The morning sunlight cast all over Nova's office, but the it's warmth count not calm the storm that was in her,
She sat there stiff behind her desk, her eyes were scanning through another email that only conferred her fears, it was another client who had pulled out of their contract, it was so sudden, and again there was no explanation.
She gritted her teeth and her jaw tightened, It had happened all over again, little by little, the empire she built brick by brick was been chipped away.
Victor sat on the edge of a desk just opposite her, he crossed his arms and he gave off an expression that showed concern and frustration.
"Nova," he said calmly, "I am telling you, this does not feel like Dominic."
She looked up at him, her eyes narrowed, "Then who is it, Victor? Who else would come after me like this? Who else but him? Who else benefits from my demise?"
He let out a big sigh, ran his hand through his curly hair, "I really do not know, But you've been so focused on him, You're probably not seeing the bigger picture."
She leaned back, crossing her arms across her chest, "He's the one who ruined me before, He is capable of this."
Victor didn't argue with her, He just watched her, he stayed quiet for a moment, "But is he that man now?"
That was the very question she was avoiding, this was the question she did not want to answer.
She unwillingly recalled the last time they met, she remembered the look in Dominic's eyes the last time they stood face to face, the regret she saw, the softness he wore on his face, the way he had said he was sorry about it all without even giving it a second thought,
She felt unsettled by this,
Her life was supposed to be simple, she was supposed to be focused on revenge, above any other thing, But now she was starting to lose focus, the edges were blurring, and she hated the doubt that was being unburied.
"Let me help you look into this," Victor offered, "Let me find out for sure before you burn everything to the ground."
Nova pressed her lips into a thin line, She wanted to say yes to his offer, She wanted to listen to him, But the fire that was burning in her, the one that had kept her alive and going, the fire that helped her build her success, refused to stay quiet.
"I can handle it," she said firmly, "I'm not backing down, I can't back down."
Victor gave her a type of look, but he didn't say anything else, he just stood still while adjusting his jacket, "Just don't lose yourself, okay?"
She gave off a faint smile and replied calmly, "I won't."
But as she watched him leave the office, the truth had already sinked in like a stone in her stomach,
She had already lost herself.
Nova then turned back to her laptop, she skimmed her fingers through the keys, she had already thought of a move, a strategic strike that would hit Dominic where it hurt him the most, She wanted to show him she wasn't someone to be dismissed, Not anymore,
She clicked send, her hands were steady even as her heart trembled in its cage,
The battle wasn't over yet, far from it,
This was only the beginning.
The grand ballroom of the Ashcroft Hotel were lit up under the chandeliers, this was a stage set for power and ambition.
Nova stood at the entrance, her expression was composed, her heart beat was still steady despite the chaos that had been brewing underneath her skin.
She was not here to play nice, she was not here for fun, This was her strategy, she was here for war.
She found Dominic with her eyes almost immediately, He stood at the center of a circle of CEOs and shareholders, every bit of him appeared as the stoic businessman he had always been seen as, But as she noticed the way his shoulder tensed, and the way he tightened his jaw when their gazes met across the crowded room, this gave her the spark she needed.
She walked into the through the hall with deliberate grace, offering polite smiles to CEOs and shareholders, exchanging shallow greetings with them, but she was not distracted, she kept her focus, She had prepared for this moment diligently, securing meetings with certain key investors ahead of time, she planted seeds that were now ready to bloom.
By the time the main speeches had started, her team had already made deals with five of Dominic's potential partners, Each of them shaking her hand with expressions that could barely mask the cutthroat precision behind their smiles.
Dominic's expression barely changed as the announcements started, but Nova saw it, she saw the flicker in his eyes, she saw the slight crack in his usual calm.
She should have felt satisfaction in that moment, but instead, she felt something inside her twist painfully.
The applause of the speech died down, and for a brief moment, Dominic's gaze Mets hers again, He didn't approach her, He did not say a word to her, He just stood still, the weight of all the unspoken words between them was heavier than any business deal could ever be.
Victor appeared beside her, he lowered his voice so only her could hear, "You're not enjoying this as much as you thought you would, are you?."
Nova gave him a shallow smile, "Of course I am."
But the tone of her voice lacked the conviction of which her expressions would want to exude.
Victor tilted his head towards her, he wore a concerned look, "Be careful, You're winning the battles, Nova, Just make sure you don't end up losing yourself in the war."
She did not answer him, She was unable to,
Because deep down, she knew the truth that she was trying so hard to ignore, she did not want to admit it to herself, The victory felt hollow, and the satisfaction which she had been craving for years was fraying at the edges.
All the way Across the crowded room, Alicia stood there perfectly still, she fixed her gaze on Nova with eyes that were sharp enough to cut glass, No one even noticed her, No one saw the way she clenched her hands beside her,
She didn't need to make a scene, just not yet.
But the damage Nova had just delivered to Dominic will not go unanswered, Definitely Not on Alicia's watch.
And as Nova walked away from the crowded room, her heart was weighed down by something she couldn't really name, the real enemy who silently plotted her next move.
The city lights zoomed past the car windows as Nova sat there in silence, she kept on recalling the events of the evening on an endless loop, She should have felt victorious, and She had crushed Dominic in the one aspect of life he valued most, his business, She had walked away with five new deals, while he stood there, helpless, stripped of his usual power.
But she still felt hollow,
Victor glanced over at her from the driver's seat, "You want to talk about it?"
She shook her head, "There's nothing to talk about."
He let out a small sigh, his grip tightened around the steering. "You know, it's okay to admit when something doesn't feel right,"
She turned to him sharply, "I'm fine."
Victor didn't push any further, He knew her all too well to fight her when she already closed herself off, But his eyes still had a worried look, "I'm not just talking about business," he said softly, "I'm talking about you."
Those words settled heavily in the space between them,
Nova rested her head back, and closed her eyes for a moment, She could hear the faded echo of Dominic's voice, she kept on recalling the kiss they shared, even when she had tried so hard to forget, And worst of all, she remembered how he appeared fragile beneath the mask.
Victor's voice snapped her back from her trance, "Luthor and I, we're barely speaking," he admitted quietly, his eyes were still fixed on the road, "I've been so caught up in helping you, and in hiding everything from my family, that I'm losing the one person who actually makes me feel like myself."
Nova's eyes widened, shocked by the honesty in his tone, She hadn't realized how much he had been hiding, and For a brief moment, she had felt guilt in her stomach, She was so consumed by her war with Dominic, that she hadn't even noticed Victor's silent suffering,
"I'm sorry," she murmured,
He offered a shallow smile, "I'm not saying this for an apology, I'm telling you because obsession doesn't just burn the people we aim it at, Sometimes it burns us too."
She swallowed hard, her throat tightened, "I can't stop now," she whispered, "Not after everything."
Victor nodded gently in agreement, "Just don't lose the parts of yourself you'll regret never getting back."
The car came to a stop outside her building, Nova stepped out of the car into the night, her heart was even heavier than before.
Far across the city, Alicia sat alone in her darkened living room, her fingers gliding over the surface of her wine glass, The anger that burned inside her was cold now, sharpened into something far more dangerous.
She had watched, and She had waited,
But the time for patience was coming to an end,
She reached for her phone, her eyes were full of silent menace, as she composed a single message.
It was time to remind Nova Lin that some battles were meant to be fought in the shadows,
And some wars were meant to destroy.