Victor Hale didn't believe in coincidences.
He stood behind the glass walls of his corner office, overlooking the city like a predator surveying territory. Below him, traffic flowed in obedient lines. Predictable. Orderly.
Unlike Adrian Cole.
The television across the room replayed the same footage for the third time—Adrian stepping out of his car, one hand placed protectively at Maya's lower back as cameras exploded around them.
Victor's lips curled.
"Interesting," he murmured.
He paused the screen, zooming in on Maya's face. She was smiling—but Victor had spent twenty years reading boardrooms and battlefields alike. He knew the difference between confidence and performance.
That smile wasn't natural.
It was learned.
"Since when does Adrian Cole touch anyone like that?" Victor said to no one.
Behind him, his assistant shifted nervously. "The press is eating it up, sir. Public sentiment toward Blackwood International is already improving."
Victor scoffed. "Of course it is. Nothing sells stability like a wife."
He turned, eyes sharp. "Dig into her."
The assistant hesitated. "Sir?"
"Everything," Victor said coolly. "Education. Family. Finances. Old jobs. I want to know how a woman like that ends up married to a man like Adrian Cole."
"Yes, sir."
Victor returned his gaze to the screen, unpausing the video. Adrian leaned down slightly, murmuring something to Maya that made her stiffen before she nodded.
There it was.
A fraction of a second too late.
"They're not in sync," Victor said softly. "Not yet."
He smiled then—slow, satisfied.
And dangerous.
At Blackwood International, Adrian felt it before he saw it.
That familiar tightening in his chest. The instinct that told him he was being watched.
Victor Hale was back.
"Maya," Adrian said quietly as they stepped into the private elevator.
"From now on, if anyone approaches you claiming to be press, investors, or partners—don't engage."
She frowned. "What happened?"
"Victor Hale happened."
Her brow furrowed. "Your rival?"
"Yes."
"What does he want?"
Adrian's jaw tightened. "Weakness."
The elevator doors closed.
"Why me?" Maya asked.
"Because," Adrian said, meeting her eyes, "you're the only variable he doesn't understand."
That didn't make her feel better.
Two days later, the trap snapped shut.
Maya was leaving a charity planning meeting when a man stepped into her path in the parking garage. He was well-dressed, polite-looking, holding a business card.
"Mrs. Cole?" he asked smoothly. "I'm Daniel Cross, with The Financial Review. May I have a moment?"
Maya remembered Adrian's warning.
"I'm not giving interviews," she said firmly.
"Of course," the man smiled. "Off the record, then."
"No."
He chuckled softly. "You know, people are curious. A woman with no corporate background suddenly marries the most powerful CEO in the city—it raises questions."
Maya felt a flicker of fear—but she straightened her shoulders. "Curiosity doesn't entitle you to my life."
"Well said," another voice cut in.
Maya turned.
Victor Hale stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, expression amused. He was tall, silver-haired, with a smile that never reached his eyes.
"Victor Hale," he said. "A pleasure."
Maya's heart skipped. She forced herself to stay calm. "I know who you are."
"Of course you do," Victor replied. "My reputation precedes me."
He glanced at the so-called reporter, who immediately stepped back.
"That'll be all, Daniel."
The man left without a word.
Victor's attention returned to Maya, sharp and invasive. "You handle pressure well," he said. "Adrian always did have an eye for talent."
"I'm not his employee," Maya replied coolly. "I'm his wife."
Victor smiled wider. "That's what I'm curious about."
Her pulse quickened. "Excuse me?"
"Forgive my bluntness," Victor said. "But marriage changes people. And Adrian… hasn't changed."
She stiffened. "You don't know him."
"Oh, I know him very well," Victor said softly. "Better than anyone else in this city."
Maya stepped past him. "This conversation is over."
Victor didn't stop her.
Instead, he said casually, "Tell me—does he wake up screaming at night?"
Her breath caught.
Victor watched her reaction closely.
There it was.
The crack.
"I'll take that as a yes," he murmured. "Fascinating."
Maya spun around. "Stay away from us."
Victor met her gaze, his smile gone now. "That depends, Mrs. Cole. On how long you plan to keep pretending."
She didn't answer.
Victor inclined his head slightly. "Enjoy the marriage."
As he walked away, Maya realized something terrifying.
He knew.
That evening, Adrian's voice was ice when she told him.
"He approached you?" Adrian asked.
"Yes," Maya said. "He knows something's off."
Adrian's hands clenched into fists. "I underestimated how quickly he'd move."
"What does he want?" she asked again.
Adrian looked at her, truly looked at her, as if weighing the cost of honesty.
"He wants to destroy me," he said. "And he'll use you to do it."
Maya's chest tightened. "Then maybe this was a mistake."
Adrian stepped closer. "No."
"Adrian—"
"This marriage may have started as a lie," he said quietly, "but I won't let it become your downfall."
She searched his face for deception and found none.
Only resolve.
From the shadows of his own office, Victor Hale watched a live feed from the parking garage replay.
He leaned back, steepling his fingers.
"They think they're in control," he said to himself.
His smile returned—slow, cruel.
"Let's see how strong their little contract really is."
Next: Chapter 9 - The CEO's Smile
The lie convinced the world.
Now it was starting to fool them too.
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