Nova_Everly

Emma Carter has spent years building her consulting empire, proving she doesn’t need anyone—especially arrogant, entitled men like Alex Kingston. Smart, ruthless, and fiercely independent, she’s always played to win.

Alex Kingston is a business shark—rich, charming, and impossible to outmaneuver. He thrives on competition and never backs down from a challenge. So when a billion-dollar deal forces them to work together, their rivalry ignites into an all-out war.

But as the battle intensifies, so does the undeniable attraction simmering beneath their fights. Enemies turn to reluctant allies, then something more dangerous—something neither of them is ready to face.

In a city where power is everything, will they fight for dominance… or surrender to a love that could ruin them both?

Against the Odds: A Love Rewritten

Emma spent the rest of the morning trying to ignore the note. She had shoved it in the back of a drawer, but the words still echoed in her mind, taunting her. Inevitable.

Alex Kingston was playing a dangerous game, one that she had no intention of losing.

She forced herself to focus, diving into work with a ferocity that left her assistant slightly terrified. By noon, she had reviewed three case files, sent out four emails, and turned down two coffee breaks—all in an attempt to push last night out of her head.

He was standing in the hallway, talking to one of her firm's senior partners like he belonged there. Like he hadn't walked out of her apartment last night after kissing her senseless.

Emma's pulse spiked, but she schooled her expression into one of cold indifference. She refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten under her skin.

Alex turned, and the moment his eyes met hers, that damn smirk appeared.

She hated how effortlessly he got to her.

Straightening her spine, she walked past him without a second glance. But just as she reached her office, his voice stopped her.

She turned slowly, tilting her head. "Some of us actually have work to do, Kingston."

He took a step closer, hands in his pockets, looking every bit like the arrogant bastard she knew him to be. "You seem a little tense this morning. Something on your mind?"

Emma gave him a tight smile. "Not really. You?"

His smirk deepened, but before he could respond, her boss, Mr. Anderson, appeared in the hallway.

She nodded, following him into his office, but not before catching the knowing gleam in Alex's eyes.

And yet, as much as she wanted to ignore it, last night had changed something.

The tension between them had always been sharp, dangerous. But now?

Now, it was something else entirely.

Something neither of them could walk away from.

And Emma wasn't sure who would break first.

Chapter 36 – The Thin Line Between Hate and Desire