Nancy stood in her office, watching Stephen's car disappear through the tinted glass windows.
She didn't speak. Didn't blink.
She just breathed. Slow, controlled.
Because if she let go, even for a second, the anger would shatter her.
Adrian was still on the line.
"He's out," she said.
"I'll make sure the files he leaked don't get past the competitor's firewall," he replied. "I've got people on it."
Nancy hung up without a word.
Not because she was cold—but because if she said thank you, she might fall apart.
And Nancy Carter didn't fall apart.
---
Later That Night – Her Apartment
The bracelet Adrian gave her still sat in its velvet box. Untouched.
She poured herself a glass of red wine, walking barefoot across the dark wood floors. Her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
"Still bleeding, Queen? Or have you learned how to play the game yet?"
Nancy stared at the text, her thumb hovering over the screen.
Then she smiled. A cruel, sharp smile.
She dialed Mia.
"Tomorrow morning, call the press," she said. "I'm hosting a media event."
Mia blinked through the line. "What for?"
Nancy's voice was calm—ice-laced.
"To announce a new alliance. It's time the world sees what happens when you try to bury a woman like me."
---
The Next Morning – Blackwood Tower
Adrian read the headline over black coffee:
"Nancy Carter & Adrian Blackwood: Corporate Giants Join Forces in Surprise Merger Announcement"
He nearly choked.
His phone rang before he could even process the article.
Nancy.
"You could've warned me," he said when he picked up.
"I did," she replied. "You said you'd burn everything for me. I'm just handing you the match."
Adrian couldn't help the grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You know this makes us a target, right?"
"I was already a target," she said. "Now I'm just a harder one to hit."
---
Across the City – Lily's Apartment
Lily read the same headline, her phone screen cracking beneath her tightening grip.
She threw it against the wall.
The man behind her didn't flinch. "I told you. She's not going down without a war."
Lily's eyes blazed. "Then let's make it a war."