The days that followed were a blur of headlines, speculation, and whispered conversations Elina wasn't supposed to hear. Her reappearance in the business world—even in such a hushed, back-channel way—stirred more than curiosity. It triggered tremors in an industry that thought it had successfully buried her.
Some saw her as a warning.
Others? As a wild card.
But Elina Lane had never been the kind of woman anyone could accurately predict. Not before. Certainly not now.
Her return was careful. Calculated. Every step was deliberate.
Harper, ever loyal and sharp, flooded her with files and evidence. Connections unraveled. Patterns emerged. It was clear that Blackstone wasn't just acquiring Nexlin's tech—they were preparing to dominate and rewire the entire biotech landscape.
The entire boardroom war had been a smokescreen. A diversion.
And behind it?
Aidan Ashford.
Elina wasn't ready to confront him. Not yet. Her heart was still a battleground between betrayal and something softer—something foolish.
So instead, she focused her fire where it could cause the most damage.
She arranged a meeting with Maeve Chen—the former CFO of her company. Maeve had been a mentor once. Steady. Brilliant. Ruthless when she needed to be. Elina still remembered how Maeve had defended her during her earliest pitch battles against VCs.
Maeve agreed to meet in a discreet café uptown. She hadn't changed much—still sleek in posture, with the kind of tailored poise that made men twice her size second-guess themselves.
"Elina," Maeve said in greeting, sliding into the booth opposite her. "You still allergic to overpriced lattes, or has New York finally corrupted you?"
"I stay loyal to my flaws," Elina said, her tone casual but clipped.
They exchanged pleasantries over lukewarm coffee. But the truth between them simmered just below the surface—unspoken, but thick enough to taste.
"Why did you reach out?" Maeve asked at last, setting down her cup with a soft clink.
"Because I need someone with a backbone," Elina replied. "Someone who remembers why we started this."
Maeve studied her, eyes unreadable. "You mean someone who didn't vote against you."
Elina stiffened. "I thought you didn't."
"I didn't," Maeve said. "But I didn't vote for you either. I abstained."
That stung. More than it should have.
"Why?" Elina asked.
Maeve tilted her head, the expression oddly gentle. "Because you stopped listening, Elina. You got so wrapped up in shielding the company from outside threats, you ignored the rot growing from within."
Elina didn't respond. Couldn't.
"I still believed in your brilliance," Maeve added. "But you forgot to trust the people around you."
Elina nodded slowly. "I'm here to change that. I want to make things right. Expose what really happened with Blackstone. With Aidan. All of it."
Maeve hesitated, then reached into her bag and slid over a manila folder.
"Elina," she said, voice low, "what you're trying to do... it could start a war. A real one. Corporate espionage, NDA breaches, insider leaks—this isn't a small fight."
"I don't need it to be small," Elina said. "I need it to be worth it."
Maeve gave a small smile, almost proud.
"Then take this," she said. "It's from a board member who's had second thoughts. No names. No trails. But it's real."
Inside the folder were transcripts from board meetings, internal memos, and a single voice recording from a panicked executive. Elina skimmed through them, heart pounding.
This was her crack in the wall.
And when she stepped out into the evening air, her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
She hesitated, then answered.
"Elina," came Aidan's voice—quiet, urgent. "We need to talk."
"I'm not interested," she said coldly.
"You don't understand. Nexlin… there's a problem. A big one. It affects everything."
"Then fix it," she said. "Or fall with it."
"Elina, listen to me—"
She ended the call.
Let him sweat.
Back at her apartment, Harper was waiting, her laptop glowing in the dark like a lighthouse.
"I ran background on the names in that folder," Harper said. "And we've got a lead. One of the board members is funneling money into a shell company connected to Blackstone."
Elina sat beside her. "Then that's our first domino."
Harper paused. "You know they'll come for you. Legally, financially—maybe worse."
"I'm counting on it," Elina said.
They spent hours compiling a digital trail. The voice recording was key. It wasn't a smoking gun on its own—but with context, it could ignite a firestorm.
By midnight, Harper leaned back, rubbing her temples.
"If we publish even part of this, it'll go viral."
Elina stared at the screen. "That's the point."
She barely slept.
By morning, her inbox was flooded.
One email stood out.
From: Aidan Ashford
Subject: Meet me. No games. You need to see it yourself.
Attached was a security badge for Blackstone Capital—executive-level access.
Harper peered over her shoulder. "It's probably a trap."
"I'm going anyway," Elina said, grabbing her coat.
---
The lobby of Blackstone Capital was a cathedral of marble and polished silence. Security waved her through without a word.
But the elevator didn't go up.
It went down.
Sub-level. Restricted access.
Dim lighting. Frosted glass. A hum of machines behind closed doors.
Elina stepped out cautiously, heels echoing.
Aidan waited at the far end of the hallway, flanked by a man in a lab coat and a woman holding a tablet.
"This way," he said.
He led her through two biometric doors and into a sterile room pulsing with quiet energy. Machines lined the walls. In the center: a chair surrounded by monitors and neural feedback loops.
"This is Nexlin's prototype," Aidan said. "The one my mother used."
Elina's breath caught.
Then the door behind them opened.
And a woman—older, graceful, but clearly disoriented—stepped in.
She blinked slowly. Looked at Elina. Then at Aidan.
"Is she the girl you like?" the woman asked with a smile.
Aidan's throat worked. "Yes, Mom."
The woman smiled. "She's very pretty. You have good taste."
Elina stood frozen.
This was the woman Aidan had fought for. Built for. Lied for.
"She remembered me yesterday," Aidan whispered, eyes bright. "Just for a moment. The tech works, Elina. It really works."
Emotion surged in her chest.
"You still betrayed me," she said, her voice tight.
"I know."
"You let them destroy me."
"I know," he repeated.
"But now… you want my help?"
"I want your partnership," he said. "You want power? It's yours. You want vengeance? I'll deliver it. Just don't shut me out."
Elina stepped closer, her voice razor-sharp.
"I don't want a seat at your table, Aidan. I want to flip the table and rebuild it."
"Then let's do it together."
They stood there—two enemies, two ex-lovers, two visionaries—staring down a future neither had planned for.
The war had begun.
And Elina Lane? She was ready to win it.