Enter Selena

Ethan barely had a moment to breathe between calls with Lisa and rehearsals for the pitch to Victor Lang. Every hour counted, every decision felt like standing at a crossroads. But amidst the storm, an unexpected name floated back into his world—

Selena Ardent.

She wasn't just another power player. She was a storm wrapped in silk—a ruthless negotiator with a mind sharp enough to slice through steel and the heiress to Ardent Capital, one of the most cutthroat venture firms in the country.

But for Ethan, she was more than her reputation.

They had history—the kind that never fully fades. In college, they had been rivals first, constantly clashing in debate halls and late-night discussions, arguing about what it meant to build power.

Ethan believed in starting from the dirt, building brick by brick until no one could tear you down. Selena believed in inheriting the throne, then reshaping it to her will.

That fundamental difference had driven them apart. But it hadn't stopped the gravity between them.

Now, after years apart, their paths were colliding again.

That evening, Ethan's phone buzzed with a text message—no name, just six words:

"We need to talk. 9 PM."

Coffee House on Fifth.

There was no signature, but Ethan didn't need one. Selena's style had always been direct—almost daring.

Despite every instinct telling him to focus on Victor Lang, Ethan went. Some forces you don't ignore.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw her. Selena Ardent had a way of owning space without trying. Tailored blazer, sleek heels, hair swept back with surgical precision. She looked exactly like the future her family expected her to inherit—except there was always something wilder beneath her polish.

Her eyes flicked up, locking onto his. She smiled faintly. "You still take too long to decide."

Ethan slid into the chair across from her. "Still telling people how they think?"

"Only when I'm right," she said, sipping her coffee. "So, Ethan… You turned Meditech down. Bold move."

He shrugged. "Word travels fast."

"Faster when I'm the one pulling the strings."

There it was—the unmistakable Selena arrogance, but laced with just enough truth to sting.

"Meditech isn't your real enemy," she continued. "The whole industry is. You can't win this war alone—not against established giants with deeper pockets and dirtier tricks than you can imagine."

Ethan leaned back, studying her. "And you're offering to help?"

Selena stirred her coffee slowly, her expression smooth as glass. "I'm offering you something better—a deal. Ardent Capital can open doors for you. Investors who'll write checks without asking too many questions. Hospital execs who'll answer your calls instead of sending you to voicemail."

"And in return?" Ethan asked, though he already knew.

"A stake in your company," she said smoothly. "And a seat at the table."

The words hung between them like smoke—thin, dangerous, impossible to ignore.

Ethan's jaw tightened. "If I let you in, you won't just sit quietly. You'll steer. Reshape. Control."

Her smile didn't waver. "That depends, Ethan. Can you convince me that your way works better than mine?"

There it was—the real game. This wasn't just business. This was a challenge wrapped in personal history, ambition, and the unresolved tension they'd never fully confronted.

"You still don't trust me," she said, eyes narrowing slightly.

"I trust you to always do what's best for Selena Ardent," Ethan said. "The question is whether, this time, that happens to align with what I'm building."

Selena leaned forward, elbows on the table, her smile softer now—but no less dangerous. "Then show me, Ethan. Prove that your idealism can survive the real world."

Ethan stood, heart hammering harder than he wanted to admit. "You want proof? Fine. But if you're coming to my table, you play by my rules. No shortcuts. No backroom deals."

Selena's smile sharpened. "We'll see."

Ethan walked out into the cold night air, a storm now at his back.

Because with Selena in the picture, nothing would be simple anymore.