HIS RUTHLESS QUEEN

THE MAN ACROSS THE ROOM

The elevator doors closed. Ariana remained perfectly still. Only when the numbers above the door began changing did she allow herself to breathe. Six months after her father's death. She stared at the document again, the signature was unmistakable. Her father's name was written at the bottom in the same handwriting she had seen thousands of times growing up. But it was impossible. Her father had died five years ago, so how could he have signed a business document six months later. Ariana's mind raced.

Forgery was the obvious explanation. But there was something about the document that bothered her. The paper was old. The ink had faded naturally. And the official seal belonged to Vale Industries. Someone had simply created the document recently. Someone had prepared it years ago. The elevator stopped, Ariana stepped out. Her assistant,Mia, was waiting outside.

How did it go?

Ariana walked past her

Bad

Mia followed quickly

Bad as in we should leave?

No

Ariana stopped

Bad as in we are closer than I expected.

Mia frowned

To what?

Ariana handed her the document

Mia read it, her expression changed.

What is this?

I don't know yet.

Then why are you smiling?

Ariana looked toward the glass windows overlooking the city.

Because people make mistakes when they think their secrets are safe. She turned back.

And someone just made one.

Across the city Damian Blackwood stood inside his private office. He had not moved almost ten minutes. The document Ariana had placed before him was still in his mind. He knew that signature, he had seen it before.

Five years ago, on a different document. A document he father had ordered him to destroy. Damian's hands tightened. He had believed it was gone, he had believed the past was buried. Apparently it wasn't. His office door opened, his father entered without knocking. Marcus Blackwood was an older man with silver hair, sharp features and the kind of presence that made people uncomfortable without knowing why.

You met Ariana?

It wasn't a question

Damian looked at him

Yes

What does she know?

Enough to become dangerous.

Marcus walked toward the desk.

Did she show you anything?

Damian became silent.

Marcus stopped

Damian

She found the transaction.

For the first time Marcus expression changed.

Impossible. That's what i thought.

Where did she get it?

I don't know. Marcus stared at him.

You were supposed to make sure none of those records survived.

I did.

Then how does she have one?

Damian's jaw tightened.

Maybe because someone else kept a copy.

Silence settled between them.

Marcus turned toward the window.

She must be stopped.

Damian's eyes hardened.

No

His father looked back

No?

Ariana isn't the problem. Then what is?

Damian looked at the city below.

The person who gave her the document. Ariana's new office was on the top floor of the building she had purchased two years earlier. It was smaller than Vale Industries headquarters, but it belonged entirely to her.

No family name, no inheritance, no favors, she had built it herself. Mia placed a cup of coffee on the desk.

You should sleep, Ariana ignored her.

She was studying a collection of old documents spread across the table, look at this. Mia walked closer.

What?

Ariana pointed to a transaction number.

This number appears on three different documents.

And?

The dates don't match

Mia frowned

Ariana continued.

One document says the transaction happened in March, another says June but the bank record says September.

Could it be an accounting error.

Ariana shook her head. Not with this amount of money. She leaned back. Someone moved money through three companies.

Whose companies?

Ariana expression darkened.

One belonged to my father, she paused. The second belonged to Blackwood Holdings.

Mia's eyes widened.

And the third?

Ariana turned the page. The third company doesn't exist anymore.

Mia stared at her.

Then how are we supposed to find it?

Ariana smiled. We find the person who owned it. That evening,Ariana attended a private business dinner. She hadn't planned to.

But after receiving an invitation from one of the city's most influential investors, she realized it was too valuable to ignore.

The ballroom was filled with executives,investors and politicians. Ariana walked through the room without hesitation.

She had learned one thing during her years away. Power wasn't always about money.

Sometimes it was about knowing who had information. She was speaking to an investor when she noticed someone watching her.

She turned. Damian stood across the room,black suit, white shirt,expression unreadable. He wasn't speaking to anyone. He was simply looking at her. Ariana looked away first. Not because she was nervous. Because she refused to give him the satisfaction.

Miss Vale

She turned toward the voice. An elderly man stood beside her.

Mr Anderson.

I heard you planning to challenge Sebastian's ownership of Vale Industries.

People talk too much

He smiled.

People talk when they're afraid.

Ariana raised an eyebrow

Are you afraid?

No.

He leaned closer.

But you should be careful.

Of Sebastian

He shook his head

Of everyone.

Before Ariana could respond he walked away.

She walked him and disappeared into the crowd.

Then a voice came from behind her?

Still collecting enemies

Ariana froze

She didn't turn around. She knew that voice

Damian

She slowly turned

Still pretending to care.

His expression tightened. I never stopped.

Ariana laughed softly. You should practice lying better. I'm not lying. Then why didn't you come after me, he said nothing. Ariana's smile disappeared

Five years Damian, I know.

You knew where I was. Yes

And you never came.

His eyes lowered for a moment.

I couldn't

You couldn't

Ariana shook her head.

That's the excuse you're going with.

Damian stepped closer

I was trying to protect

Ariana expression hardened

From what

He didn't answer

Exactly.

She turned to leave.

Damian caught her attention with one sentence.

Your father didn't die the way you think he did, Ariana stopped, slowly she turned around.

What did you say?

Damian looked around the room before speaking.

Your father's death wasn't an accident.

Ariana's heart pounded

I know that already

No, his voice was quiet. You don't she stared at him. What are you hiding?

Damian looked directly into her eyes and everything was forbidden to tell you.

Before Ariana could respond someone had already called Damian's name. He stepped back, don't trust Sebastian. Ariana's eyes narrowed. Why should I trust you? Damian's expression softened for the briefest moment.

You shouldn't, then he walked away.

Ariana walked him and disappeared into the crowd. For the first time in five years she realized something terrifying: Damian wasn't the enemy she remembered; he might be something much worse, someone who knew the truth. Later that night Ariana returned to her apartment the city lights stretched beneath her balcony she placed the mysterious document on the table her phone rang unknown number she answered

Hello

Silence

Then a distorted voice spoke. You should have stayed away. Ariana's expression hardened. Who's this you have no idea what you're digging into then tell? A pause your father trusted the wrong person Ariana's pulse quickened, who the line went dead she stared at the phone then she noticed something beneath her apartment door. A small envelope Ariana slowly picked it up there was no name no address only one sentence written across the front

Ask Damian what happened that night

Her fingers tightened around the envelope for the first time. Ariana understood that her return had not gone unnoticed. Someone was watching her and someone was terrified of what she might discover.