THE NEW ENEMY

Chapter 6: The New Enemy

The storm had passed—or so it seemed.

Vanessa had disappeared from the public eye, her influence shattered, her network exposed. Adrian's name was cleared, Blackwood Enterprises had weathered the scandal, and Sophie had proven herself as more than just the woman he had accidentally married.

But peace was fragile.

And Sophie knew it.

As she stood in the dimly lit living room of Adrian's penthouse, staring out at the glittering skyline, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.

"You're thinking too hard."

Adrian's deep voice rumbled from behind her, sending a familiar warmth through her. He walked up beside her, hands casually tucked into his pockets.

Sophie turned, meeting his golden gaze. "I just… I don't trust that Vanessa is truly gone. She's too dangerous to just disappear."

Adrian's expression darkened. "I don't trust it either. But for now, we've cut off her power. She has no leverage left."

Sophie wanted to believe that.

But the unease in her chest wouldn't go away.

Adrian must have sensed it because he reached out, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "We'll be prepared for whatever comes next."

His touch lingered for a moment too long.

His fingers trailed down, brushing against her jaw.

Sophie's breath caught.

It had started as an act—a marriage of convenience, a contract, a means to an end.

But now, standing this close, she wasn't sure where the act ended and the truth began.

Adrian took a step closer, his voice low. "Sophie…"

And just when she thought he was about to kiss her—

His phone rang.

The moment shattered.

Adrian cursed under his breath before answering. "What?"

Sophie watched as his expression shifted, his posture stiffening.

Something was wrong.

When he hung up, his face was unreadable.

"What is it?" she asked, bracing herself.

Adrian exhaled slowly, his golden eyes flashing with something dangerous.

"That was Lucas," he said. "Vanessa's been spotted."

Sophie's stomach twisted. "Where?"

Adrian's jaw clenched.

"She's in the city," he said. "And she's not alone."

---

They arrived at the meeting place—an exclusive underground club where the elite gathered to whisper secrets and forge alliances in the shadows.

Lucas was waiting for them at the VIP entrance, his sharp gaze scanning the crowd. "You're not going to like this," he muttered as he led them inside.

The club was dark, the air thick with the scent of expensive liquor and power plays. Music thrummed in the background, but it was the figures in the corner booth that caught Sophie's attention.

Vanessa sat there, smiling.

And beside her…

A man Sophie had never seen before.

Tall. Cold. Dangerous.

Adrian stiffened beside her. His grip on Sophie's hand tightened—a silent warning.

Lucas leaned in, whispering, "That's Damien Cade. One of the most ruthless corporate players in the world. If Vanessa's working with him… this isn't over."

Sophie's blood ran cold.

Vanessa looked up, locking eyes with them.

And then—she smirked.

A new game had begun.

---

Sophie's pulse pounded as Vanessa's smirk sent a chill down her spine. The woman had lost everything, yet she sat there as if she still held all the cards. And now, she had Damien Cade—a name even Sophie had heard whispered in corporate circles.

Adrian exhaled slowly, his golden eyes cold as he locked gazes with Damien. "I didn't expect you to crawl out of the shadows for something as petty as this."

Damien chuckled—a low, smooth sound that held no warmth. He leaned back in his seat, his sharp suit tailored to perfection, his dark eyes unreadable. "Petty? Come now, Adrian. Vanessa simply needed a better business partner. One who knows how to finish what she started."

Sophie clenched her fists. "You mean blackmail and sabotage?"

Vanessa gave her a mocking glance. "Oh, sweetheart. You really are adorable when you try to play in the big leagues."

Adrian's grip on Sophie's waist tightened, holding her close—protecting her, but also warning her to stay calm.

Damien swirled the whiskey in his glass, his gaze never leaving Adrian's. "I don't play games unless the stakes are worth it. And right now? You and your empire have become very interesting to me."

Adrian's voice dropped into a dangerous growl. "If you're looking for a fight, Damien, you should know by now—I don't lose."

Damien smirked. "We'll see."

Then, he placed a black envelope on the table and slid it toward them. "A gift. Consider it… a warning."

Adrian took it but didn't open it right away.

Vanessa stood, adjusting her dress as she leaned in just close enough to whisper, "You should have destroyed me when you had the chance, Adrian. Because now? I'm coming back for everything."

Then, with Damien at her side, she walked away—leaving behind the suffocating scent of danger.

---

Back at the penthouse, Adrian tossed the black envelope onto his desk like it was a bomb. Sophie crossed her arms, staring at it like it might explode.

Lucas, who had followed them back, leaned against the desk. "You gonna open it, or are we just gonna stare at it?"

Adrian sighed and finally picked it up, tearing it open. Inside was a single photograph.

The moment Adrian saw it, his entire body went rigid.

Sophie stepped closer, her stomach twisting at the image.

It was a picture of a woman.

She was beautiful, with dark, wavy hair and piercing green eyes. But what caught Sophie's attention wasn't the woman herself—it was the way Adrian was looking at her.

Like she had once meant everything to him.

Sophie swallowed. "Who is she?"

Adrian's jaw clenched. For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then, finally, he murmured the name like a ghost from his past.

"Evelyn."

Sophie had never heard that name before. But something in Adrian's voice told her that this woman was important.

And that Vanessa and Damien had just unearthed a secret Adrian never wanted revealed.

---

Sophie felt the air shift. The moment Adrian uttered that name—Evelyn—something inside him hardened.

She had seen him furious, ruthless, cold.

But this was different.

This was pain.

"Who is she?" Sophie asked again, softer this time.

Adrian turned away, running a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter."

Lucas, still leaning against the desk, scoffed. "It matters if Damien and Vanessa are using her against you."

Adrian stayed silent.

Sophie took a step closer. "Adrian…"

Finally, after what felt like forever, he exhaled and turned back to her. His golden eyes were unreadable.

"She was my fiancée."

Sophie's heart stopped.

Adrian's fiancée? He had been engaged before?

She swallowed. "What happened?"

Adrian's gaze darkened. "She died."

Sophie felt a cold wave rush through her.

She had expected a scandal, maybe a broken engagement. But this?

Lucas stiffened. "That's impossible."

Adrian met his gaze. "Is it?"

Lucas snatched the photograph from the desk, staring at it like it might rewrite reality. "Adrian… if Evelyn is dead, then why was this picture taken three days ago?"

Silence crashed into the room like a storm.

Sophie felt lightheaded. "What?"

Adrian's fingers curled into fists as he snatched the photograph back. He stared at it, his jaw clenched so tight it looked painful.

"I buried her," he said, his voice dangerously low. "I watched them lower her into the ground."

Lucas ran a hand over his face. "Then someone is playing one hell of a mind game."

Sophie's pulse pounded.

Vanessa and Damien hadn't just dug up Adrian's past.

They had brought it back to life.

---

Adrian didn't sleep that night.

Neither did Sophie.

She found him hours later, standing on the penthouse balcony, a glass of whiskey in his hand, his gaze lost in the city skyline.

For the first time, he didn't seem like the powerful, untouchable CEO.

He just looked… haunted.

Sophie hesitated before stepping up beside him. "Adrian… I need to know the truth."

He didn't look at her. "What truth?"

"About Evelyn."

A muscle in his jaw ticked. "She was my first love. We met when I was young, long before I built Blackwood Enterprises into what it is today. She was… everything."

Sophie's chest ached at the raw emotion in his voice.

"Then one day," Adrian continued, his voice hollow, "she was gone. A car accident. At least, that's what they told me."

Sophie felt a shiver crawl down her spine. "What do you mean?"

Adrian finally looked at her, his golden eyes burning. "I mean, I never saw the body. They told me she was dead, held a funeral, but something always felt… wrong."

Sophie's breath hitched. "Adrian… what if she's alive?"

He didn't answer.

Because deep down, he was terrified of the possibility.

---

By morning, Adrian had made a decision.

If Evelyn was truly alive—if Damien and Vanessa were using her—then there was only one person who could tell him the truth.

An hour later, Sophie found herself stepping into a dark, cold office inside a private prison.

A man sat behind the glass. Older. Ruthless. Dangerous.

Sophie had never met him, but she knew exactly who he was.

Richard Blackwood.

Adrian's father.

The man who had once tried to destroy his own son.

Adrian's voice was calm, but Sophie could feel the tension radiating from him. "Tell me the truth about Evelyn."

Richard smirked. "Ah. So you finally started asking the right questions."

Adrian's hands curled into fists. "She's alive, isn't she?"

Richard leaned forward, his cold blue eyes filled with amusement.

And then, he said the words that changed everything.

"Of course she is."

---

What's Next?

What really happened to Evelyn?

Did Richard fake her death, and why?

Can Sophie handle the truth about Adrian's past love?