked at the boldness of the question.

“I want the truth,” she said simply.

Victoria hummed, as if amused. “The truth is a funny thing, don’t you think? People always claim they want it, but when they finally get it, they realize they were better off without it.”

Lena’s stomach clenched.

Was this a warning? Or a confession?

She didn’t get the chance to ask, because Ethan suddenly stood up.

“That’s enough,” he said, his voice clipped. “This conversation is over.”

Victoria’s gaze flicked toward him, something dangerous flashing behind her eyes.

“Of course,” she said sweetly, rising to her feet as well. “We wouldn’t want Ms. Reyes getting the wrong impression, would we?”

Her words were meant for Ethan, but her eyes never left Lena’s.

Lena met her gaze head-on. “I don’t need anyone to tell me what to think.”

Victoria’s lips curved, but there was nothing warm about the expression. “No, I suppose you don’t.”

Without another word, she turned and strode toward the exit, her heels clicking against the floor in a steady, unhurried rhythm.

Lena let out a slow breath, realizing only then how tense her shoulders had become.

Ethan was already watching her, his expression unreadable.

“You shouldn’t have stayed,” he muttered.

Lena turned to face him fully. “Why? Because she didn’t like it?”

Ethan let out a short, humorless laugh. “Because she’s dangerous.”

Lena frowned. “You make it sound like she’s some kind of villain.”

Ethan’s jaw clenched. “She’s worse.”

A chill ran down Lena’s spine.

She had come here for answers, but now she was left with even more questions.

Who exactly was Victoria Caldwell? And why did it feel like she wasn’t just a fiancée, but something far more sinister?

And more importantly,what the hell had Lena just gotten herself into?