Chapter 5

The rain started at dusk. It fell in thick, heavy sheets, turning the Manhattan streets into slick, black mirrors.

Alia stood in the hallway of an exclusive private club in Tribeca. She pressed her thumb against the biometric scanner. The light flashed green. The heavy oak door clicked open.

She walked into the private booth. The air smelled of aged leather and expensive bourbon.

Clara was sitting at the table. She wasn't smiling. A half-empty martini glass sat in front of her.

Clara pushed a thick manila envelope across the polished wood table. "I still don't know who sent me that first text with the photos," Alia said, staring at the condensation on Clara's glass. "It felt... targeted. Like someone was watching both of us." Clara nodded grimly, tapping the envelope.

Alia sat down. She unbuttoned her damp trench coat. She reached into the envelope and pulled out a stack of papers.

"I had to call in favors from three different hedge fund managers to get this," Clara said, her voice hushed.

Alia flipped to the first page. A black-and-white photograph was clipped to the top left corner.

It was a man. His jawline was sharp, his cheekbones high and harsh. His eyes, even in the grainy photo, looked like black ice.

The name printed in bold letters beneath the photo read: Dangelo Abbott.

The air left Alia's lungs. Her chest tightened as if a heavy band had been strapped around her ribs.

"Dangelo Abbott," Alia whispered.

"He runs Aethelred Group," Clara said, pointing at the text. "He's a ghost, Alia. He specializes in hostile takeovers. He guts legacy companies, sells the parts, and destroys the competition."

Alia stared at the list of bankrupt companies on the second page.

"Why would a private equity billionaire want a municipal planning project?" Alia asked. Her fingers traced the edge of the paper. "It's too small for him."

"Because he doesn't leave survivors," Clara said. "If he wants that land, he will take it."

Alia closed her eyes. A memory hit her with physical force.

A year ago. A charity gala at the Met. She had been standing near the bar. She had looked across the room, past the crystal chandeliers.

Dangelo Abbott had been standing by the stairs. He had turned his head and looked directly at her group, his focus zeroing in on her with alarming precision. She later heard he had asked her companion who she was, having already known of her reputation as Legatum's fiercest project manager. Even from across the room, his gaze had been heavy, suffocating, like a physical weight pressing against her throat. She had felt like a piece of meat on a hook.

She opened her eyes. Her hands were trembling slightly. She placed them flat on the table to stop the shaking.

"Find out where he's going to be this week," Alia said. "A gala, a board meeting, anything."

Clara shook her head. "He doesn't do press. He doesn't do parties."

Clara's phone vibrated on the table. She picked it up, read the text, and her face fell.

"Alia," Clara said softly. "My contact at City Hall just texted. Dangelo's legal team is signing the final contract tomorrow morning. It's over."

Alia pushed her chair back. The wooden legs screeched against the floor.

She shoved the papers back into the envelope and stuffed it into her bag.

"I have to go back to the office," Alia said, her voice tight. "I have to prepare for the board's fallout."

She walked out of the club.

The rain was coming down harder now. The wind whipped the cold water against her face, soaking her hair instantly.

She opened her umbrella, but the wind caught it, bending the metal spokes. She abandoned it, running to her car through the freezing downpour.

She unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat. She was shivering. Her clothes clung wetly to her skin. She started the engine, the heater blasting hot air that did nothing to warm the ice in her veins.