Nancy sat in her office, silent as the storm swirled around her.
Emails, legal notices, system lockouts.
The IRS audit had triggered a chain reaction. Clients paused contracts. Investors grew nervous. Her reputation—so carefully rebuilt—was under fire once again.
And she knew exactly who had pulled the trigger.
Dominic Black.
The brother Adrian never talked about. The ghost in the Blackwood legacy.
---
Blackwood Tower – Adrian's Office
"You knew," Nancy said as she burst in, throwing the manila file onto his desk. "You knew he was out there."
Adrian stood slowly, his jaw tense. "I didn't know he'd go this far."
"You didn't tell me he existed."
Adrian ran a hand through his hair. "Because Dominic wasn't supposed to matter anymore. My father disowned him. He disappeared."
Nancy's glare didn't soften. "He didn't disappear. He waited. And now he's using your past to destroy my present."
"I'll fix it," Adrian said.
"No," Nancy snapped. "We will. Together. Or not at all."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he said, softly, "You still believe in we? After everything?"
Nancy's voice cracked. "I believe in fighting. And I'm not doing it alone this time."
---
Flashback – Five Years Ago
Dominic Black stood in a courtroom, stripped of every right to the Blackwood fortune.
Adrian had sat in silence, watching as his older brother was accused of fraud, manipulation, and stealing company secrets. Their father had cut him out completely.
Dominic had turned to Adrian as they escorted him away.
"You think this ends with exile?" he spat. "No, little brother. This is just your beginning—and my return."
Adrian had never forgotten those words.
Now, Dominic was back—and targeting the woman Adrian had started to care for.
Maybe even love.
---
Present – Carter & Co. War Room
Nancy gathered her most trusted team. Adrian sat beside her. Mia on her other side. Lawyers, PR specialists, and tech security.
"We don't just defend," Nancy said. "We go on the offensive."
She dropped a USB drive onto the table. "I want every file Dominic ever touched. Every shell company. Every alias. I want him exposed. Publicly. Globally."
Mia raised a brow. "This could be... war."
Nancy's eyes glinted. "Then let's fight like we've got nothing left to lose."
Adrian looked at her—shoulders squared, voice steady, fire in her blood.
And for the first time, he didn't just see her as his wife or his business rival.
He saw her as his equal.
---
Elsewhere – Dominic's Hideout
Dominic stared at a new screen—footage of the press conference, surveillance of Nancy's team, images of Adrian walking beside her.
"Ah," he whispered. "So that's how it is now."
Lily leaned against the wall. "We underestimated her."
Dominic's grin was cold. "No, we just gave her a reason to become dangerous."