By morning, Sarah's anger burned hotter than her fear.
Her phone wouldn't stop buzzing.
Messages. Calls. Notifications.
Every headline screamed the same thing:
> Dominic Windsor and Vanessa Hale – Power Couple Take Over Windsor Corp
"Love wins after heartbreak," Dominic tells reporters.
Her stomach twisted.
He was smiling in every photo.
Vanessa wore her late mother's sapphire necklace — the one Sarah was meant to inherit.
It wasn't just betrayal anymore.
It was mockery.
The city might have pitied her once. Now, it just laughed.
She stared at her reflection — hair perfectly styled, eyes rimmed red, expression hollow.
"You wanted a show, Dominic," she whispered. "Let's give them one."
---
By evening, she made her choice.
No hesitation. No second thoughts.
Dante's last message had been clear: Meet me tomorrow. 11 p.m.
But she couldn't wait.
Her driverless car pulled up to her apartment curb, sleek and black — his signature.
As if he'd known she'd call.
She hesitated for only a second before opening the door.
Inside, he sat like a shadow come alive.
Black shirt. Black eyes.
Calm. Dangerous. Too composed to be real.
"You're early," Dante said softly.
"You didn't think I'd come?"
"I thought you'd come angry."
"I am," she said. "That's why I'm here."
He studied her — slow, deliberate. "Anger is good. It sharpens the edges."
Sarah crossed her arms. "I'm not here to be sharpened. I'm here to make them pay."
"And you think I'm your weapon?"
Her jaw tightened. "You said you could ruin him."
"I can."
He leaned closer, his voice a low promise. "But it won't be clean."
"I don't care."
"You should."
Their eyes locked — challenge meeting control.
The car began to move, silent through the rain-slick streets.
City lights bled across the tinted windows like streaks of fire.
"Tell me what you want," Dante said.
"I told you. Revenge."
"No," he said. "That's the surface. What do you really want, Sarah?"
She turned toward him. "To see him suffer."
He smirked. "That's better."
He reached into his coat, handed her a small envelope. "Inside is the first step. A number, a name, a bank. One call can ruin his next deal."
Her fingers trembled as she held it. "Why give me this?"
"Because power feels better when you use it yourself."
She hesitated. "And you just help out of generosity?"
He smiled — a slow, sinful curve. "Generosity has nothing to do with it. I enjoy watching you transform."
"Into what?"
"Into someone who doesn't beg anymore."
His words hit deeper than they should have.
The car stopped at a red light.
Outside, the city glowed — alive, merciless.
Sarah looked down at the envelope, then back at him. "What happens after this?"
"That depends."
"On what?"
"On whether you're strong enough to see it through."
She met his gaze — steady, unflinching.
"I am."
He chuckled softly. "You sound sure."
"I am sure."
He tilted his head, eyes glinting with something darker. "Then prove it."
Silence stretched between them.
The kind that hums with something electric.
Finally, she whispered, "One night."
He raised a brow. "What?"
"One night," she repeated, voice firm. "You said I'd have to give you something in return. You get one night."
The corner of his mouth curved — slow, dangerous. "One night with me?"
Her pulse fluttered, but she nodded. "After you ruin him. That's my price."
Dante's smirk deepened, eyes darkening with something unreadable — hunger, maybe. Amusement.
He leaned close enough for her to feel his breath.
"You won't survive one hour."
The words weren't cruel.
They were a warning.
A promise.
The car rolled to a stop in front of a hidden iron gate.
Beyond it, shadows moved — guards, security, walls of stone.
"Where are we?" she asked softly.
"My world," he said. "You wanted to play, remember?"
The gate opened with a deep metallic groan.
The car drove in, swallowed by darkness.
For the first time, Sarah felt a flicker of fear.
Not of him — but of herself.
Because she wasn't sure if she wanted to win this game…
or lose it completely.
---
The car stopped inside a massive underground garage.
Dante opened the door for her, eyes never leaving hers.
"Welcome to the lion's den," he murmured. "Let's see if you can still roar."