Chapter 5: Old Wounds
839 Words
The tension inside Kingsley Group headquarters had only grown since Elena Laurent’s visit.
Executives whispered in hallways. Assistants rushed between offices with urgent reports. Every department was asking the same question:
Who exactly was Elena Laurent—and why was she targeting Kingsley Group?
Inside his private office, Adrian Kingsley stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the city. His hands rested in his pockets, his expression unreadable.
But his mind wasn’t calm.
Elena’s voice.
Her composure.
The way she had looked at him like he was a stranger.
It didn’t make sense.
Three years ago, she had left his life shattered.
Now she had returned… untouchable.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
“Come in.”
Sophia Bennett stepped inside.
Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor. She looked elegant as always, but her smile was tight.
“I saw the news,” she said.
Adrian didn’t turn.
“Everyone did.”
Sophia crossed her arms. “She’s becoming a problem.”
Adrian finally faced her.
“You knew she was alive.”
Sophia blinked. “What?”
“At the summit, you weren’t surprised.”
She let out a light laugh. “Anyone would react like that seeing someone they thought disappeared.”
“She didn’t disappear,” Adrian said.
“She left,” Sophia corrected gently.
His expression darkened.
Sophia stepped closer.
“Adrian, you divorced her three years ago. Why does it matter now?”
He didn’t answer.
Because the truth unsettled him.
Elena’s return bothered him more than it should.
“She’s attacking my company,” he said finally.
Sophia nodded. “Then stop her.”
Adrian glanced toward his desk.
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why?”
He picked up a report and dropped it on the table.
“She’s targeting key parts of my supply chain.”
Sophia scanned it briefly.
“So she’s smart.”
Adrian’s voice lowered.
“She’s strategic.”
That was what troubled him most.
Elena had never shown interest in business before.
At least, not back then.
Sophia stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm.
“You’re overthinking. She probably just wants your attention.”
Adrian pulled away.
“That doesn’t sound like Elena.”
Sophia’s smile stiffened.
“You think you still know her?”
Adrian didn’t respond.
Because he wasn’t sure he ever did.
---
Across the city, inside Laurent Group headquarters, Elena sat at the head of a long conference table.
Executives waited quietly.
Lucas sat beside her, reviewing a tablet.
“We completed the media acquisition,” he said.
Elena nodded. “Good.”
One executive hesitated.
“Miss Laurent… are we certain about the next move?”
“Elaborate,” Elena said calmly.
“Kingsley Group.”
Lucas glanced at her. “You don’t have to rush.”
Elena leaned back.
“I’m not.”
She had spent three years preparing.
Three years building everything from nothing.
Three years learning the game.
“You saw him yesterday,” Lucas said.
“Yes.”
“And?”
“He hasn’t changed.”
Lucas studied her.
“Does he know?”
Elena’s gaze sharpened slightly.
“Know what?”
Lucas glanced at the photo frame on her desk.
A small boy smiled in the picture.
Dark hair. Blue eyes.
Unmistakable.
“About him,” Lucas said quietly.
Elena followed his gaze.
For a moment, something softened in her expression.
“No,” she said.
“And he won’t.”
Lucas frowned.
“He deserves to know he has a son.”
Elena’s expression hardened instantly.
“He lost that right.”
Silence fell over the room.
Executives avoided looking at her.
Lucas leaned forward.
“Revenge won’t fix anything.”
Elena met his gaze.
“This isn’t revenge.”
“Then what is it?”
She stood.
Her heels echoed softly as she walked toward the window.
In the distance, Kingsley Group towered over the skyline.
“For three years,” she said quietly, “I rebuilt my life.”
Lucas nodded.
“I know.”
“I lost my marriage.”
Her voice remained steady.
“I lost my reputation.”
Her hand pressed lightly against the glass.
“But I gained something more important.”
“Your son,” Lucas said.
Elena nodded.
“He deserves a future where no one can destroy his mother.”
Lucas leaned back.
“And Adrian?”
Elena’s reflection stared back at her.
“He’s part of the past.”
But her mind betrayed her.
The summit.
The way he looked at her.
Elena turned away.
“Prepare the next acquisition.”
Lucas checked his tablet.
“The hotel chain?”
“Yes.”
“That handles most of Kingsley Group’s events.”
A faint smile touched her lips.
“Exactly.”
Lucas shook his head.
“You really are taking everything.”
Elena picked up her briefcase.
“No,” she said calmly.
“I’m making sure he understands…”
Her voice softened slightly.
“…what it feels like to lose everything.”
- Writer
