The rain over the city had turned into a fine mist, clinging to the glass facade of Selene's office tower like a thousand tiny accusations. From her corner office, the skyline looked hazy, as if the world beyond was deliberately blurring itself, unwilling to witness what was about to unfold within these walls.
Selene stood with her arms crossed, back rigid, eyes fixed on the horizon. She wore her crown invisibly today — not the glittering, metaphorical one of corporate dominance, but the icy one she'd forged from years of betrayal, loss, and calculated victories. The crown that had kept her untouchable.
Behind her, the click of expensive leather shoes on polished marble echoed — slow, deliberate. Julian's presence filled the room long before he spoke. She didn't turn to greet him. Not yet.
"You canceled the board dinner," he said, his tone calm, but the underlying steel was unmistakable. "That's unlike you."
Selene's lips curved into something that might have been a smile if one squinted hard enough. "I didn't cancel it. I postponed it. There's a difference."
Julian's gaze narrowed. "Postponing an opportunity to solidify investor confidence? That is canceling, Selene. You're stalling. Why?"
Her fingers traced the edge of the desk — a habit she despised in herself, a tell that she was thinking too quickly for her own good. "Because I don't play a hand until I know where every card on the table is."
His jaw tightened. "And you think I'm one of the cards you can count? Or discard?"
Finally, she turned to face him. "I think you're a wildcard, Julian. And wildcards can either win you the game… or burn down the table."
For a moment, their gazes locked — two predators circling, each unwilling to look away first.
The silence broke when Julian stepped closer, his voice low. "You're pushing me away again."
Selene tilted her head. "I'm not pushing. I'm keeping you exactly where you've always been — useful, but dangerous."
"Useful," Julian echoed, with a faint smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "So this is all I am to you? A tool?"
"Don't be dramatic," she replied smoothly. "Tools can build empires. Or destroy them."
Something flickered in his expression — not quite anger, not quite hurt. "And you think Camille's not trying to do exactly that?"
Selene's eyes sharpened instantly. "What do you know?"
Julian hesitated — and in that single beat, she caught the truth.
"She's been meeting Marcus," he said finally. "Not for public negotiations. Private ones. No record. No assistants. No lawyers. Just the two of them."
Selene didn't flinch. She'd trained herself not to. But deep inside, a chill crawled through her veins. Camille's ambition wasn't news — but Marcus? The man who had once sworn he'd never step over her shadow?
"And you're just telling me this now?" she asked, voice dangerously even.
"I wanted to be sure before I accused them," Julian said. "I don't bring you rumors. I bring you proof."
He reached into his coat and slid a small folder across the desk. Inside were photographs — grainy, long-lens shots of Camille and Marcus together at an upscale lounge, their body language just shy of intimate. Close enough to be allies. Too close to be harmless.
Selene's fingers lingered over the photos, but she didn't let him see the weight of them. "You've been keeping tabs on Marcus."
"I've been keeping tabs on threats to you," Julian corrected, voice sharp.
She met his gaze again, but there was no satisfaction in her expression. Only calculation. "And what do you want in return for this… loyalty?"
Julian's answer came without hesitation. "A seat beside you when this all burns down."
---
That night, Selene didn't go home.
Her penthouse felt too empty, and she wasn't ready to sit with her thoughts in silence. Instead, she stayed in her office until the moon was high, the city reduced to a glittering network of lights below. Her mind ran through every conversation she'd ever had with Camille, every small moment that might have been a feint or a test.
Marcus had been her right hand for five years. The man had pulled her company out of a nosedive during the worst quarter in its history. He had smiled at her victories like they were his own. And yet… ambition had a way of redrawing loyalties.
Her phone buzzed. A single message.
Unknown Number: We need to talk. Tonight. Alone.
She almost ignored it — until she noticed the attached image: Camille, standing in front of the same lounge from the photographs, speaking to a man Selene didn't recognize. His face was partially obscured, but there was something familiar about his posture, the way he leaned forward.
Selene grabbed her coat.
---
The lounge was quiet at this hour, the ambient jazz wrapping around the room like smoke. Camille was waiting, sipping a martini as if she owned the place.
"You came," Camille said, smiling faintly. "I wasn't sure you would."
"I'm here because I'm curious," Selene replied. "That's all."
Camille's eyes glinted. "Then you'll be pleased to know I'm not here to threaten you. I'm here to offer you a way out."
Selene arched a brow. "A way out of what, exactly?"
"The war you think you're winning," Camille said simply. "Marcus isn't just meeting with me. He's been building a coalition. Quietly. Investors. Board members. People tired of your ice queen routine. He's patient, Selene. He's not going for the kill yet — but he will."
Selene let the words settle, refusing to give Camille the satisfaction of a reaction. "And where do you fit in all this?"
Camille's smile widened, but it wasn't warm. "I can control Marcus. You… can't. You've underestimated him for too long."
Selene leaned forward, voice like glass. "If you think I'll let you 'control' my company, you're more naïve than I thought."
"I'm not naïve," Camille murmured. "I'm adaptable. And I think you should be, too. Because when Marcus moves, he won't give you a chance to adapt."
---
When Selene returned to her office, Julian was still there, waiting in the shadows like a man who had already guessed she'd learn something tonight.
"What did she tell you?" he asked.
Selene removed her coat and poured herself a drink before answering. "That Marcus is building a coalition."
Julian's expression hardened. "Then we move first."
Selene shook her head. "No. We let him think he's winning."
"You're playing with fire."
"I am the fire," she replied coldly. But even as she said it, her chest tightened.
She wasn't sure if she was lying to him… or to herself.
---