The grand ballroom of the Virelli International Hotel shimmered with diamond chandeliers and the polished gloss of old money. Tonight was the prestigious Orion Business Awards—where the city's most ruthless CEOs came to smile for cameras, shake hands with enemies, and quietly plot one another's downfall.
No one expected Aurora Lane to show up.
But that made it all the more satisfying when the tall double doors burst open, and in she strode—wrapped in silk red, all curves and confidence.
She wasn't on the guest list.
She didn't need to be.
People turned, whispers ignited. Aurora smirked as she descended the marble stairs like she owned the building. And maybe one day she would.
"Fashion tycoon crashes tech elite night?" one reporter whispered.⁴
"She's not just fashion anymore," murmured another. "Her company just bought out Spectra Tech's patents."
That was why she came.
To deliver that message.
Directly to Dominic Raine.
The CEO of Raine Industries was already here, cold and collected in a tailored black suit. He stood at the center of the room, surrounded by investors, holding a crystal glass like it was part of his anatomy. His ice-blue eyes narrowed the moment she walked in.
He knew.
She had beat him to the acquisition.
Aurora felt it—his fury blanketed beneath a glassy exterior.
She lived for this.
Dominic excused himself smoothly from the circle of men, his voice calm. He never showed his emotions in public. That was his edge. Calculated. Stoic. Unshakable.
But when he reached her, that mask slipped for a fraction of a second.
"You're not invited," he said, voice low, clipped.
Aurora raised her glass. "Neither was your defeat. Yet here we are."
His jaw ticked. "You manipulated the deal. Used backdoor tactics."
"I negotiated," she said sweetly. "You were too slow."
"This isn't over."
"I hope not. I like watching you lose your temper."
"I don't lose."
She stepped closer, her perfume wrapping around him like a challenge. "We'll see."
And just like that, she turned and walked into the crowd, hips swaying, leaving him standing there, breath tight, mind already calculating revenge.
---
Later that night, after the event wound down, Dominic's executive assistant burst into his suite with red cheeks and urgent eyes.
"She bought out the remaining Spectra shares too. The board is panicking."
Dominic didn't speak. He stared out the window, city lights reflecting in his expressionless eyes.
Aurora had played him. Again.
But this time, he didn't feel rage.
He felt curious.
What was her angle?
And why, after two years of rivalry, did she finally look at him like she was daring him to do more than fight?
---
Across the city, Aurora poured herself a drink and smiled at the skyline. The deal was just business. The dress, the arrival, the confrontation?
That was personal.
Because every empire needed a nemesis.
And Dominic Raine was going to be hers.
Whether he liked it or not.