The sun had barely risen, but Arabella was already wide awake. Sleep had eluded her, chased away by the storm of thoughts and revelations that plagued her mind. She sat curled on the edge of her bed, a silk robe draped around her shoulders, clutching a cup of black coffee that had long gone cold.
The files spread across her desk from the night before stared back at her like ghosts—evidence of betrayal buried deep within King Industries. Names, numbers, flight itineraries, and suspicious transactions. There was no mistaking it anymore—someone inside Nathaniel's empire was feeding Victor Morgan vital information.
And Arabella had a sinking feeling she was running out of time.
Her phone vibrated softly on the nightstand. A message from Adrian popped up:
Adrian: Confirmed. The COO—Leon Maddox—is in direct contact with Victor. I'm forwarding an encrypted call transcript. You're going to want to hear this.
Arabella's pulse quickened. She rose from the bed and crossed the room to her laptop, immediately opening the encrypted file. As the distorted audio played, a familiar voice came through—Leon Maddox.
"—I've held up my end," Leon's voice said, laced with irritation. "You promised King would be out of the picture by now."
A second voice, cold and calculated, responded, "Patience, Leon. The deeper the fall, the louder the crash. Let her play her part. She doesn't realize how close she is to breaking him."
Arabella's breath caught in her throat. Her? Were they referring to her?
The voices continued.
"We move at dawn," Victor said. "Ensure the files are wiped after the transfer. No loose ends."
Click. Silence.
Arabella's hands trembled as she sat back in her chair, bile rising in her throat. They were planning something major—and she was unwittingly part of it. She glanced at the clock. 7:02 AM.
She had less than twenty-four hours before something catastrophic happened. Whatever Victor and Leon were planning, it was meant to destroy Nathaniel. And if Nathaniel fell, so would every layer of protection Arabella had carefully built.
She needed to act. Now.
---
Arabella's heels echoed sharply through the marble halls of King Industries as she strode past the reception desk, her expression unreadable. Security nodded respectfully as she passed, unaware of the firestorm about to ignite behind her gaze.
Inside the executive elevator, she hit the button for the restricted top floor. As the doors closed, she allowed herself a single moment of vulnerability, her fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against the flash drive tucked inside her blazer.
She wasn't just here to observe today.
She was here to fight back.
The elevator opened with a soft chime, revealing the quiet opulence of Nathaniel's private floor. Arabella stepped out, her posture poised, her mind sharp. She passed his assistant with a curt nod.
"Nathaniel's in a meeting," the assistant began, but Arabella didn't stop walking.
She pushed open the doors to his office without knocking.
Nathaniel looked up from his desk, his expression hardening with surprise. "Arabella?"
"We need to talk," she said firmly, shutting the door behind her. "Now."
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowing as he studied her. "This isn't like you. What's going on?"
She walked over to his desk and placed the flash drive in front of him. "Play it."
He narrowed his eyes but complied. The office filled with the distorted audio of Leon's treacherous conversation with Victor.
With every second that passed, Nathaniel's face darkened.
When the recording ended, a heavy silence settled between them.
Nathaniel stood slowly, his jaw tight. "How did you get this?"
Arabella met his gaze. "I have my own sources. And you have a traitor in your company."
He turned away, running a hand through his hair. "Leon's been with me for over eight years. I trusted him."
"Well, he's selling you out," she snapped. "And not just you—he mentioned me. They're using me, somehow. You need to stop pretending you can do this alone, Nathaniel."
He looked back at her, eyes stormy. "And what exactly do you propose I do?"
Arabella stepped closer. "Let me help. We expose Leon. We trace the money trail. We hit Victor before he can strike."
Nathaniel hesitated, visibly torn. "This isn't your fight."
"Yes, it is," she said quietly. "You made it mine the moment you dragged me into your world. I may not be your wife in the public eye, but I'm not going to stand by while it all burns down."
Their eyes locked, and something unspoken passed between them. A truce. A shared resolve.
Nathaniel finally nodded. "Alright. But we do this my way."
Arabella raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
"You stay close. No more solo operations. You work with me now. Fully. If we're going to take Victor down, we need to move as one."
Arabella nodded once, though part of her still bristled at the idea of relinquishing control. "Fine. But if you hesitate for even a second, we lose."
Nathaniel gave her a small, almost grudging smile. "Then I guess we can't afford to hesitate."
---
By noon, plans were already in motion. Arabella and Nathaniel worked side by side in the war room—a sleek conference space equipped with encrypted terminals and a secure server. Adrian joined the session remotely, his distorted voice echoing through the speaker system.
"I've cloned Leon's device," Adrian said. "He's scheduled a private meeting with Victor tonight at the Helix Hotel—11th floor, penthouse suite."
Arabella's eyes narrowed. "We intercept. Catch them in the act."
"Not so fast," Adrian cautioned. "Victor's a ghost. If he catches a whiff of a trap, he'll vanish again. You need to bait him. Make him think the plan is working."
Nathaniel folded his arms. "So we feed Leon false intel. Let Victor believe we're one step behind."
Arabella added, "And when they meet, we expose everything."
"Exactly," Adrian said. "But there's one more thing you should know—Victor isn't working alone. He's recruited someone else. High-level. Possibly someone from your father's old contacts."
Arabella stiffened. Her past life's demons were resurfacing far too quickly.
"I'll handle it," she said quietly. "Whatever it takes."
Nathaniel placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll handle it. Together."
She looked up at him, startled by the gentleness in his voice. For the first time, it didn't feel like a business partnership or an obligation. It felt real. A dangerous alliance, yes—but one she was willing to risk everything for.
The black SUV rolled to a smooth stop in the underground garage of the Helix Hotel. Arabella sat in the back seat, dressed in a tailored navy jumpsuit and a sleek black coat. Her hair was pulled into a low chignon, every strand meticulously in place, but inside, her nerves buzzed like static electricity. She glanced sideways at Nathaniel, who sat beside her in a crisp charcoal suit, his face as unreadable as always.
"You're sure about this?" she asked, her fingers tightening around the encrypted earpiece she held in her lap.
Nathaniel turned to her. "No. But we don't have time to be sure. Only time to act."
They both exited the car in unison. Adrian's voice came through their comms immediately. "Leon arrived fifteen minutes ago. He's on the eleventh floor. Victor hasn't shown yet, but the suite's lights are on. There's someone else in there."
Arabella's gaze sharpened. "Another accomplice?"
"Possibly," Adrian replied. "I'm running face recognition through hotel security. Be careful."
As the elevator doors closed around them, silence settled in the confined space. Tension stretched between them—thick, unspoken, and humming with unacknowledged fear. Arabella's heart pounded, not just from the danger, but from the way Nathaniel kept glancing at her as if memorizing her every breath.
"You don't have to go in with me," he said suddenly, almost gruffly.
Arabella scoffed. "We're past that."
His jaw tightened. "This could be a trap."
"It already is," she replied. "We're just not the ones caught in it."
The elevator dinged.
Floor eleven.
Arabella stepped out first, walking with purpose down the corridor lined with expensive carpeting and abstract paintings. At the far end, the penthouse door loomed—polished, intimidating, silent. Nathaniel joined her side, his hand brushing hers subtly. She didn't pull away.
Adrian's voice crackled in again. "Leon's on the move. He's leaving the suite."
Arabella's pulse jumped. "That means Victor is still inside."
Nathaniel gave a short nod. "We intercept him. Quietly."
Before Leon could exit the stairwell next to the suite, Nathaniel moved. He stepped out of the shadows like a phantom, grabbing Leon by the collar and slamming him back against the wall with controlled force.
Leon's eyes widened in shock. "Nathaniel—wait—this isn't—!"
"You lied to my face," Nathaniel growled, voice low and dangerous. "You betrayed the company. You betrayed me."
Arabella stepped forward, eyes like twin blades. "And you dragged me into your filthy plan."
Leon froze when he saw her. "Arabella... it wasn't supposed to go this far. Victor promised—"
"Victor lies," she cut in sharply. "And you're a fool for trusting him."
Nathaniel leaned in close. "Where is he? Is he inside?"
Leon hesitated—then nodded slowly. "He's waiting. But he's not alone. There's someone else. Someone powerful. If you go in there now, it might already be too late."
Arabella's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Leon opened his mouth to speak—but a gunshot cracked through the silence.
Arabella and Nathaniel ducked instinctively, and Leon dropped to the floor—alive, but shaking with fear.
"Sniper," Nathaniel growled. "They knew we were coming."
Arabella reached for her concealed weapon, scanning the ceiling corners. "He's watching the hallway. They're stalling us."
Adrian came through again. "Get out of there now! The signal's been jammed. Cameras are down. It's a trap!"
But neither Arabella nor Nathaniel moved. Arabella looked down at Leon. "Do you want to live?"
He nodded frantically.
"Then you'll testify. You'll give us every document, every contact, every deal you've ever made with Victor."
Leon looked at Nathaniel with trembling lips. "He said he would kill me if I ever spoke."
Nathaniel's voice was like steel. "He'll have to go through me first."
---
They escaped down the stairwell with Leon between them, emerging through a service exit into the alley behind the hotel. The SUV screeched around the corner as Adrian opened the door for them.
"Get in. Fast."
Arabella shoved Leon into the back and climbed in after him. Nathaniel slammed the door shut and pulled out his phone as they sped off.
"Where to?" Adrian asked from the front seat.
"Safehouse," Nathaniel said. "And lock it down. No signals in or out."
Arabella sat back, breathless, adrenaline rushing through her. She turned to Leon. "Start talking."
---
Two hours later, inside the stone-and-glass compound nestled in the hills outside the city, Arabella and Nathaniel stood before a screen displaying a map of Victor's known assets.
Leon sat behind them, handcuffed to the chair, spilling every detail.
"Victor's not just after revenge," Leon confessed. "He wants King Industries to collapse so he can take over your overseas holdings. He already forged documents showing transfers and embezzlement. He plans to leak them within forty-eight hours—unless..."
"Unless what?" Nathaniel pressed.
"Unless Arabella disappears," Leon said, turning toward her. "He thinks if she vanishes or is discredited, your entire empire will crumble."
Arabella felt her blood run cold. "He's still fixated on me?"
Leon nodded. "He blames you for his brother's death."
Arabella flinched. Anthony...
Nathaniel stepped in front of her protectively. "Then he'll learn the hard way—Arabella doesn't vanish. And she sure as hell doesn't run."
Leon looked away. "You won't beat him with strength. You'll need to outthink him. Outsmart him."
Arabella's gaze hardened. "Then that's exactly what we'll do."
Nathaniel turned to her slowly. "This ends now. No more secrets. No more lies. If we're going to win this, we do it with open cards. Together."
Arabella searched his eyes, seeing not just resolve but something deeper. Something real.
She nodded. "Together."
Outside, the night had turned cold. But inside the war room, the fire of purpose burned between them.
Victor Morgan had declared war.
And this time, Arabella King wasn't backing down.