The Empire That Burned Her

Chapter Two

Adrian stared at her silently. Raven leaned back slightly in her chair. "So what do I want?" She asked quietly. "The truth" Her expression darkened. "And if the Draven's is hiding part of it..." Her eyes locked onto his, "Then I'll tear this company apart piece by piece until I find it".

The silence that followed felt suffocating, rain crashed violently against the glass walls of Adrian's office again while the city lights flickered below like a dying heartbeat. Neither of them moved.

Raven held her gaze steadily, refusing to look away first. Five years ago, she would have.

Five years ago, Adrian Draven had been untouchable to her, dangerous in the way powerful men always were.

Calm.

Calculated.

Impossible to read.

Now she looked at him and saw something else beneath the polished control. Fear, small, brief but there. Adrian slowly walked around his desk, the expensive marble floor barely making a sound beneath his footsteps.

His face revealed nothing again, yet tension radiated from him like heat before a storm. "You always did have a talent for threat". He said quietly. Raven's lips curved faintly. "And you always had a talent for pretending not to deserve them".

His jaw tightened almost invisibly.

Good.

Let him feel uncomfortable for once. The office lights dimmed suddenly as thunder roared across the city for a second, the storm outside illuminated Adrian's face sharply enough for Raven to catch the exhaustion hidden beneath his cold expression.

He looked older.

Not physically.

But like the last five years had carved something out of him piece by piece. "You shouldn't have come back". He said finally. Raven crossed her arms. "That almost sounds like concern".

"it's survival". Her eyes narrowed slightly.

interesting answer.

Before she could respond a sharp knock interrupted the tension. Neither of them looked toward the door. Another knock came more hesitant this time. "Sir?" A nervous voice called from outside. "The board members are demanding answers about the attack". Adrian's gaze never left Raven.

"Delay them". "But sir..."

"I said delay them". Silence followed instantly. Footsteps retreated down the hallway.

Raven exhaled softly, walking toward the massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the storm-covered city from this height, the streets below looked insignificant. Tiny. Controllable.

She wondered if power had always looked beautiful from above. "You still haven't answered my question". Adrian said behind her. Raven watched lightning split across the dark sky. "Which one?"

"Who sent the message downstairs?"

WELCOME BACK, RAVEN

The red letters still Burned in her memory, she swallowed slowly "I don't know". "That's unlike you" Raven turned slightly. "Meaning?"

"You never walk into a situation blind". For the first time since entering the building, uncertainty flickered across her expression.

Because he was right. She hated unknown variables. And whoever sent that message knew exactly how to shake her. Adrian studied her carefully before speaking again " Marcus Reed is alive?" Her body stiffened instantly, that reaction alone answered him.

A dangerous look crossed Adrian's face "So he really kept you hidden all these years". Raven's voice sharpened "Careful". "Or what?"

The tension between them snapped tight "You don't get to say his name like that". She said coldly. "Not after what happened". Something dark flashed through Adrian's eyes.

"You think you know what happened?" The sudden edge in his voice surprised even her. Adrian rarely lost control but now anger simmered visibly beneath his calm exterior. Raven took a slow step toward him. "Then explain it to me". She challenged quietly. "Explain why the yacht exploded. Explain why my father died. Explain why you buried every investigation connected to it".

Adrian sad nothing.

And that silence hurt more than answers would have. A bitter laugh escaped her "Exactly".

She moved toward the door, but his voice stopped her halfway. "Your father wasn't the man you thought he was".

Raven froze.

The room suddenly felt colder, slowly she turned back toward him. "What did you say?"

Adrian looked almost reluctant now, as if he already regretted speaking. But it was too late "You spent five years chasing the wrong enemies". He said quietly. Raven stared at him, disbelief rising in her chest

"No".

"He lied to you".

"No".

"He lied to everyone".

Her pulse began hammering violently"You're lying". But even as she said it, doubt curled painfully beneath her ribs, because her father had secrets. Too many secrets.

She remembered locked rooms, late-night phone calls, men with guns pretending to be security, things she ignored because she trusted him.

Adrian walked toward her slowly. "The cyberattack tonight?" he asked "It wasn't random". Raven's breath slowed carefully. "What are you talking about?" his expression darkened "Someone is searching for something your father left behind". A chill crawled down her spine "What did he leave?" Adrian looked directly into her eyes "You".

Before Raven could process the words every light in the office suddenly shut off. Darkness swallowed the room instantly, then the massive screen behind Adrian flickered to life by itself.

Static filled the monitor.

Raven's breath caught, because a familiar voice echoed through the dark office, her father's voice. "If you're hearing this", the recording said shakily, "Then it means they found her".

Raven's stared at Adrian and for the very first time since returning to the city, fear cracked through the armour around her eyes.

Questions.

Too many questions.

And Adrian could see every sight one of them. The darkness inside the office deepened as the storm raged outside, lightning flashing briefly across Raven's pale face, she looked shaken.

Not angry.

Not cold.

Not dangerous, just lost.

Adrian hadn't seen that looked on her in years.The static crackled violently after ward, then silence.

Raven swallowed hard, her heartbeat thundering painfully against her ribs. "That's impossible" She whispered. Her father had died five years ago, she saw the explosion, she heard the screams.

She remembered the fire swallowing the yacht whole before the ocean dragged her under. So how could this recording exist? her eyes snapped toward Adrian "What did you do?"

His expression darkened instantly "I didn't make that recording".

"Then how do you have it?"