Chapter 3 SHE OWNS THE BATTLEFIELD NOW

Adrian stormed into his office the next morning, his usual calm replaced by a storm of rage and disbelief.

"Get me everything you can on Voss Enterprises," he snapped at his assistant. "Now."

The young man blinked. "Sir... Voss is a ghost company. No public listings, no visible shareholders. Just offshore holdings and ruthless acquisitions."

"Then start with the name," Adrian growled. "Elena Voss."

Silence.

His assistant hesitated. "Sir... Elena Voss bought out one of your subsidiaries last year. We thought it was a front for a European hedge fund."

Adrian's hands clenched into fists.

She'd been in his world the whole time. Right under his nose. And he hadn't seen her.

He was supposed to be the shark.

But it was Elena who had tasted blood.

Meanwhile – Elena's Next Move

In a sleek, sunlit office across the city, Elena met with a woman dressed in Dior and power.

Vivienne De Luca - heiress, media mogul, and Blackwood's newest investor.

Or so Adrian thought.

"You have the documents?" Vivienne asked.

Elena handed her a signed agreement.

"Cassandra Vale's name is on the leaked lab report," Vivienne murmured, eyes scanning the text. "If the press gets this..."

Elena's voice was ice. "They will."

Vivienne raised an eyebrow. "You're going for both of them?"

"I'm not just going for them," Elena replied. "I'm going for everything they built together."

Adrian's Discovery

By mid-afternoon, Adrian stood in his private vault, holding the black envelope Elena had dropped at the gala.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

No threats.

No demands.

Just one quote:

"A queen never returns to beg. She returns to conquer."

Beneath it: Elena's signature.

Not Hart.

Voss.

And for the first time in years, Adrian felt something he didn't recognize anymore:

Fear.

Flashback – When He First Met Her

He remembered the first time he saw her.

Barefoot in a summer dress, humming to herself as she fed birds in Central Park. She'd looked at him like he wasn't a billionaire or a Blackwood.

Just a man.

She was sunshine. Softness. Love.

And he'd destroyed her.

Or so he thought.

Now she was steel.

Final Scene – The Press Conference

That night, the entire city watched as Voss Enterprises announced a major acquisition on live TV.

Blackwood Pharmaceuticals.

Adrian's legacy.

Swallowed whole.

And standing at the podium, flanked by CEOs and camera flashes, was Elena.

She wore black - like she was mourning the man he used to be.

"Today marks the beginning of a new era," she said calmly.

"For those who think they can bury truth with lies - I hope you dig a little deeper."

The crowd erupted.

Adrian watched from his penthouse, glass shattering in his hand.

He had destroyed her once.

But this time...

She came back with a crown.