Chapter 44 – The First Real Test

Leonidas Costa had built an empire on control.

Every decision, every move, every acquisition—precise, calculated, and absolute.

Yet, as he sat in his home office in Kosta Mansion, a steaming espresso untouched on the desk beside him, he realized there was one thing he could not control.

Her.

Anastasia Vasquez.

She had walked into his world timid, unsure, fragile in ways that had infuriated him.

Now, she stood beside him at galas, stared down the world's judgment, and fought the insecurities that had once consumed her.

He should have been pleased.

Instead, something dark and unrelenting settled in his chest.

Because no matter how much stronger she became—she was still vulnerable.

And last night, the world had seen her. Not as just his wife—but as his weakness.

The night of the Winter Charity Gala had changed everything.

She had walked in on Leonidas' arm, head high, her posture steady despite the suffocating whispers around her.

Now?

Now, the entire corporate world was talking about her.

Headlines flooded social media:

"Leonidas Costa's Obsession: Who is Anastasia Vasquez?"

"The CEO's Achilles Heel—A Former Nobody?"

"From Forgotten Heiress to Billionaire's Wife—But Can She Keep Up?"

Anastasia stared at the articles on her phone, her fingers gripping the device a little too tightly.

It shouldn't matter.

She had prepared for this, expected it.

But still, the words dug deep, pressing against wounds that had never fully healed.

She wasn't enough—that was what they were saying.

And worse?

What if they were right?

Later that morning, Anastasia walked into Kosta Enterprises, where she had been gradually trying to find her footing.

The whispers started before she even reached the elevators.

"She doesn't belong in this world."

"You think he'll keep her around for long?"

"A Vasquez? Please, she was just some forgotten heiress before him."

She forced herself to keep walking, her grip tightening around the portfolio of charity projects she had been working on.

She wasn't just Leonidas' wife.

She wanted to prove that.

Needed to prove that.

But as she stepped into the boardroom, greeted with half-hearted nods from the executives, she realized something.

They weren't going to take her seriously.

Not unless she forced them to.

At exactly 2:37 PM, a black envelope was delivered to Kosta Mansion.

The butler, who handled everything with precision, hesitated for the first time in years before placing it on Leonidas' desk.

"No return address, sir. It was delivered by hand."

Leonidas already knew what it was.

The weight of the paper was familiar.

The handwriting—too elegant for a man who had made his fortune through sabotage and deception.

He unfolded the letter, his fingers steady, his pulse slow but lethal.

'You may think you can protect her from the world, but can you protect her from the truth?'

She is not as devoted to you as you believe, Leonidas.

She will leave you. They always do.

—V

His jaw clenched.

Victor Ralston.

A name that had been erased five years ago.

A man who should have never dared to crawl back into his world.

And now?

Now, he was after Anastasia.

Five years ago, Victor Ralston had been a billionaire in his own right.

A brilliant but ruthless player in the tech industry, rivaling Costa Enterprises in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and finance.

Until Leonidas had taken him down.

Victor had tried a hostile takeover of Kosta Enterprises.

Leonidas exposed his illegal dealings, crushing his empire overnight.

The Ralston Group collapsed, and Victor vanished—exiled, humiliated, ruined.

Leonidas had thought it was over.

Now, Victor was back.

And he wasn't after Costa Enterprises.

He was after Anastasia.

When Anastasia returned home that evening, Leonidas was waiting.

She felt it before she even saw him—the tension in the air, the way the staff moved more carefully, the charged energy filling the massive estate.

She stepped into his study, and the air shifted.

Leonidas was standing behind his desk, his back to her, hands braced on the polished wood.

He turned slowly, and the moment their eyes met, her breath caught.

His expression was unreadable.

Dark. Controlled. Dangerous.

"Leonidas?" she asked softly.

He didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he took slow, deliberate steps toward her.

Then, without warning, he reached into his pocket and handed her the letter.

Her heart pounded as she unfolded it.

Her lips parted in confusion, then alarm.

"Who is V?" she whispered.

His response was quiet. Absolute.

"Victor Ralston."

She blinked. "And why is he sending you this?"

Leonidas' jaw flexed.

"Because he wants to take you from me."

Anastasia stared at him, shock settling in.

"That's ridiculous. Why would—"

Leonidas moved.

One step.

Then another.

Until he was right in front of her, his presence towering, consuming.

"You don't understand," he said, his voice rough, as if something uncontrollable was trying to break free.

"I took everything from him."

His hand came up to her face, fingers brushing her jaw—but his grip wasn't gentle.

It wasn't rough, but it was firm. Desperate.

"He doesn't want to destroy me, Anastasia."

His thumb traced the corner of her lips, his gaze burning into hers.

"He wants to make me suffer."

Her pulse skipped.

Leonidas exhaled, the breath warm against her cheek.

"If he can't ruin me financially…" His fingers tightened on her chin, just slightly.

"…then he will take the only thing that matters."

She froze.

The realization hit her all at once.

She wasn't just Leonidas' wife.

She was his obsession.

And if Victor Ralston had any chance of breaking him…

She was the perfect target.