The Counter Attack

Evangeline strode out of the gala, her heels clicking against the marble floors with purpose. She didn't bother looking back—she wouldn't give Killian the satisfaction of seeing her rattled.

He wanted a war? Fine. She'd give him one.

By the time she slid into the backseat of her car, her mind was already spinning with strategies. The article was meant to weaken her, to make the world question her legitimacy before she could even make her first move.

But she wasn't the same woman he had broken before.

She pulled out her phone and dialed. The call connected almost immediately.

"Evie?"

A smile ghosted over her lips at the sound of Nate Parker's voice. Her oldest friend, her most trusted ally.

"How fast can you put together a press release?"

There was a pause, then a knowing sigh. "That bad?"

"Worse. Killian's already rewriting my story before I can tell it myself."

She heard the rustle of papers in the background. "What's the angle?"

Evangeline's eyes flickered to the city lights blurring past the window.

Killian thought she was trying to reclaim something lost. He was wrong.

"I'm not here to prove I can survive without him," she said, her voice steady. "I'm here to show I was always bigger than him to begin with."

Nate hummed in approval. "Then let's hit back hard."

A slow smile spread across her lips. "Call the investors. We're moving up the timeline."

---

The Announcement

The next morning, the world woke up to headlines of its own.

Evangeline Sinclair Returns—And She's Not Here to Play It Safe.

Across major news outlets, the announcement spread like wildfire.

Evangeline Sinclair, former rising star of the fashion industry, was launching a new empire—one bigger, bolder, and completely independent of Killian Thorne's shadow.

The official statement was sleek, powerful, and carefully worded:

"Sinclair isn't back to reclaim a throne—she's here to build a new one. And this time, it's untouchable."

The industry buzzed. Investors who had once hesitated came knocking. Old rivals took notice.

And most importantly—

Killian saw it.

Because less than an hour after the press release went live, her phone buzzed with an incoming call.

Killian Thorne.

Her heart slammed against her ribs, but she let it ring twice before answering.

"Killian," she greeted smoothly, leaning back in her chair.

"You don't waste time," he murmured, voice rich with amusement.

"You thought I would?"

A low chuckle. "No. But I have to admit, I expected a little more subtlety."

Evangeline crossed her legs, letting the silence stretch.

Then, just to make sure he felt it, she said, "I've outgrown subtle."

Another pause. Then—

"Good," Killian murmured. "Then let's see what happens next."

The line went dead.

Evangeline lowered her phone slowly, her pulse thrumming.

She had played her move.

And now it was his turn.