Chapter 4 Smokes and Mirrors

Three weeks.

That's how long it took for the whispers to stop.

Three weeks of court filings, quiet NDA agreements, and a media blackout engineered so precisely it left no traces behind. Celia's name was scrubbed from the Prescott website. Jackson's death was ruled a failed blackmail attempt. And Nora?

Nora walked back into that building like a goddamn queen.

Heels sharp. Baby bump is now undeniable.

This time, no one dared look away.

The Office, 9:05 AM

"Ms. Halstead," one intern stammered, holding the elevator.

Thank you, she said smoothly. Let's not be late to strategy.

Behind her, someone whispered, "She's the one who got rid of Celia."

"Not just Celia," someone else replied. She cleaned the house.

Let them whisper.

Let them wonder.

Let them remember.

She earned her throne in blood and sweat.

Boardroom - Executive Meeting

Cal watched her from across the table.

She was composed, wielding numbers like blades. Investors listened. The directors nodded.

Even the sharks respect her now.

But he saw something else beneath it-something still wounded, something still watching the exits.

When the meeting ended, he didn't follow her immediately. He waited. Studied her.

And then the ghost appeared.

Later That Day - Cal's Office

A knock.

He looked up.

And froze.

"Sophia?" he said.

She stepped in-elegant, dangerous, familiar. Her voice is smooth as poisoned honey.

"It's been a long time, Cal."

He stood, tension tight in his spine. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Sophia Monroe-former partner, former lover, and the only person who'd ever tried to destroy him and smiled while doing it-walked closer.

"I heard about Nora. About the baby. The scandal. And I thought... maybe you need a safety net."

"We're not doing this," he said sharply.

She dropped a file on his desk.

"You'll want to look at it," she purred. "It's about your board."

He didn't move.

"You're bleeding from the inside, Cal," she added. "And you don't even see it."

Nora's Office

She stood by the window, sipping mint tea, when her phone buzzed.

Unknown number.

A single message:

> He's not who you think he is. Ask him about Sophia Monroe.

Nora's fingers curled around the phone.

Sophia.

She'd heard the name before.

Now it had a face-and a threat.

The name rolled through her head like thunder.

Sophia Monroe.

It wasn't jealousy. It was instinct. The kind that lived in a woman's bones. That told her when something didn't add up.

Nora stood in front of Cal's office door for a full minute before she knocked.

"Come in."

He didn't expect her.

But the moment their eyes met, he knew.

"You saw her," she said.

"Yes."

"You didn't tell me."

Silence.

He stood slowly. "Because she didn't matter. Not anymore."

"Then why is she back?" Nora's voice was sharp. "And why did someone send me a message warning me about her?"

His jaw clenched.

"She's fishing," he said tightly. "Trying to get into your head."

"She already has," Nora replied. "Because now I'm wondering what else you haven't told me."

Flashback – Five Years Ago

Sophia Monroe was everything Cal shouldn't have touched.

A brilliant strategist. Ruthless. Seductive. Poison in a crystal glass.

They built a company together once-until she sold his secrets to the highest bidder. Until the betrayal nearly buried him in lawsuits and ruin.

He buried her name. Buried the guilt. But she'd crawled her way back like a virus.

Present

"She nearly destroyed me," Cal admitted. But I fixed it. Quietly. I didn't want you to get caught in the crossfire.

Nora stared at him. "You're still protecting me."

"Because I care."

"No," she said. You're protecting your version of me-the one who doesn't ask too many questions. The one who plays along.

He moved closer. "That's not fair."

"What else are you hiding, Cal?"

He looked at her then, really looked at her. This woman-bruised by betrayal, blazing with defiance. And pregnant with his child.

"I'm not hiding anything now," he said quietly. But I did. Because I was afraid of losing you.

She blinked hard. That made it worse.

Later That Night

She didn't go home.

She stayed at a hotel across the city-high up, windows full of stars. Alone with her thoughts and a pulse of fear that wouldn't settle.

Her phone buzzed again.

Another message.

> You think he loves you? Ask him who owned 17% of Prescott Industries before he erased the contract.

Another buzz.

A photo.

Sophia. Cal. And a contract signed with both their names.

Nora's chest tightened.

This wasn't over.

It was just beginning.

Nora barely slept.

Her mind replayed the photo again and again-Cal and Sophia, smiling like co-conspirators. And the contract. The signature. 17%.

Seventeen percent ownership wasn't a casual deal. It was control. Power. A bond deeper than romance.

And Cal had never said a word.

By the time she walked into the office the next morning, she wasn't angry.

She was calculating.

Cal's Office – 9:17 AM

He looked up the second she entered. His face softened, but she didn't give him the chance.

"Who owned seventeen percent of your company, Cal?" she asked coolly.

His silence spoke before his lips did.

"You saw it," he finally said.

"I did."

He went around the desk. "That deal was five years ago. Sophia helped me with a hostile takeover. She funded it. And yes, for a moment-she had leverage."

"Leverage you never told me about it," Nora replied. "And don't say it didn't matter."

"They don't know. I bought her out. That contract is dead."

"Then why does she still have copies of it?" she snapped. "Why does she still walk into your office like she owns pieces of you?"

His eyes darkened. "Because she's playing you."

"And maybe you let her."

That cut deeper than she expected. Cal's jaw tensed, but he didn't fight it. He just looked... tired.

"She's trying to ruin you," Nora whispered. "But it feels like she's already halfway there."

Sophia Monroe's Apartment – Private View

Sophia poured a glass of wine, smirking as she replayed a voicemail Nora had accidentally left open.

Cal's voice, frantic. Apologizing. Explaining. Pleading.

Weakness.

Just as planned.

"She's slipping," Sophia said, speaking into the speakerphone where her silent partner listened.

"She won't slip far," a man's voice replied. "She's tougher than she looks."

"She's pregnant," Sophia said sharply. Hormonal. Angry. Isolated.

"You think she'll turn on him?"

"Oh, darling," Sophia purred. "I don't need her to turn on him. I just need her to stop trusting him. The rest will happen on its own."

Nora's Apartment – That Evening

She stared at her reflection again. This time, she didn't recognize the woman in the mirror.

Her hands rested on her belly. Her child. Her future.

And her mistake?

Was it Cal?

Or was it letting herself believe love could ever come without a cost?

The door buzzed.

She ignored it.

It buzzed again.

And again.

Then-his voice.

"Nora. Please. Open the door."

She moved to it. Hesitated.

Then they opened.

Cal stood there, drenched in rain, eyes bloodshot. Hands at his sides.

"I don't have all the answers," he said. "But I have the truth."

She let him in.

Not because she trusted him.

But because she needed to hear what he had to lose.

Nora didn't plan to show up at the Prescott Foundation Gala.

She wasn't in the mood for sequins, champagne, and fake smiles. But appearances mattered, and Cal needed her there-at least until they figured out how deep Sophia's claws had sunk.

Her gown was black. Simple. Fierce. A message in itself.

I'm still standing.

Inside, the ballroom gleamed. Reporters gathered along the walls. Investors sipped gold-rimmed cocktails. Cameras flashed as Cal took the stage.

Nora stood off to the side, watching.

Then Sophia appeared.

Red dress. Perfect lips. And a confidence that dared anyone to challenge her.

She made her way through the crowd like she belonged there.

Like she never stopped belonging.

"Darling," she greeted Nora, her voice soaked in poison-laced sugar. You clean up well. Pregnancy agrees with you.

Nora's lips tightened. "You might want to enjoy this night, Sophia. Because it's your last one here."

Sophia chuckled. "Oh sweetheart... we both know that's not true."

Before Nora could respond, Sophia turned-and walked right onto the stage beside Cal.

Gasps. Cameras. Flashbulbs.

Cal froze. The room turned silent.

"Sorry, Cal," Sophia cooed into the mic. "I just couldn't stay quiet anymore."

He tried to pull her back, but it was too late.

"I was once the woman behind Prescott Industries," she said. "And now, I'm simply a woman warning you."

She turned to the press.

Be careful where you invest your faith. Especially in men who rewrite history and women who mistake a baby for a legacy.

The crowd erupted.

Cal grabbed the mic. "That's enough."

"Is it?" she asked sweetly. Should I tell them about the shell company? The offshore accounts? Or maybe- she looked right at Nora- "the deal he made to protect you that cost him everything?"

Nora's blood ran cold.

The room spun.

What deal?

Later That Night – Outside the Ballroom

Nora didn't speak as she stepped into the cold night air. Cal followed her, trying to explain.

"She's lying," he said.

"No," Nora replied. She's twisting something real. That's what makes her dangerous.

He grabbed her hand. "Let me explain."

"Then do it," she whispered, eyes glossy. Tell me what you gave up to protect me. Tell me what Sophia meant when she said the baby was the price.

Cal flinched. "I made a deal with the board months ago. To keep them quiet. To guarantee your position stayed safe. But they made me sign over part of my controlling shares to do it."

Her breath caught. "You gave up your power... for me?"

He nodded. "And I'd do it again."

Nora shook her head. "No. You should've told me. You should've let me choose."

She turned away, tears sliding down her cheeks. Cal reached for her, but she pulled back.

"I don't need a man to fight for me behind closed doors," she said. "I need a man who fights beside me."

She walked toward the car waiting at the curb.

Cal stayed in place-alone in a storm of flashing lights and falling trust.