Chapter One: The Day Everything Fell Apart
Lena pov
The first time my family betrayed me, they did it in a room full of strangers. I stood at the back of the Carter Group boardroom, staring at the people who had once called me family, friends, and colleagues. Not one of them looked at me, my father's company was dying, and somehow, I was the only person still fighting for it.
"Lena." My sister's voice cut through the silence, and I turned. Victoria sat beside my father, perfectly dressed in a cream-colored suit, her blonde hair falling neatly over one shoulder, she looked calm, almost pleased.
"You should leave," she said.
I stared at her. "Excuse me?"
"This meeting concerns shareholders."
"And I'm a shareholder."
Victoria smiled faintly. "Not anymore."
My stomach dropped. "What are you talking about?"
She pushed a document across the table, I walked forward and picked it up, my hands started shaking. Stock transfer agreement, my name was on it, twenty percent of Carter Group had been transferred.
I looked at my father. "Dad?"
He didn't answer.
"Dad, what is this?"
His eyes remained fixed on the table, and that hurt more than the document. My father had always been my safe place, until today.
"You signed it," Victoria said.
"I didn't."
"You did."
"No." I slammed the document onto the table. "I would remember signing away my shares."
Victoria exchanged a glance with one of the lawyers, then she leaned back. "Perhaps you don't remember because you were too busy pretending to save this company."
A bitter laugh escaped me. "Save this company? I've spent the last three months working eighteen-hour days while you were shopping in Paris."
Her smile disappeared. "Enough."
"No. Not enough." I looked around the room. "My father's company is about to collapse because someone has been stealing money from our accounts. I've been trying to find out who. Instead of helping me, everyone keeps telling me to stop asking questions."
Silence. I looked at my father again. "Tell them."
He finally raised his head, his face looked ten years older.
"Lena…"
"Tell them I didn't sign that."
His lips parted, nothing came out, my heart cracked.
"Dad?"
Victoria stood. "There's another issue." She handed the lawyer a folder, he opened it, then he turned his laptop toward the room. A bank statement appeared on the screen, my name was attached to several transactions, millions of dollars, my blood went cold.
"That isn't mine."
Victoria folded her arms. "The police disagree."
"What?"
"You've been transferring company money into offshore accounts."
I stared at her, then I laughed, it was the only thing I could do. "You're insane."
"No, Lena. I'm protecting this family."
"You're framing me."
Nobody spoke. That was when I understood, they had already decided, the meeting wasn't about discovering the truth, it was about deciding who would take the blame, and they had chosen me.
I looked at my father. "Did you do this?"
His eyes filled with tears, he whispered, "I'm sorry."
The room tilted. "I'm sorry?" My voice broke. "That's all you have to say?"
He looked away, I felt something inside me die.
The doors suddenly opened, two detectives walked inside. "Lena Carter?"
I couldn't breathe. "Yes?"
"You're under investigation for financial fraud and embezzlement."
My knees almost gave out, Victoria stepped aside as they approached me, for one brief second, our eyes met, there was no sadness in hers, only satisfaction. I knew then, she had planned this.
The detectives escorted me outside, cameras flashed, reporters shouted questions. "Lena! Did you steal from Carter Group?" "Did your father know?" "Are you responsible for the company's collapse?"
I covered my face, but one question stopped me. "Is it true that billionaire Adrian Black is acquiring Carter Group?"
I looked up. Adrian Black, the name was whispered like a threat, thirty-one years old, billionaire, CEO of Blackwood International, and the man who had spent the last ten years destroying every company that stood between him and Carter Group. My father's greatest enemy.
I pushed through the reporters and ran, I didn't stop until I reached my car, my phone rang, Victoria. I stared at the screen, then answered.
"What do you want?"
"You should have left quietly."
My fingers tightened around the phone. "You framed me."
"Prove it."
"I will."
She laughed softly. "You still don't understand."
"Understand what?"
"The company isn't yours anymore."
My heart stopped. "What?"
"The bank called this morning. Carter Group's debt has been purchased."
"By who?"
Victoria paused, then whispered, "Adrian Black."
The call ended, I sat frozen behind the steering wheel. Adrian Black had bought our debt, which meant he now controlled everything, my father's company, our properties, our accounts, our future.
I drove straight to Blackwood Tower, if Adrian wanted my family's company, he would have to look me in the eye. The elevator doors opened on the seventy-second floor, a receptionist looked up.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No."
"Mr. Black doesn't accept—"
"I don't care."
I walked past her.
"Miss, you can't—"
The office doors opened before I touched them, a man stood beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, tall, broad shoulders, black suit, one hand in his pocket, the city stretched behind him. He turned slowly, gray eyes met mine, Adrian Black.
He was more intimidating in person, colder, more beautiful too, though I hated myself for noticing. His gaze moved over me. "You're Lena Carter." It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
He glanced at the documents in my hand. "You've had a difficult day."
"You bought my family's company."
"I bought its debt."
"You destroyed us."
His expression didn't change. "Your family destroyed itself."
I stepped closer. "My father didn't steal that money."
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
His eyes narrowed. "You came here for something."
"I want my company back."
A faint smile touched his lips. "You can't afford it."
"I'll find a way."
"You have no money."
"I'll find it."
"You have no investors."
"I'll find them."
"You have no company."
My jaw tightened. "I still have my name."
His eyes darkened. "Your name isn't worth much anymore." The words struck harder than they should have.
I turned toward the door, then his voice stopped me. "Unless…"
I looked back, Adrian walked toward me, slowly, deliberately, he stopped close enough that I could feel the heat of his body. "There is another way."
"What way?"
He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a black folder, he placed it between us, I opened it, my eyes scanned the first page, then stopped. MARRIAGE AGREEMENT.
I looked up at him. "What the hell is this?"
"A solution."
"You want me to marry you?"
"For six months."
I stared at him. "You're insane."
"Probably."
"Why me?"
His expression changed, for the first time, I saw something behind his cold eyes, hatred, old, deep, personal. "Because," he said quietly, "your family owes me a debt."
I swallowed. "What debt?"
Adrian leaned closer, his voice dropped to a whisper. "Ten years ago, your father destroyed my family."
I shook my head. "My father would never—"
"Marry me, Lena." He pushed the contract toward me. "And I'll save Carter Group."
I stared at the signature line, then at the man who wanted to make me his wife, a man who hated my family, a man powerful enough to destroy everything I had left. I should have walked away, instead, I asked the one question that changed my life forever.
"What happens if I refuse?"
Adrian's eyes turned ice-cold. "By tomorrow morning…" He paused. "…your father will be arrested, Carter Group will disappear, and you'll have nothing left."
My fingers tightened around the contract, then Adrian added the words that made my blood run cold. "And if you accept, Lena, you won't just become my wife." His gaze locked onto mine. "You'll become the woman my enemies will use to destroy me."
I looked down at the contract again, there was only one problem, I had no idea that Adrian Black had already been waiting ten years for me to walk into his trap.
