Chapter 2-A Fateful Chance

*Aryanna*

Instantly, time collapsed. Every moment of pain, betrayal, and fury came rushing back, sharper than I could have imagined. Another man entered in tow, but my eyes were locked on Darren. His eyes darted to mine indifferently with his expression carved from stone before his gaze set on Mr. Brown. Darren didn’t even bother with the civil or polite pleasantries of greeting or even taking a seat.

“The collaboration between Miller Corporation and Blackwell & Reeve has reached its conclusion,” Darren said, his voice cutting but unyielding, carrying no room for negotiation, only finality.

Mr. Brown’s smile faltered, replaced by a tightly controlled expression of disbelief. “Mr. Miller,” he began, his tone laced with a careful mix of deference and urgency, “surely we can reconsider. Our partnership has been nothing short of mutually beneficial. Together, we’ve achieved–”

Darren raised a hand, silencing him with a gesture so composed it bordered on dismissive. “What we’ve achieved is no longer relevant to Miller Corporation’s future. My decision is final.”

“Nathan,” Darren said implicitly as he cast a brief glance toward the man behind him before turning on his heel and striding out of the office, leaving an icy void in his wake. And just like that, he was gone. He vanished like smoke in the wind.

My eyes snapped toward the other man.

“My name is Nathan, Mr. Miller’s personal aide,” he continued, “As stated, Mr. Miller has opted to terminate the collaboration with your firm. He has decided to pursue other avenues and is exploring new partnerships for legal representation.”

Mr. Brown released a defeated breath, his shoulders deflating as he dropped against the seat. He shook his head in disbelief, lifting his hands before slamming them down hard on the arms of the chair.

“I can’t believe–” he cut himself off and made a verbal retreat, calculating his words. “With all due respect, that decision is ill-advised. We’ve enjoyed a successful collaboration for over three years, with consistently positive outcomes. There’s no reason for Miller Corporation to seek a change in partnership.”

Nathan flipped up a hand innocently. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.”

My heart collapsed under the heaviness in my chest. Everything was centered around this job because of the law firm's partnership with Miller Corporation. And now, one decision had dashed all my efforts and brought them to naught. Mr. Brown rolled his chair closer to the table. He dropped his elbows on the surface with a hard thud.

“What if you speak to him?” Mr. Brown proposed, his eyes darting back to stare at Nathan. “You know him as well as anyone. You could endeavor to persuade him to reevaluate his position prior to causing a comprehensive cessation of activity.”

Nathan hesitated. “I would be out of bounds to tell the CEO what he should and should not consider.”

Mr. Brown had no grounds to fight it, and I had no brass to voice my opinion. It was my first day, so I couldn’t exactly dictate things or question the decisions of my perceived superiors. From the very beginning, I knew I wouldn’t be working with Darren Miller—but I never imagined that, from day one, I’d be denied the chance altogether.

Nathan stepped aside from the door in a way that closed the subject. “I’ll walk you out.”

I glanced back at Mr. Brown. He nodded, and we both rose. I waited for him to walk out first and followed. In the hallway, I hurried to catch up until I was at his side again with Nathan in tow at a respectful distance. I sneaked a glance back before dropping my voice to a whisper.

“So that’s it? We’re done?”

“There’s nothing else to do,” he whispered back, his eyes set in front of him. “What Miller says goes.”

My legs nearly gave out as I walked, but I held steady. At least, I tried to. I didn't want to have a mental breakdown in front of my new boss on the first day.

Mr. Brown let out a deep breath. “You should take the rest of the evening off. Settle your affairs so that you can hit the ground running tomorrow. Do you have a way back home?”

I waved my hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about me, sir. I still have to retrieve my luggage from the office.”

His eyebrows pulled together in concern, his eyes meeting mine.

A slight smile lit my lips. “I came straight from the airport.”

He nodded with a look of understanding and then smiled, clearly impressed. “I admire your commitment to punctuality. That level of discipline is what will keep you several steps ahead.”

He had no idea.

***

The snow lodge loomed ahead, its wooden beams dusted with fresh snow, standing quietly against the blanket of white that stretched endlessly in every direction. As I approached with my luggage, shivering from the biting cold. I fished for the keys. Once inserted, the lock groaned softly under the pressure but still resisted.

Before I could give it another try, a sound cut through the stillness—a sharp, sudden thud from inside the lodge as if something heavy had been knocked over. My heart leaped, adrenaline spiking into a slush as I froze. The wind howled behind me, but that noise, that eerie sound from within, echoed louder in my ears. It wasn’t the creak of wood settling under my weight or the shifting of the wind. It was distinct and deliberate like the presence of someone already inside.

My mind screamed, but no sound came out of my mouth.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and I stumbled back, my soul nearly jumping out of my body. Shelley stood in the threshold with a growing grin before she let out an excited squeal. She threw herself at me, and I caught her with both arms, squeezing her tightly.

No one knew I was coming except for her, my best friend.

“I can’t believe it,” she chirped as a goofy grin spread across her face.

I patted her back with a laugh before peeling her off me. “Okay, okay, can we go inside? It’s like negative fifty out here.”

She released me and helped me with my luggage. I entered, wiping my feet on the welcome mat, my eyes sweeping over the interior. A wave of warmth enveloped me in a cozy embrace.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Shelley began, closing the door behind them. “ I took it upon myself to clean things up a bit.”

I nudged her playfully. “A bit? This place looks amazing. Thank you.”

She shrugged casually. “I knew you would be here for a while, and I just wanted you to be happy and come home to a clean place.”

“Coming home and seeing you is privilege enough.”

She pouted adorably and outstretched her arms for another hug. Fluttering her fingers, I leaned in for another brief hug, swaying from side to side.

“You know you would be able to see more of this face if you just allowed me to live with you.” She chuckled, smiling mischievously.

“We talked about that,” I replied flatly.

This time, she was the first to pull away. She led me to the lounge. Low, plush sofas in muted earth tones circled the fireplace, their thick, knitted throws inviting. Shelley seated herself across from me as I collapsed on the loveseat, soaking in the heat radiating from the fire.

“You know, I thought that maybe once we were reunited… you would change your mind about being roomies, hopefully.”

I hated rejecting her like that, but it was for her safety. She was the only one who knew about my return, which would herald my revenge. Since she was definitely not a threat, that knowledge made her a target. And I’d be damned if she got hurt because of me. I couldn’t and wouldn’t ever let that happen.

I shook my head, stiff and uncompromising. “It’s too dangerous, Shel.”

“You know I’ve got your back no matter what, right?”

I nodded vigorously. “That’s the problem,” I said, giving her an affectionate smile. “If I committed a murder, you’d be my alibi if I asked.”

She chuckled. “I’d probably be the one helping you bury the body.”

We shared a look before bursting into a laughing fit that faded into a somber silence.

“Look. I don’t want you getting implicated for things I’m still going to do. I know you want to help me with all this, but this is how you’re helping. Just being here for me is helping.”

Shelley nodded, a thought kindling a light in her eyes. “Serious talk aside. How was your first day?”

I slumped back into my seat.

“That bad, huh?”

I glanced back at her, letting out a dejected sigh. “No, bad would be having a bad hair day. What happened threw a wrench into the works.”

I looked back at Shelley. She was staring at me strangely as if she was examining something on my face.

“What?” I snapped.

“I’m just admiring the doc’s work,” she said with an impressed nod. “I mean, the symmetry of your face and that cute button nose—don’t get me wrong, your nose before was beautiful too.”

“Shel, focus, please.”

She raised an apologetic hand and gestured for me to continue. “You were saying about the bad hair day?”

I shook my head, a half-smile curling my lips. “I met the partner of the firm, Mr. Brown, and everything went well. So basically, long story short, we had a meeting set with the Miller Corporation. Mr. Brown revealed that they had a partnership with Darren Miller’s company, so I would be working closely with him.”

Shelley’s eyes flared. She was locked in now.

“Can you believe it? On my first day, I was set to meet the CEO himself.”

“Oh my gosh—you got to see Darren?”

“In the flesh.”

“Shut. Up.”

“Oh, you’ll want to save that line for the next part. Get this—he told us that he was terminating his partnership with the firm.” I shook my head in disbelief. “Mr. Brown tried to get a word in, but it was hopeless. I didn’t even get the chance to talk to Darren, and now I never will.”

Shelley let out a weighty breath. “But what was that like? Seeing him after all these years and him having no clue that it’s—you.”

“It was like… two worlds colliding—the past and the present—and I felt more anguished than angry. It’s insane… the power he still has over me. I hate him even more for that.”

“So the collaboration is definitely over?”

“It sucks,” I said plainly. “All that work and prep for nothing.”

Then, an epiphany struck her, giving me a meaningful look. “What if it doesn’t have to be for nothing?”

I looked back at her curiously. “That sounds mysterious… and tempting. What do you mean by that?”

“You know the place I’ve been working at?”

“That swanky hotel. Yeah, and?”

“Guess which corporation is hosting a banquet at said swanky hotel?”

I sat up immediately. “No way.”

“Yes, way.” A triumphant smile spread across her face. “The Miller Corporation organizes an annual business banquet where I work—a week from now, I think. Maybe you could find a chance to meet Darren there. If your boss couldn’t convince him to reconsider terminating, perhaps you can.”