Serpent In A Silk
784 Words
When he left, Aria let out a slow breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She stared at her reflection in the computer screen — at Amelia Doran, the woman she pretended to be.
But deep inside, the old Aria stirred again sharp, ambitious, unafraid.
She looked down at the file open on her screen: Shipment 0427 , Confidential Transfer.
And right next to it, in the digital signature column, the name L. Carter.
Her partner wasn’t just a coworker.
He was part of something bigger maybe even watching her.
Aria Donovan kept her head down, typing a report as if she were any other employee. Every word, every click, was calculated. Staying invisible was her new survival skill.
“Miss Doran,” a honey-smooth voice called from behind her.
Aria looked up. Standing there was Vanessa Cruz, perfectly dressed, her perfume lingering like a warning. Her red lipstick matched the pointed smile she wore.
“Good morning,” Aria said politely, standing to meet her.
“Oh, please, no need to be formal,” Vanessa cooed. “We’re colleagues, aren’t we?”
Her eyes flicked over Aria’s outfit simple, efficient, nothing flashy. “I must say, your modesty is refreshing. Most people around here would sell their soul to be noticed.”
Aria smiled faintly. “I prefer results over attention.”
Vanessa’s smile tightened, her gaze momentarily icy. “Of course you do.”
Before Aria could respond, Daniel approached from the far end of the office, file in hand. “Amelia, I need your signature on the shipment clearance.”
Vanessa’s eyes followed him. Her tone shifting, teasing. “Ah, our quiet star has a partner now. Careful, Carter. She looks innocent, but I’ve seen that type before.”
Daniel glanced between them. “And what type is that?”
Vanessa tilted her head. “The kind that hides something.”
Aria felt the sting but didn’t flinch. “Some of us hide scars, Vanessa. Others hide sins.”
For a moment, the room froze. Then Vanessa laughed a practiced, graceful sound. “Touché.”
When she finally walked away, her phone buzzed. She turned her back, lowered her voice.
From: E. Cole
“Keep an eye on her. I want to know what she’s doing and who she talks to.”
Vanessa’s lips curved into a slow, satisfied smile.
“Consider it done,” she texted back.
Across the room, Aria watched her reflection in the glass divider, calm on the outside, fury beneath the surface.
She knew women like Vanessa. She used to lead them.
But this time, she wasn’t playing for power. She was playing for truth.
~Vanessa’s POV~
Vanessa Cruz sipped her wine slowly, the taste rich, expensive, powerful , just like the man waiting inside her apartment.
“Thinking about me?” Ethan Cole’s voice came from behind her, low and amused.
She turned, leaning against the railing. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
He smiled, stepping closer, his tailored shirt unbuttoned at the collar. “I always like it when my people think about me.”
“Your people,” she repeated, her lips curving. “That’s all I am to you?”
Ethan reached out, brushing his thumb over her jaw. “You’re more than that, Vanessa. You’re useful.”
She hid the sting behind a coy smile. “Useful enough to keep around?”
“For now.”
It was both promise and threat the kind she’d grown addicted to.
He moved past her, pouring himself a drink. “The woman you mentioned earlier… Amelia Doran.”
Vanessa’s pulse quickened. “Yes. She’s quiet, but something about her feels off. Too cautious. Too perfect.”
Ethan’s gaze sharpened. “Keep watching her. Report everything. But don’t confront her, not yet.”
Vanessa’s pride prickled. “You think I can’t handle her?”
“I think,” Ethan said smoothly, “you underestimate what she’s capable of.”
He turned toward her, eyes gleaming. “And Vanessa… don’t fall into the same trap others did. Curiosity can be fatal.”
A chill ran down her spine — but she masked it with a flirtatious smirk. “I’ll keep my curiosity under control.”
“Good,” he murmured, brushing a hand down her arm. “Because if she is who I think she is… this game’s about to get interesting.”
When he finally left, Vanessa stood by the window, wine forgotten in her hand.
She pulled out her phone, opening a hidden folder. Photos, documents, surveillance clips of Aria from the office.
Her thumb hovered over the “send” button. The one that would transfer it all to Ethan’s encrypted line.
- Writer
