Chapter 2: Matters
1617 Words
Aria’s POV
“Ma’am, the board is waiting.”
“I said I’m coming.”
My voice came out louder than I wanted, but I didn’t apologize.
I didn’t do apologies anymore.
Not after what this world had taught me.
I adjusted the sleeve of my black blazer, as I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked calm and untouchable.
No one would ever look at me the way they did five years ago.
No one would ever dare to laugh again.
“Proceed with the presentation,” I said as I stepped into the boardroom.
The room fell silent immediately.
Twenty executives.
They were older, more powerful but yet they were watching me and that was a good thing.
“Let’s not waste time,” I continued, walking toward the head of the table. “Phase one has already been completed.”
A screen lit up behind me.
Numbers. Graphs. Market shifts.
“Ethan Caldwell’s company collapsed this morning.”
Murmurs spread across the room.
One of the board members leaned forward. “That was… faster than expected.”
I allowed myself a small smile. “I don’t believe in delays.”
The truth?
Ethan never saw it coming.
The investment he relied on?
Mine.
The deal he trusted?
Also mine.
And when I pulled everything out overnight, with the carefully calculated plan I had.
He fell.
Just like I did.
“Good,” another board member said. “Who’s next?”
I didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, I turned to the screen again.
One name appeared.
Wolfe Industries.
The air seemed to change and I could see the men adjusting in their sit.
Because everyone knew what that name meant.
The name wielded power, control and authority. And one man behind it all.
Adrian Wolfe.
“He’s not an easy target,” someone said, his voice calmer than usual.
I finally turned back, my expression unreadable.
“I’m not looking for easy.”
Silence.
Then…
A knock.
The door opened before anyone could respond.
My assistant stepped in, her face slightly tense.
“Ma’am… there’s a situation.”
I didn’t like the sound of that.
“What is it?
She hesitated.
Then said the one thing I wasn’t expecting.
“He’s here.”
The room froze as they all turned to look at her.
“Who?” one of the executives asked.
But I already knew.
My heart didn’t race, it wasn’t like that night several years ago. Instead it just hardened and a silent anger filled it …..“Adrian Wolfe,” she said quietly.
Every head turned toward me.
Waiting for my reaction.
Waiting to see if I would c***k.
I didn’t.
Instead, I walked past them.
“Continue the meeting,” I said calmly. “I’ll handle this.”
The hallway outside felt too quiet.
I could hear the sounds of my heels clicking against the floor as I walked towards where Adrian Wolfe was waiting for me without an invitation.
Of course he didn’t wait for one.
I pushed the door open.
And there he was.
Adrian Wolfe.
Standing by the window.
Exactly like I used to imagine him.
Tall. Composed. Untouchable.
The city view was behind him, but somehow… it still felt like he owned it.
He turned slowly at the sound of the door.
Our eyes met.
Five years.
Five years of silence, pain, anger….
And yet, the moment I saw him again…
Everything came rushing back.
But I didn’t let it show.
Not even for a second, I made sure my expression was unreadable.
“Well,” I said, closing the door behind me. “This is unexpected.”
His gaze didn’t leave mine.
Not for a second.
And that… was new.
“You’ve changed,” he said.
His voice was deeper and colder.
But still familiar enough to stir something I refused to feel.
“So have you,” I replied.
A faint smirk touched his lips. “Have I?”
“Yes,” I said. “You show up uninvited now.”
“I always do.”
I tilted my head slightly. “Not where I matter.”
And there was Silence between us.
Heavy.
Tense.
Then he took a step closer.
Just one.
But it was enough to change the air between us.
“I heard you rejected my offer,” he said.
“I don’t do business with enemies.”
“Enemy?” His brow lifted slightly. “Is that what I am now?”
I let out a soft, humorless laugh.
“Don’t act confused, Adrian. You made that clear five years ago.”
For a moment… I could see something flickered in his eyes.
Regret?
No, I don’t think that's possible.
“You’re attacking my company,” he said instead. “That’s not business. That’s personal.”
“Good,” I replied instantly. “Then you understand.”
Another step.
Closer now.
Too close.
“You’re going after the wrong people,” he said quietly.
My jaw tightened. “Don’t tell me what’s right or wrong.”
“I’m telling you,” he continued, his voice lowering, “you don’t know everything.”
Something inside me snapped.
“Don’t,” I warned.
But he didn’t stop.
“You think Chloe, Ethan, Vanessa…” he paused, watching me carefully, “…you think they’re the reason your life was ruined?”
My chest tightened, I could see the anger rising in me.
“They were there,” I said coldly. “That’s enough.”
“No,” he said.
Just one word.
But it hit differently.
“Then enlighten me,” I shot back. “Who else should I blame? You?”
His gaze darkened.
“You already do.”
“Because you deserve it.”
Silence.
Then…“Do I?”
The question was quiet.
Too quiet.
It unsettled me.
I took a step back, putting distance between us.
“I didn’t come here to relive the past,” I said firmly. “If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, leave.”
He studied me for a long moment.
Like he was trying to read something beneath the surface.
Then he reached into his suit pocket.
And placed a file on the table.
“I didn’t come here to fight,” he said.
I laughed.
“Then you clearly don’t know me anymore.”
“Or maybe I know you better than you think.”
My smile faded.
Slowly, I walked toward the table.
The file sat there.
Waiting.
“What is this?” I asked.
“Open it.”
I hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then I picked it up.
Inside, photos, documents, records.
My brows furrowed as I flipped through them.
Names.
Transactions.
Hidden accounts.
And then…
My breath caught.
A familiar name stared back at me, Lily Bennett.l, My grip tightened…
“What is this?” I whispered.
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
“Look closer,” he said instead.
I did.
And the more I read…The colder I felt.
Payments, Connections.
Dates that matched the night everything went wrong.
“No…” I shook my head slightly. “This doesn’t make sense.”
“It does,” he said quietly. “You just don’t want it to.”
I slammed the file shut.
“This is fake.”
“It’s not.”
“You expect me to believe my own sister….”
“She’s not who you think she is.”
“Stop!” My voice rose sharply. “You don’t get to come in here and twist things!”
His expression didn’t change.
“Then keep destroying the wrong people,” he said calmly. “See where it gets you.”
My chest rose and fell with anger.
“You think this changes anything?” I demanded.
“No,” he said.
That made me pause.
I stared at him, searching his face for any sign of a lie.
But Adrian Wolfe…Never looked uncertain and he had this unreadable expression too.
And right now…
He looked completely serious.
“Why are you showing me this?” I asked quietly.
His answer came without hesitation.
“Because you’re walking into something you can’t control.”
My lips parted slightly.
“What does that mean?”
He stepped closer again, this time around very slow .
“Drop this war, Aria.”
The way he said my name…
Like it still belonged to him—
Made something twist painfully inside me.
“I don’t take orders from you,” I said.
“I’m not giving you an order.”
“Then what is it?”A pause, Then…
“A warning.”
Before I could respond…
The door burst open.
My assistant rushed in, panic written all over her face.
“Ma’am….there’s a problem!”
I turned sharply. “What now?”
Her voice shook.
“Our servers….someone just hacked into the system. They’re leaking confidential data online….live.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
“And…” she hesitated, swallowing hard, “they’ve linked everything to you. The media is already calling it corporate fraud.”
The room spun for a second.
No.
That wasn’t possible, Everything was secure, Everything was controlled.
Unless….
My mind flashed back to the file to the name.
Lily.
Slowly…
I turned back to Adrian.
He was already watching me, there was something dangerous in his eyes.
“They’ve started earlier than I thought.”
My heart slammed against my chest.
“They?” I repeated.
Adrian took a step back.
Creating distance.
Like he was already preparing for what was coming next.
Then he said the one thing that made everything worse……
“You’re not the one in control anymore.”
- Writer
