The rain had not stopped since morning.Fat droplets ran in crooked lines down the tall windows of Adrian's penthouse, blurring the glittering skyline beyond. Zara stood in the living room, wrapped in a fitted cream blouse and black pencil skirt, arms crossed as she stared out at the city. The storm outside matched the storm building inside her chest.
She had known this day would come. She just didn't expect it so soon.
"Why is she here?" Zara's voice was low, tight, and dangerous.
Adrian, lounging with calculated ease on the edge of his leather sofa, did not look up from his phone. "Because I invited her."
The way he said it — casual, like it was nothing — made Zara's nails dig into her own palms. "You invited your ex-fiancée into our arrangement?" she asked, her tone laced with disbelief.
"Our arrangement," Adrian repeated softly, as if tasting the words. Then he finally looked up, his dark eyes narrowing in that way that made people both wary and curious. "You're forgetting something, Zara. This isn't a marriage. It's a business deal."
"That doesn't give you the right to humiliate me." Her voice wavered slightly, but she covered it with a sharp glare.
Before Adrian could reply, the elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.And there she was — Sienna Black, the woman who had once worn Adrian's engagement ring and his last name on her lips. She was the kind of beauty that belonged on magazine covers: tall, willowy, with mahogany hair falling in perfect waves over her tailored red coat. The heels clicking against the marble floor were the kind that announced themselves long before the woman wearing them spoke.
Sienna's gaze swept the room, lingering a fraction too long on Zara before settling on Adrian. "Darling," she purred, gliding forward like she owned the air between them.
Zara's stomach knotted. Not because she felt threatened — no, she refused to feel threatened — but because she could see in Sienna's eyes exactly what this visit was about. This wasn't just a social call. It was a territorial challenge.
Adrian stood, slipping his phone into his pocket. "Sienna," he greeted, brushing a polite kiss against her cheek. "You're early."
"I wanted to surprise you." She smiled, but it wasn't a sweet smile — it was the kind predators wore when they'd cornered their prey.
Zara shifted her weight, refusing to step back, even though Sienna's presence felt like an ice-cold wind. "I see the guest list was kept a secret," she said evenly.
Sienna tilted her head, mock surprise painting her features. "Oh, you must be Zara. The… wife?" She let the word hang, dripping with skepticism.
"Yes," Zara said, every syllable deliberate. "The wife."
Something flickered in Sienna's gaze — the tiniest crack in her perfect façade — before she let out a light laugh. "How… interesting."
Adrian glanced between them, expression unreadable, then gestured toward the sitting area. "Shall we?"
They sat. Well — Sienna and Adrian sat. Zara remained standing a moment longer, taking her time before moving to an armchair opposite them. Her mind was already racing. She had learned from their last public appearance together that Adrian liked to test her. If this was another one of his games, she had no intention of losing.
The Game Begins
Sienna leaned in toward Adrian, speaking in a tone meant to exclude Zara. "I've been in Paris for the past few months. The shows this year were… divine. You'd have loved them."
Adrian smirked faintly. "Paris has always been your playground."
"And you've always been mine," she replied without missing a beat.
Zara felt the words like a slap — not because they hurt, but because of how deliberate they were. She didn't flinch. Instead, she leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. "It must be exhausting," she said, her voice sweet but edged with steel.
Sienna arched a brow. "Excuse me?"
"Keeping up with all those designers," Zara continued. "So much effort for clothes that are already last season by the time you land back in the country."
The smile on Adrian's face widened slightly, though he didn't comment.Sienna, on the other hand, let out a soft, condescending laugh. "Well, some of us have a taste for refinement. Not… practicality."
Zara smiled thinly. "I believe refinement isn't just about what you wear. It's about knowing when to stop talking."
Sienna's gaze hardened, but she recovered quickly, turning her attention back to Adrian. "We should have dinner — just the two of us. To… catch up."
Adrian didn't answer right away, and in that silence, Zara caught it — the smallest flicker of hesitation. He was weighing something. Calculating.
"No," Zara said before he could speak.
The room stilled. Both Adrian and Sienna looked at her.
"You're not his secretary anymore," Zara said to Sienna. "You don't get to make appointments for him. If you have business with my husband, you'll address it in my presence."
The word husband seemed to echo between them. And for a fleeting second, Zara saw something flash in Adrian's eyes — not amusement this time, but approval.
Private Conversations and Public Wars
Sienna eventually rose, all polite smiles again. "Well, I should be going. I'll be in town for a few weeks… maybe we'll see each other again."
She left without shaking Zara's hand. The elevator doors closed, and the quiet that followed was deafening.
Adrian broke it first. "You handled that better than I expected."
Zara turned to him, her eyes sharp. "I'm not here to play the jealous wife. But if you think I'm going to stand by while you parade her in front of me—"
"Good," he cut in. "I don't want a doormat. But don't mistake this for a romantic rivalry. Sienna's return isn't about me. It's about the company."
Zara narrowed her eyes. "Explain."
"She's aligning herself with my uncle. He's been angling for control of a key board seat. If she's here, it means he's ready to make his move."
Zara's heartbeat quickened — not from jealousy, but from the scent of a bigger game. "So you're saying she's not here to win you back."
"She might want both," Adrian said with a faint smirk. "But she'll take whichever gives her more power first."
The Suspicion
That night, long after Adrian had retreated to his study, Zara sat at the kitchen island, replaying every word Sienna had said. Something didn't add up.
If this was just corporate politics, why had Sienna gone out of her way to belittle her? Why had she made her presence so personal?
Zara's phone buzzed.A text. From an unknown number.
You don't belong in his world. Walk away before you're crushed. – A Friend
She stared at the screen, her pulse hammering. It didn't take a genius to guess who might have sent it.
She typed back:
Nice try, Sienna. But I'm not going anywhere.
No reply came. But somehow, Zara knew this was only the opening move.
The Trap Is Set
The next morning, Adrian announced they'd be attending a charity gala that evening — one hosted by none other than the Blackwood family. Sienna's family.
Zara dressed deliberately — a black silk gown with a high slit, her hair swept into an elegant knot, and a pair of diamond earrings that caught the light with every turn of her head. If Sienna wanted a war, she'd get one.
The gala was a swirl of champagne glasses, glittering gowns, and sharp smiles. Zara felt eyes follow her as she walked in with Adrian, his hand resting lightly at her back. They made a striking pair — and she knew it.
It didn't take long for Sienna to appear. She was in silver tonight, her dress shimmering like liquid mercury under the lights. "You clean up nicely," she said, her smile dripping with false sweetness.
Zara's reply was smooth, almost bored. "I always do."
The evening passed in a series of subtle jabs and veiled remarks, each one a move in a chess game neither woman was willing to lose. But as the night drew on, Zara noticed something unsettling — Sienna wasn't just targeting her. She was working the room, whispering to board members, laughing with Adrian's rivals.
And then Zara saw it — Sienna slipping a folded document into the hands of Adrian's uncle, their eyes meeting with a silent understanding.
The Cliffhanger
Back in the car, Adrian was quiet, his jaw tight. Zara glanced at him. "You saw it too."
He nodded. "She's not here for me, Zara. She's here to dismantle everything."
Zara's lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Then we dismantle her first."
But as the city lights blurred past, Zara's phone buzzed again. This time, the message made her blood run cold.
You think you know Adrian. But he's still keeping secrets from you. – S
She looked over at him — calm, composed, unreadable — and for the first time, she wondered if Sienna might be right.