Mia woke up in Lucas's bed, the sheets tangled around her bare legs. His scent lingered on her skin, a reminder of the night they had spent defying Victor. But there was no time to get lost in the heat of his touch it was time to make her next move.
Slipping out of bed, she found her phone and opened the encrypted files she had pulled from Victor's private servers. Offshore accounts, bribes to city officials, blackmail everything that held his empire together was laid out in front of her. If these files went public, Victor wouldn't just lose control of her he'd lose everything.
A low, husky voice broke the silence. "Already scheming?" Lucas leaned against the doorframe, shirtless, his body still marked by their wild encounter.
"I'm not stopping until he's ruined," she said, her voice firm. "He crossed the line."
Lucas smirked, his eyes dark with approval. "Good girl. Let's tear him apart."
Mia's fingers flew across the keyboard. She sent the first batch of files to an anonymous journalist a woman known for exposing high-profile corruption. Within minutes, her phone buzzed with a reply:
"This is explosive. I'll make sure the world sees it."
By noon, the internet was on fire. Headlines screamed of Victor's illegal dealings shady contracts, coercion, and hidden accounts. His reputation, once untouchable, was crumbling.
Mia leaned back in her chair, satisfaction curling through her veins. But the victory was short-lived.
Her phone rang Victor.
"You think you've won?" His voice was low, deadly calm. "You've made a mistake, Mia."
"I'm not afraid of you," she shot back.
He chuckled darkly. "You should be. You belong to me and if I can't have you, no one will."
A chill crept down her spine, but anger burned hotter. "You lost your grip on me the moment I realized I didn't need you."
The line went dead, but the threat hung heavy in the air.
That night, Mia met Lucas in an upscale lounge a place where the city's elite gathered to drink, fuck, and make deals in the shadows. She wore a sleek black dress that clung to every curve, daring anyone including Victor to challenge her freedom.
Lucas's gaze devoured her as she slid into the private booth. "Damn," he murmured, pulling her onto his lap. His hands skimmed the hem of her dress, teasing the soft skin beneath. "You're playing with fire, babe."
"I'm done playing," she whispered, tilting her head to meet his mouth.
His lips crashed against hers, fierce and demanding. Under the dim lights, his hands explored her body unapologetically possessive. The rest of the world faded away as their bodies tangled again, raw and reckless, right there in the shadowed corner where anyone could see.
When his fingers slipped beneath her dress, Mia gasped, clinging to him as pleasure surged through her veins. "Let them watch," he growled against her ear. "Let Victor see what he lost."
Her heart pounded as they crossed every line, claiming each other in ways that couldn't be undone. And with every touch, Mia knew she wasn't running anymore.
Victor wanted to break her.
But now?
She was going to break him first.