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 day drowning in case files, but no amount of legal jargon could erase the memory of Alex's words in the elevator.

The tension between them had been building for months, an unspoken challenge neither of them had been willing to acknowledge. But now, after last night, after the way he looked at her, she knew they were playing a dangerous game—one that neither of them could afford to lose.

Her phone buzzed against her desk.

Her fingers hesitated over the screen.

She should ignore it. She should remind him they were opponents, not whatever the hell this was turning into.

Instead, she found herself typing.

Emma Carter: I don't have time for your games, Kingston.

The response came almost instantly.

Alex Kingston: Who said anything about games?

Emma exhaled sharply, setting her phone face-down on the desk as if that would somehow stop her pulse from racing.

Damn the way he made her want to throw logic out the window.

By the time she left the office, the city had dipped into twilight, streetlights flickering to life as she made her way to the parking garage.

She had barely reached her car when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

Emma turned sharply, already knowing who she'd see.

Alex leaned against his sleek black car, arms crossed, that infuriating smirk playing at his lips.

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you stalking me now?"

He pushed off the car, closing the distance between them in slow, measured steps.

"If I was stalking you, I wouldn't be so obvious." His gaze flicked over her, dark and unreadable. "But I prefer to think of this as... persistence."

Emma scoffed. "You call ambushing me in a parking garage persistence?"

Alex tilted his head, studying her. "I call it making sure you don't run."

Like he knew exactly what she was doing.

Like he knew that no matter how many times she told herself to stay away, she was one push away from giving in.

She clenched her jaw. "I'm not running from anything."

Alex stepped closer, the space between them vanishing. "Aren't you?"

Emma swallowed, hating the way her body betrayed her, drawn to him despite every warning blaring in her head.

He reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers barely grazing her skin. "Have dinner with me."

She should say no. She needed to say no.

Instead, her lips parted—and to her absolute horror, the word that slipped out was—

Alex's smirk deepened, and just like that, she knew—

She had just made a mistake she would never be able to take back.

Chapter 40 – The Game Changes