Chapter 5 Two-faced

Alexander Sinclair was a name that sent ripples through industries, a force of power and prestige that few dared to challenge. Born into wealth but forged through ambition, he had built an empire so vast that his influence stretched beyond boardrooms and financial markets-into politics, media, and even the murky underworld where real power resided.

With a net worth that placed him among the world's elite, he was the kind of man who didn't just walk into a room-he owned it. Sinclair Enterprises dominated global finance, real estate, and technology, with skyscrapers bearing his name in every major city. He dined with presidents, crushed competitors without a second thought, and dictated terms to those who once believed they were untouchable.

But none of that mattered right now.

Standing outside the towering headquarters of his latest acquisition, Alexander clenched his fists, his jaw tight with unspent frustration. The shock of what had just happened was still raw, still gnawing at him like a wound that refused to close.

Laura.

She had been right in front of him-his Elana-breathing, standing, looking at him with those same hauntingly familiar eyes. But there had been no recognition. No spark of remembrance.

Nothing.

A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. Was she pretending? Or had she really erased him from her mind? Either way, she had no idea what she had just unleashed.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed a familiar number. It barely rang once before his sister picked up.

"What's up, Alex?" Bella's voice was sharp, laced with curiosity.

His grip on the phone tightened. "Do you know who I saw today?"

There was a pause. "Who?" she asked, now fully interested.

"Elana." His voice was low, rough. "My Elana. I saw her today, in the flesh."

Bella sucked in a breath. "What do you mean?" she asked, her tone shifting from curiosity to disbelief. "Where did you see her?"

A humorless laugh rumbled from his throat. "Isn't fate ironic?" he murmured bitterly.

"Why do you sound like that?" Bella pressed.

His laughter turned sharp, almost deranged. "She didn't recognize me."

Silence.

"She did not fucking recognize me," he repeated, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Isn't that funny? The woman who was once my entire existence looked at me like a stranger."

Bella scoffed. "She could be pretending. Don't you remember how two-faced that slut was? She fooled everyone. No one ever saw through her lies."

His lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Two-faced, huh?"

Bella's words swirled in his head, merging with his own dark thoughts. If she was pretending, then she was about to learn what true deception looked like. If she truly had forgotten him... then he would make her remember.

"She has no idea what's coming," he murmured coldly. "I'll show her what it truly means to play this game."

His voice hardened, each word laced with venom. "No one messes with Alexander Sinclair. No one."

Without another word he hung up

******

Elsewhere in the City...

The dimly lit room smelled of cheap whiskey and stale cigarettes. Papers were scattered across the wooden desk, some crumpled, others marked with red ink. A single lamp flickered, casting eerie shadows against the cracked walls.

A phone buzzed sharply, breaking the heavy silence.

The man leaned back in his chair, exhaling smoke as he reached for it. His fingers, rough and scarred from years of dirty work, tapped the screen before bringing it to his ear.

"Hello." His voice was calm, almost lazy.

But the voice on the other end was anything but.

"What sort of job did you do?" The woman's words were laced with anger, her tone sharp as a blade. "Do you want to drag me down with you?"

His lips twitched. "Hey, lady. Watch how you talk to me."

"What rubbish!" she snapped. "When you get to prison, then you can start worrying about that!"

His amusement faded slightly. "What do you mean?" he asked, sitting up straighter.

There was a pause, and then she spat the words like venom. "He found her. He found her."

The weight of those words settled between them.

His brows furrowed. "What do you mean? What about the person keeping tabs on her?"

"They're as useless as you." She hung up before he could respond.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, slowly, a smirk spread across his face. He twirled the phone between his fingers, his dark eyes gleaming with something dangerous.

"He found her, huh?" He chuckled under his breath.

Then he threw his head back and laughed-loud, unhinged, as if the whole world had just become his playground.

"This is about to get interesting."

The hunt had begun.