Claimed For Revenge

Aria Sinclair stared at her fractured reflection in the boardroom’s obsidian-glass table, the image rippling beneath crystal carafes and untouched documents. Her father’s empire—now her empire—was bleeding out beneath her palms. The silence in the room was like a graveyard— oppressive and thick with the scent of polished mahogany and slow decay. Only the soft clink of Evelyn Sinclair’s diamond bracelets pierced the stillness, reminiscent of a ticking time bomb. “We’re losing cash,” one of the board members finally said, his eyes fixed on the spreadsheet as if it could somehow reverse their fate. “No one wants to back a dying name.” Aria’s hands curled into fists beneath the table. Sinclair Holdings, a name that exuded power and influence and had once commanded boardrooms with a mere whisper. Now, it was a cautionary tale, the result of a scandal she hadn’t instigated—and a father too sick to intervene. Her father—Desmond Sinclair was a man of power and influence but now he was nothing more than a vegetable, bedridden in an hospital room as a result of a full blown scandal. The same scandal that has put his business empire on the death list. A scandal started by someone nobody knows. “We need a buyer,” another voice chimed in sharply. “Or we won’t make it to the next quarter.” Evelyn crossed one long leg over the other and smoothed a hand over her platinum-blond hair. “Not just any buyer,” she said sweetly. “We need someone with power. Someone who has a reason to keep us alive.” Aria glanced sideways. Evelyn, her stepmother never spoke without a hidden agenda. She was a serpent in Chanel scheming her way through everything— the same way she schemed her way into her father’s life after her mother’s death. And her every word dripped with venom. “What are you scheming now?” Aria asked. Evelyn smiled like a knife. “Damian Wolfe.” The name detonated in the room, and Aria felt the weight of it in her bones. Damian Wolfe—the billionaire known for turning boardrooms into bloodbaths. He didn’t rescue companies; he buried them and danced on their graves. “He’s not a partner,” Aria said firmly. “He’s a vulture looking for a place to feed on.” “He’s interested,” Evelyn replied, her voice smooth as satin. “But not in Sinclair Holdings. He’s interested in you.” The air felt heavy in the room. “What are you saying?” “A proposal,” Evelyn purred. “Of marriage. He’ll save us—if you marry him.” Aria laughed, sharp and disbelieving. “That’s insane.” “No,” Evelyn snapped, her mask slipping for just a moment. “It’s survival.” Aria stood too quickly, the polished floor seeming to tilt beneath her, shocking everyone in the room. “You want me to sell myself? To him?” “To save your father’s legacy. To protect your staff. To keep the vultures from circling.” “I will do no such thing. I have my own decisions to make and you can't keep going on making decisions for me.You are not my mother”. Aria shouted. “ Of course I am not your mother. No one would love to be a mother to a proud and self-centered woman like you”. Evelyn sneered. The boardroom fell into utmost silence with the board members glancing at each other, not knowing what to do or say to diffuse the tension. “I am not going to force you into marriage with Damian but then I hope you will be happy to watch your father's company fold up while in jail”. Evelyn concluded. One of the investors stood up while gathering his documents, “I guess I will have to pull off now since there are no alternative measures to this suitation”. Aria stared at him wide-eyed, then turned to the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city sprawling beneath her like a battlefield. Pride didn’t pay bills. Loyalty didn’t stop layoffs. She had people depending on her not to mention her father's medical bills that kept on increasing by the moment. And now, him. Damian Wolfe—storm-eyed that seems to hold secrets and merciless. He didn’t want her company; he wanted her and for what? She didn't know. She turned back to the room, her heart pounding like a war drum. “No one has to pull off. Turning to her stepmother; Set the meeting,” she said decisively. ………………………………………………… The meeting dissolved into murmurs and movement, chairs scraping, shoes clicking against marble as the board members filed out with wary glances and half-hearted nods. Aria barely noticed them. She stood motionless, spine rigid, eyes unfocused as her mind spiraled. ‘Set the meeting’. The words echoed in her head like a bell tolling for the dead. She had just agreed to meet the devil himself. Evelyn lingered behind, adjusting her designer bag with a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes. “You made the right call,” she said, brushing imaginary lint from her blazer. “Even if it took a bit of... motivation.” Aria didn’t respond. Her gaze was fixed on the city, her pulse a silent scream. “You should wear red,” Evelyn added casually. “He likes women in power colors.” “Get out,” Aria said quietly. For once, Evelyn obeyed without a word, her heels clicking a slow, satisfied rhythm as she disappeared down the hallway. When the door clicked shut, Aria exhaled shakily, her fingers gripping the edge of the table until her knuckles whitened. The room felt colder now, emptier—like something had been taken from her. No, sold. And the price was her freedom. She pressed trembling fingers to her temples. This wasn’t just a marriage. It was a transaction. A merger sealed not by signatures, but by vows. Damian Wolfe didn’t do anything without motive. And if he wanted her, there was a reason—and it had nothing to do with affection. Her phone buzzed, pulling her back to the moment. A message. Unknown number. Tomorrow. 9 p.m. Wolfe Tower. Penthouse. Come alone. —D.W. Her throat tightened. The penthouse of Wolfe Tower—his lair, his throne. And she was walking right into the lion’s mouth. “I have no choice, she reminded herself. Not if I want to keep Sinclair Holdings alive. Not if I want to keep my father alive”. She stared at the message a moment longer, then locked the screen and turned to leave. But in the hallway outside, a figure paused in the shadows, his phone still recording. And he smiled. ………………………………………………… Days Earlier Wolfe Industries The city skyline stretched behind Damian Wolfe as he leaned back into his leather chair. The dim lighting of his office casting shadows on the glass walls. His office smelled of expensive whiskey, wealth and power—three things he had in abundance. Across him sat Evelyn Sinclair, hands clapsed in front of her, with her face looking calm but her eyes betraying the weight of the conversation they were having. Damian looked intently at her and smirked while swirling the whiskey in his glass. ” Let's not waste any more time Evelyn. We both know why you are here. Evelyn looked at him and sighed. “How arrogant of him to call her by her first name”. She thought. “Sinclair Holdings is about to die and this deal would secure it's survival but then I would need more than just a signed contract. I need assurance”. Damian concluded. “Assurance?”. Evelyn asked with forrowed brows. Leaning forward and with his voice firm,” A marriage. I and your daughter—oh your stepdaughter, Aria. A union that secures not just your husband's business empire but our legacies. Evelyn's fingers tightened against the armrest of the chair. She had expected something like this but hearing it out loud made the weight of it settle heavily on her but then she could use this to her advantage. Evelyn exhaled while smoothening her platinum-blonde hair. “Aria is not one to agree to these kind of things” Damian smirked. “Then make her understand. You and I both know that business isn't about pride or personal feelings. It is about survival and right now Sinclair Holding is hanging by the thread. This marriage would not only secure Sinclair Holdings but would also secure her future, your future and the future of your husband who is about to die if you don't act fast”. Evelyn remained silent, looking at the polished floor beneath her. “What is in it for me?” She asked. Damian looked taken aback by her question but it was only for a second. “What do you want?” “Get married to her, take away her position as CEO and give it to me”. Damian looked at her wryingly and smirked. She doesn't know what is about to hit her. He would leave her to find out that his plans were bigger than they all could imagine. “Agreed. Get her to meet with me in two days”. Evelyn nodded.”I will talk to her”. She said. But little did they know that this was about to set off a chain of event none of them could have predicted.