Vengeful Vows

First strike

The day of their first real attack on Damien arrived under a gray, stormy sky.

Eve stood in Kael’s office, dressed in a sharp black pantsuit, her dark auburn hair pulled into a tight ponytail. The emotional distance between them had become a solid wall, but today, that wall was necessary. They had a job to do.

“Are you ready?” Kael asked, his voice strictly professional. He stood behind his desk in a tailored black suit, looking every bit the powerful CEO.

Eve nodded, keeping her expression neutral. “The leak is prepared. It goes live in thirty minutes. Damien’s biggest investor will receive the documents showing the offshore fraud. The press will get the same information anonymously right after.”

Kael gave a single, sharp nod. “Good. My team is monitoring the fallout. If this works, it’ll create panic in his circle and slow his expansion.”

They moved to the conference room where multiple screens displayed live feeds of financial news sites and Damien’s company stock. The tension in the room was thick, but it had nothing to do with romance. It was pure focus.

At exactly 10:00 AM, Eve pressed the button. The documents went live.

For the first hour, nothing happened. Then the chaos began.

Damien’s stock price started dropping. News alerts popped up on the screens: “Major Investor Pulls Funding from Blackthorn Empire Amid Fraud Allegations.”

Eve watched with cold satisfaction as Damien’s carefully built empire began to crack. Kael stood beside her, arms crossed, his presence commanding even in silence.

“He’s going to retaliate,” Kael said quietly. “Hard.”

“Let him,” Eve replied, her voice steady. “This is only the beginning.”

By midday, the phones were ringing nonstop. Kael handled his board calls with ruthless efficiency while Eve coordinated with Marcus to ensure the leak couldn’t be traced back to them.

In the late afternoon, as the stock continued its freefall, Kael received a direct call. He put it on speaker.

Damien’s voice came through, cold and furious. “Draven. I know this is your doing. And I know your new wife isn’t who she claims to be. Watch your back. Both of you.”

The line went dead.

Kael looked at Eve. For a brief second, something like concern flickered in his eyes before he shut it down. “He’s rattled. Good.”

Eve nodded, ignoring the way her heart still ached at his cold professionalism. “Then we keep pushing.”

They worked late into the evening, finalizing the next phase of their plan. When they finally finished, the mansion was quiet. Eve stood up to leave.

“Eve,” Kael said suddenly, stopping her at the door.

She turned, waiting.

He looked like he wanted to say something more — something personal — but instead, he simply said, “Good work today.”

She gave him a small, empty smile. “Strictly business.”

Then she walked away, leaving him standing alone in the office.

Back in her room, Eve allowed herself a moment of victory. The first strike against Damien had landed. He was bleeding. But the victory felt hollow. The man she had started falling for was now a stranger who only saw her as a business partner.

As she stood on the balcony looking at the dark ocean, Eve whispered to herself:

“This is what you wanted. Revenge.”

But deep down, she knew the cost was becoming higher than she had ever imagined.