Chapter 12: Queen's Gambit
Declan's plan was bold. Maybe even reckless.
"We leak just enough of the files to make Damon nervous," he explained, sliding a tablet toward Elara. "Not the full package. Just enough to let him know we're not bluffing."
Elara stared at the screen. "You want to provoke him?"
"I want to control him," Declan corrected. "Fear is a powerful leash."
She hesitated. "And what if he strikes back?"
"He will. But this time, we choose the battlefield."
Elara nodded slowly. She wasn't used to this version of herself—calculated, sharp, and unafraid. But with every step, she felt more like the woman Damon underestimated.
They drafted an anonymous release—a "whistleblower" leak of one of Damon's offshore accounts, connected to a political bribery scandal. Just one thread in the web.
It hit the media like wildfire.
By nightfall, news anchors were speculating, headlines exploding, and Damon Thorne's office released a stiff denial.
But Elara didn't care about the noise. She was waiting for the reaction beneath it.
And it came.
At midnight, Declan's security sensors lit up. Someone tried to access the townhouse's secure server—remotely. Only two people had that level of clearance.
One of them was Killian.
The other…
"Nadia," Elara whispered.
Declan's jaw clenched. "She just confirmed it."
Elara's phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
> You're smarter than I gave you credit for. Let's meet. Just you. No more games.
— N.C.
She looked up at Declan. "She wants to talk."
"She wants to manipulate you."
Elara's voice was steady. "Then
I'll let her try. And I'll make her regret it."