Aria’s car fishtailed around the corner as she sped toward the café.

Lila’s last known location lit up on her GPS like a lifeline. The threat from Hale wasn’t subtle—it was calculated. He wanted Aria distracted. Rattled. Reactive.

He wanted her off-balance.

Not this time.

Dominic rode in silence beside her, phone in hand, texting someone she couldn’t see.

She finally snapped. “Who are you talking to?”

He didn’t look up. “Someone who can help us stop this.”

“Who?”

He said nothing.

Aria gritted her teeth. “You’re making deals behind my back. Again.”

“We don’t have time for this.”

“No—you made time,” she snapped. “You made time to betray me again. So tell me: who the hell is helping you?”

He looked at her now, steady. “Hale’s sister.”

The car nearly swerved into the curb.

“What?”

“Vivian Hale. She hates her brother. He cut her out of the family trust years ago. She’s been feeding me intel for weeks. She wants to destroy him as much as we do.”

“You went to her before coming to me?”

“I needed someone inside. Someone close to him. She’s our only in.”

Aria turned away, seething. “I can’t believe you.”

“I did it to keep you out of the line of fire.”

“You keep saying that like it’s a noble excuse, but it’s just cowardice in a better suit.”

They didn’t speak again until they reached the café.

Aria bolted out of the car, eyes scanning the patio.

Lila wasn’t there.

Her phone rang.

Unknown number.

She answered. “Where is she?”

Hale’s voice was casual, smug. “You’re fast, Aria. But not fast enough.”

“I swear to God—”

“She’s fine. For now. I just needed your attention. And now I have it.”

“What do you want?”

“I want the original contract. The one from the box.”

“You’ll never see it.”

“I don’t need to see it. I just need to make sure everyone else sees it first.”

Click.

The call dropped.

Aria stared at her screen.

Then a ping.

Inbox: Forwarded Email – PRESS DRAFT: “The Secret Benefactor Behind Vale Interiors”

Hale was about to leak everything.

And if he did?

She wouldn’t just lose the company.

She’d lose her credibility. Her reputation. Her voice.

Dominic stepped beside her, phone in hand. “I can stop the leak. Vivian has access to his cloud. If you give me the contract, we bury it. Forever.”

Aria looked at him.

At the man who’d signed her divorce papers to save her.

At the man who’d also betrayed her trust more than once.

And for the first time, she said the words she’d been afraid to say.

“No.”

He blinked. “What?”

“You don’t get to fix this. Not this time.”

She turned away.

“I do.”