Chapter 2 The First Move

Zara's POV

The sun was setting over the city as I stood in Sebastian Knight's office, my heart still racing from the intensity of our first meeting.

His grip on my wrist, the way his eyes had burned into mine... I hadn't expected to feel anything but hatred. But here I was, flushed, my body betraying me with its reaction to him.

Damn it, Zara. Focus.

I couldn't afford to be distracted, especially not by him. This was about revenge, this was about my father, my family.

Sebastian Knight was the enemy, no matter how much my body seemed to want to forget that fact. I had a mission to complete, and I couldn't let myself be sidetracked by lust.

I took a few steps back to my desk, which was located right outside his room. A strategic spot to monitor him from. I would be there every time he entered or exited that room. Watching. Waiting for the kill.

But as I sat there, with both hands on the keyboard, I couldn't remove the sensation of his hand on my wrist out of my head.

My heart raced at the idea alone. Gosh, what was wrong with me?

I opened my laptop and started typing, pulling up files that I had carefully hidden away, even from the IT department.

A list of Knight Enterprises' confidential business deals, most of which were so deeply buried in shell companies and off-shore accounts that no one had noticed the pattern. No one except me.

These deals were my first move. Slowly and methodically, I would leak information.

Little bits at a time. Enough to raise suspicion, but not enough to be traced back to me. It had to be subtle. A slow burn. Just like the fire inside me.

As I clicked through the files, my eyes caught one in particular: Hale Industries.

Noah Hale. My pulse quickened at the sight of his name. He was Sebastian's biggest competitor and an even bigger threat to the Knight empire than I could ever be on my own.

I leaned back in my chair, weighing my options. Noah Hale was supposed to be a spit fire, but he also had a personal vendetta against Sebastian.

He might be helpful. I'm very sure he might be more than helpful; he might just be the solution to all of this.

Just as I opened his file further, a voice broke through the silence.

"Still here?"

I almost fell off my chair, my heart thumping. I looked up to find Sebastian in the office door, his blue eyes so icy they made me shiver.

He wasn't supposed to catch me off guard like this.

I swallowed, forcing a smile as I quickly closed my laptop. "Just finishing up."

But he didn't move. Didn't blink. "I don't like surprises, Miss Morgan. You should know that by now."

My pulse quickened, but I kept my face neutral. "I wasn't planning on surprising you."

He flicked his gaze to my laptop, then back to me, and for a second there, I thought he was going to call me out.

Instead, he straightened and stepped back from the door. "Good. Because surprises have a way of turning deadly in my world."

There it was again. That dark, predatory look.

The one that sent fear into my heart, closed my thighs. He warned me that he wanted to see how far I could go, but he didn't know that danger is what I breathe for.

I wasn't here to play it safe. I was here to burn everything to the ground.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, my voice steady even though my body was betraying me, heat curling low in my belly.

Sebastian's lips curled up into a slow, dangerous smile.

He nodded at me and then turned around, stepping back into his office. The second the door closed, I let out a deep breath I hadn't even known I was holding.

Get it together, Zara.

But it was impossible. His presence lingered, thick in the air, intoxicating. He was so... infuriatingly attractive. And that was exactly the problem.

I couldn't let myself get sucked into whatever game he was playing. It was important for me to stay away from him emotionally and especially physically if I had any chance of winning this.

But... I knew better. It wouldn't be that simple. Not with the way he looked at me. Not with the way his voice felt like a caress.

I stood up and headed to the elevator. I needed some fresh air. The night was warm when I got out of the building, the city coming alive.

I pulled my phone from my pocket as it buzzed.

I answered immediately. "Hello, who am I speaking with?"

"Zara." The voice was smooth, dangerously charming. "I hear you're making moves."

My heart skipped a beat. "Please, who is this, and how did you get my number?"

"This is Noah Hale, and I have my ways," he said, his tone laced with amusement. "We need to meet. Tonight."

I bit my lip, glancing back at the towering Knight Enterprises building behind me.

This was risky. Meeting Noah meant exposing myself to a whole new level of danger. But it also meant advancing my plan.

"Where?"

"I'll send a car. Be ready at eight."

Before I could respond, the line went dead. I stared at my phone, my mind racing.

This was it. The first real step toward dismantling the Knights.

But as much as I hated to admit it, the thought of Noah and Sebastian both vying for control over me sent a pulse of heat through me.

I was playing a dangerous game. And I couldn't deny it.

---

Exactly at eight, a black car pulled up in front of my apartment. I let out a long breath before climbing inside the cool-leathered seat. I wore an especially tight, low-cut dress to impress.

Noah was a business ally, but he was also a man. And I needed him to want me. To ache for me. Almost as much as he wanted to bring down Sebastian.

The car drove through the city, and eventually, we made it to a nice hotel. The type of place where deals are made behind closed doors and secrets are bought with expensive scotch.

Riding the elevator to the penthouse seemed like it took forever, my heart was racing for what felt like forever.

Noah was waiting when the doors slid open, casually leaning against the marble counter, sipping a glass of whiskey.

He looked up as he saw me and smiled slowly, the corners of his green eyes crinkling.

"Zara," he purred, stepping forward. "You look... incredible."

I smiled, letting him take my hand and lead me deeper into the room. "I could say the same about you."

He chuckled, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "I knew you were dangerous the moment I laid eyes on you."

I arched a brow, stepping closer until I could feel the heat radiating off him. "Dangerous can be exciting, don't you think?"

Noah's eyes changed, growing darker as his hand at the small of my back pressed me closer to him. It was a charged moment, a physical sensation like that of lightning seconds before it struck.

But it wasn't just about lust.

It was about the power and control I had to exert over this situation for it not to consume me instead.

But I couldn't ignore the warm rush of desire that flooded me when his lips brushed my neck. I wasn't supposed to feel like this.

Not from Noah. Not from Sebastian.

But the power they both held over me, the way they could consume me with just a touch...

This was dangerous. But it felt so good.