Penny's Secret Meeting

As the evening festivities continued at Mila's Hamptons estate, the air alive with laughter and champagne, Penny Townsend quietly slipped away from the crowd. The party, full of business elites and socialites, was the perfect cover for her departure. Few people noticed as she left through a side exit, her movements deliberate, heading toward the private yacht club just a few miles down the coast. This was where her real work began.

The yacht club, secluded and quiet, provided the privacy she needed. Nestled against the water, its dim lighting and serene atmosphere contrasted sharply with the tension building within Penny. She had been playing a dangerous game for months now, feeding Drake Hawthorne information about Mila's business dealings, all in hopes of securing her own future—one that no longer included living in Mila's shadow.

Tonight was another step in that plan.

Penny's nerves fluttered as she stood by the dock, waiting. When Drake arrived, he was as smooth and composed as ever, the picture of calm in his dark suit. But beneath the surface, there was something different about him—an undercurrent of frustration, likely from his earlier encounter with Mila at the estate. Penny could see it in his eyes, though he tried to hide it.

Drake approached her, his footsteps slow and deliberate, the only sound the soft lap of water against the docks. He raised an eyebrow as he reached her, his gaze steady but distracted. Penny handed him a small USB drive, her expression tense, no trace of her usual friendliness.

"This has everything you need to undercut the deal Mila's been working on," Penny said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. The significance of the moment hung in the air between them, heavy and fraught with consequence. "She doesn't suspect a thing."

Drake took the drive, slipping it into his pocket with practiced ease, but his eyes didn't leave hers. His usual air of confidence was there, but it felt different tonight—guarded, as if something was weighing on him.

"You're sure about this?" Drake asked, his voice tinged with an uncharacteristic hesitation. It wasn't that he doubted Penny's information. She had been a reliable source since their arrangement began, giving him valuable intel that had kept him ahead of Mila in this corporate war. But now, things were starting to shift. Mila was starting to get under his skin in ways he hadn't anticipated.

Penny caught the change in his tone, her eyes narrowing. She sensed the hesitation, the doubt creeping into Drake's mind—and she couldn't afford for him to second-guess himself now. She leaned forward, her voice firmer than before. "Don't let her get in your head, Drake. You're doing this to win. She's not going to stop trying to destroy you, so you have to be one step ahead."

Drake's jaw tightened, and he nodded, though something in him still felt off. He hadn't anticipated how complex his relationship with Mila would become, and now, the lines between strategy and something personal were starting to blur. He knew Penny was right—he had to stay focused. He had to win. But with every interaction he had with Mila, it was becoming harder to separate his ambition from the feelings he hadn't yet admitted to himself.

Penny, sensing that she had said enough, stepped back slightly, watching him carefully. She had bet everything on this—the alliance with Drake, her betrayal of Mila—and she couldn't afford for Drake to falter now.

"You know what's at stake here," she reminded him, her voice softer but insistent. "Mila's not going to stop until she has everything. You need to stay focused."

Drake didn't respond immediately, his eyes shifting briefly toward the water. After a moment, he turned back to Penny, his expression hardening. "I won't let her win."

He spoke with finality, though the hesitation lingered beneath the surface. With a curt nod, Drake turned and began to walk away, leaving Penny standing on the dock, her heart still racing from the intensity of their exchange. She knew Drake was at a crossroads—she just hoped he'd make the right choice.

Across the dock, hidden in the shadows, Harry Knight watched the scene unfold with narrowed eyes. He hadn't planned on following Drake, but something about his behavior at the estate had felt off. Now, watching Penny hand over the USB drive, Harry's suspicions deepened.

Harry had known Drake for years—he was his closest confidant, his right hand—and he could always tell when something was wrong. And tonight, something was definitely wrong. This wasn't just about the merger anymore. There was more at play, something personal that Drake hadn't acknowledged yet, even to himself.

As Drake walked past him, Harry stepped out of the shadows, his presence startling Drake for the first time in a long while.

"You're getting in deep, Drake," Harry said quietly, his voice laced with concern. "This isn't like you."

Drake's jaw clenched, but he didn't slow his pace. "It's business, Harry."

Harry fell into step beside him, his eyes studying Drake carefully. "It's starting to feel like more than that."

Drake stopped, turning to face Harry, his frustration barely contained. "What are you getting at?"

"I've known you long enough to see when you're not thinking straight," Harry said bluntly. "You can't let this thing with Mila cloud your judgment. You've always been able to keep your emotions out of business. Don't lose that now."

Drake's eyes flashed with irritation, but there was a flicker of something else—doubt, uncertainty. He knew Harry was right, but admitting it would mean confronting the feelings he wasn't ready to acknowledge. And that was something he couldn't afford, not when the stakes were this high.

"I'm fine," Drake said sharply, turning away and heading back toward the parking lot. "This is business, and I'm going to win."

Harry watched him go, his concern deepening. Drake was many things, but reckless wasn't one of them. And yet, Harry could see the storm brewing inside his friend, a storm that would soon be impossible to ignore.