The city woke up angry.
Screens flashed headlines before the sun fully rose. Blogs, business columns, gossip pages—everyone had something to say about the Gareth sisters and the leaked merger. Speculation layered upon speculation until truth became almost impossible to separate from rumor.
Amber watched it all from the glass wall of her office.
She stood still, arms folded, eyes fixed on the skyline beyond Gareth Accessories, but her mind was elsewhere—calculating, dissecting, preparing. This wasn't the first storm she had weathered, but it was the first one that carried Alex Wilson's name so closely tied to hers.
Camila entered quietly, tablet in hand, her expression tight. "The narrative is splitting into two directions," she said. "One group thinks we orchestrated the leak to manipulate stock value. The other thinks Wilson Corporation did it to pressure us."
Amber exhaled slowly. "Good. Confusion buys time."
Camila studied her sister. "You're calm."
"I'm focused," Amber corrected. "There's a difference."
Camila hesitated before adding, "Alex requested a private meeting. No board. No lawyers."
Amber finally turned. "Of course he did."
"Do you want me there?"
Amber shook her head. "No. If this is a game, I need to see how he plays when there's no audience."
The meeting room was smaller than usual, intentionally stripped of intimidation. No long table. No entourage. Just two chairs, a sleek desk, and floor-to-ceiling windows that reflected the tension neither of them could hide.
Alex was already there when Amber walked in.
He stood by the window, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, posture relaxed in a way that felt deliberate. Dangerous. His gaze lifted the moment she entered, sharp and unguarded.
"You're punctual," he said.
"You're alone," Amber replied. "That's new."
Alex smiled faintly. "So is this."
She closed the door behind her, heels clicking once before stopping. "Let's be clear. I'm here to discuss the scandal. Nothing else."
"Of course," he said smoothly. "Though you and I both know nothing is ever just one thing."
Amber didn't sit. "Talk."
Alex turned fully toward her. "The leak didn't come from my board."
"I know," she said. "Too sloppy."
His brow lifted. "Then you know it didn't come from mine either."
Amber studied him for a long moment. "That's what I'm trying to confirm."
Silence stretched.
Alex stepped closer, slowly, stopping at a distance that felt intentional. "You don't trust me."
"I don't trust anyone who benefits from chaos."
"And do I?"
Amber's lips curved faintly. "You always do."
Alex laughed under his breath. "Fair."
He walked past her, pulling out a file and sliding it onto the desk. "Internal communications. Time stamps. Access logs. You'll see none of my executives touched the documents."
Amber didn't reach for it. "Why are you helping?"
"Because if Gareth Accessories falls, the partnership collapses. And because…" His voice lowered. "I don't want you fighting this alone."
That made her pause.
Amber finally sat, opening the file with measured care. Her eyes scanned quickly, absorbing details at a pace few could match. "This clears you," she admitted. "Partially."
Alex leaned against the desk. "And you?"
"I already know who leaked it," she said calmly.
That caught his attention. "You do?"
"Yes. Not by name yet. But by motive."
Alex studied her, something darker flickering in his eyes. "You're impressive when you're cornered."
"I'm more dangerous," Amber corrected, looking up at him. "That's when people make mistakes."
Their gazes locked.
For a moment, the scandal, the companies, the world beyond the glass walls ceased to exist.
Alex broke the silence first. "The press thinks we're already involved."
Amber scoffed. "They always want a story."
"Do they?" he asked. "Because the way they're writing it… it sounds convincing."
She closed the file and stood. "Let them write. Fiction burns out faster than truth."
Alex didn't move out of her way.
"Amber," he said quietly.
She looked up, irritated despite herself. "Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Say my name like that," she replied. "You're blurring lines."
Alex's voice dropped. "What if the lines were never that clear?"
The air between them thickened.
Amber stepped back, reclaiming space. "This ends here. Professionally."
Alex smiled, slow and knowing. "That's not what your pulse says."
Her jaw tightened. "You're overestimating yourself."
"Am I?" he asked, eyes tracing her face with unhidden interest. "You could have sent Camila. Lawyers. Assistants. Instead, you came."
Amber held his gaze. "Because I don't hide behind people."
"And because you wanted to see me," he added softly.
She didn't answer.
By afternoon, the scandal evolved.
A new article surfaced—anonymous sources claiming the Gareth sisters were divided internally, that Amber was reckless while Camila played mediator. It was strategic. Surgical.
Camila slammed her tablet down in Amber's office. "This is targeted. Someone wants to fracture our image."
Amber nodded. "And they know how."
"Wilson?" Camila asked carefully.
Amber shook her head. "No. This is closer. Someone who knows us."
Camila's eyes narrowed. "Staff?"
"Family," Amber corrected. "Or someone pretending to be."
Camila stiffened. "Agnes?"
Amber paused. "Agnes is out of the country. But she still has reach."
"Or someone using her absence as cover," Camila said.
Amber exhaled. "Prepare a closed-door audit. Quiet. I want communication monitored without anyone noticing."
Camila nodded. "And Alex?"
Amber hesitated. "He stays in the dark—for now."
Across town, Alex stared at his phone longer than he should have.
Harrison knocked once before entering. "You're distracted."
Alex didn't look up. "We're being watched."
Harrison frowned. "Because of the scandal?"
"Because of her," Alex said.
Harrison studied his son. "You're crossing into dangerous territory."
Alex finally met his gaze. "So is she."
"And that excites you?"
Alex smiled without humor. "It challenges me."
Harrison sighed. "You're not invincible, Alex."
"I know," Alex said. "That's why this matters."
That evening, the city hosted an exclusive charity gala—attendance mandatory for appearances alone. Gareth. Wilson. Rivals. Allies. Enemies. Everyone under one roof.
Amber arrived in black.
Not dramatic. Not loud. Controlled elegance. Her presence shifted the room instantly.
Whispers followed her steps.
Camila walked beside her, eyes scanning. "Every major player is here."
"Good," Amber replied. "So is the person responsible."
Alex noticed her the moment she entered.
Their eyes met across the room—brief, electric, undeniable.
He excused himself from a conversation and approached, expression unreadable. "You look… composed."
"You sound surprised," Amber said coolly.
"Given the circumstances, I expected fire."
"It's coming," she replied. "Just not publicly."
They stood too close. People noticed.
Camila cleared her throat gently. "I'll circulate."
Amber nodded.
Alex leaned in slightly. "They're watching us."
"Let them," Amber said. "We're not doing anything wrong."
His lips curved. "Not yet."
Her eyes flashed. "Careful."
"Or what?" he asked quietly.
"Or you'll forget which game you're playing."
"And which one is that?"
"The one where neither of us loses control."
Alex studied her for a long moment. "I don't think that's possible anymore."
A woman approached then—smiling too brightly, eyes sharp with interest. "Mr. Wilson, the board chair is asking for you."
Alex didn't look away from Amber. "In a moment."
Amber stepped back, reclaiming distance. "Go."
Alex hesitated before leaving. "This isn't over."
"No," Amber agreed. "It's just getting interesting."
Later that night, as Amber stood alone near the balcony, a quiet voice spoke behind her.
"You always did like standing above the crowd."
She turned slowly.
Grace.
Amber's expression hardened. "You're bold."
Grace smiled. "You're distracted."
"What do you want?"
"To warn you," Grace said softly. "Not everyone around you wants you to survive this."
Amber's gaze sharpened. "Names."
Grace shook her head. "Not yet. But watch Camila more closely than you already do."
That was enough to unsettle her.
Grace walked away, leaving Amber staring into the night, mind racing.
Across the room, Alex watched her—saw the shift, the tension, the moment something cracked.
He knew that look.
The scandal wasn't the real threat.
Betrayal was.
And somewhere between power, desire, and control, Amber Gareth was standing on a line she never intended to cross—yet every step forward brought her closer to Alex Wilson, and further from safety.