The morning after the Orion Business Awards was anything but quiet.
At precisely 9:00 AM, the sleek glass doors of Raine Industries slammed shut behind Dominic Raine as he stormed into the executive boardroom. His expression was carved from steel, his stride calm but lethal.
Every executive in the room went silent.
The holographic screen behind the conference table displayed the headline of the day:
"Aurora Lane's LaneTech Outsmarts Raine Industries in Spectra Tech Takeover"
Dominic didn't look at the screen.
He didn't need to.
He'd memorized every word before dawn.
"Damage report," he said curtly, settling at the head of the table.
His CFO, an older man with shaking fingers, cleared his throat. "We lost three pending licensing deals tied to Spectra's AI interface. LaneTech's acquisition triggered a clause that revoked Raine's access."
"Meaning?" Dominic said, voice dangerously low.
"We're locked out. Unless we renegotiate under her terms."
Silence.
Then a single, humorless chuckle escaped Dominic's lips.
Under her terms.
Not a chance in hell.
---
Across town, Aurora Lane sipped her espresso in the LaneTech boardroom, completely unbothered.
She sat cross-legged at the head of her glass table, flanked by her two most trusted directors—Zara, her fierce PR head, and Lucas, her newly poached legal genius (formerly of Raine Industries, of course).
"Well done," Aurora said, swiping through the morning headlines on her tablet. "The media spin is perfect. We're the visionaries. Dominic's the dinosaur."
Zara smirked. "His silence on the acquisition is playing right into your narrative."
Lucas leaned in. "You know he won't stay silent for long."
Aurora's smile was slow, wicked. "I'm counting on it."
---
By noon, Dominic had made his move.
A press conference. Unannounced. Strategic. Brutal.
He stood behind a podium like a modern war general, every word from his mouth sharp and calculated.
"LaneTech's acquisition of Spectra was not a business triumph. It was a theft, hidden behind legal loopholes and personal vendettas. But Raine Industries does not kneel. We retaliate."
That clip went viral within the hour.
Aurora watched it from her penthouse, sipping champagne. Her eyes glinted.
"Oh, we're retaliating now?" she said to the screen. "Let the games begin."
---
Three Days Later
The boardroom at the city's central business registry was packed for the joint hearing on AI patents—an emergency arbitration session sparked by Dominic's aggressive legal countersuit.
Aurora walked in ten minutes late, dressed in a navy pantsuit that clung like second skin. Her heels echoed as she made her way to her seat across from Dominic.
She didn't glance at him. Not at first.
But she felt him watching her. That cold, calculated gaze that undressed and dissected at the same time.
The mediator cleared her throat. "Ms. Lane. Mr. Raine. Let's begin."
What followed was a masterclass in verbal warfare.
"You forged early access to the patent review board," Dominic accused, sliding across confidential timestamps.
"You delayed payment to Spectra's legal team by three days last quarter," Aurora countered. "That voided your right of first refusal. Read the fine print, darling."
They circled each other like wolves in suits.
Charm was a weapon. Silence, a tactic. Every glance, every smirk, choreographed.
Hours passed. Tensions simmered. The press swarmed outside.
And when it ended in a deadlock, both companies walked away with nothing but blood drawn.
---
Outside the building, Dominic's driver opened the car door. But instead of getting in, Dominic turned—and found Aurora leaning against the marble pillar, arms folded, smile smug.
"Do you ever get tired of losing to me?" she asked sweetly.
He stepped closer, invading her space like it was his birthright.
"You haven't won anything," he said. "Yet."
Aurora tilted her chin. "Then why are you breathing so hard?"
Dominic's nostrils flared. He dipped his head lower, until they were nearly touching.
"Careful," he said, voice low. "You're playing with fire."
Her lips brushed his ear as she whispered, "Maybe I want to get burned."
And then she walked away, hips swaying, leaving the scent of citrus and war behind her.
---
That night, Dominic poured himself a whiskey in his penthouse.
He'd never hated someone so much.
And he'd never wanted someone more.
The line between obsession and strategy was starting to blur.
Aurora Lane wasn't just a rival anymore.
She was becoming something far more dangerous.
A temptation.
---