The sound of her fingers typing against the keyboard was the only thing anchoring Alex to the present. The office buzzed softly around her—phones ringing, voices murmuring, printers humming—but inside her chest was a storm she couldn’t name. Not yet.
She took a sip of lukewarm coffee, brows furrowing. Her inbox was crammed with supplier updates and weekly reviews, but her mind kept slipping back to last night. Michael. His betrayal. That look on his face when she called him out. She hadn’t even told Arthur about it yet.
Her phone buzzed on the desk. A news alert.
Alex tapped the screen absently, expecting another useless headline. But the second the text loaded, her heart dropped.
“Steel Corp Suffers Hostile Stock Takeover: Nearly 7% Acquired Overnight by Rival Firm Whiteguard Inc.”
The mug in her hand slipped.
Coffee splashed across the desk, soaking into documents, staining everything in its path. Her chair scraped violently as she stood, barely noticing the mess. Her eyes scanned the article again. And again. Her pulse roared in her ears.
Whiteguard Inc.
That smug bastard Dominic Lane.
She bolted out of her office, nearly colliding with her assistant who had just returned from her lunch break.
“You,” Alex snapped. “How long have they been buying up our shares?”
The girl blinked, startled. “M-Ms. Steel, I just saw the news—”
“Exactly!” Alex roared. “The news. That’s how I found out! Not from you. Not from anyone in the finance division. From a goddamn notification!”
“I—I wasn’t aware—”
“You had one job,” Alex spat, voice cold as steel. “One. You're done here. Security will escort you out.”
The assistant opened her mouth to protest, but Alex was already gone.
She grabbed her coat, phone, and keys, fury building like wildfire. There was only one person who could’ve orchestrated this that fast. Only one man who was smug, rich, and psychotic enough to pull this off just to corner her into submission.
Zade Hale.
She didn’t call ahead. Didn’t wait in line. She stormed into the Hales' corporate building like it was hers to burn down.
“Miss Steel!” the receptionist shouted, scrambling to block her path.
“Try me,” Alex said, eyes blazing, striding right past.
She threw open the doors to Zade’s office without knocking. He was at his desk, startled, brows lifting as she stormed in.
“What the hell did you do?” she shouted.
Zade stood slowly, his posture defensive. “Alex—”
“Don’t you dare pretend like you don’t know,” she snapped, stepping closer. “You bought our shares. You’re trying to take over my father’s company from the inside now? Sabotage isn’t enough anymore?”
He looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “What are you talking about?”
“Whiteguard,” she growled, shoving her phone into his hands. “You’re linked to them, aren’t you? Bought a big fat slice of Steel Corp like it’s candy?”
Zade’s eyes scanned the screen. His mouth parted, confused. “Wait—Whiteguard did this?”
“Oh don’t insult my intelligence—”
“I didn’t do this,” Zade said sharply. “Alex, I swear I didn’t. I didn’t even know they were gunning for Steel Corp. I thought Lane was too busy chasing contracts in Europe.”
“You expect me to believe that?” she scoffed. “After everything you’ve pulled? The threats, the manipulation, the lies?”
Zade’s jaw tensed. “I’ve lied to you, yes. But I didn’t touch this. I didn’t even know about it.”
Alex laughed bitterly. “So what? You’re innocent this time? You ruined my life in every other way, but this—this—you’re suddenly pure?”
“Alex, I know how it sounds, but I swear—this one’s not me. I mean—yeah, I’ve been an asshole. But I’m not that much of a snake.”
“Right,” she spat. “You just plant cameras in my office and threaten my friends. But sure, let’s draw the line here.”
Zade’s expression twisted with frustration. “Goddamn it, Alex—listen to me! I’m not your enemy right now. Someone’s targeting both of us.”
“I don't care!” she snapped.
She turned on her heel, storming for the door.
He moved fast, circling around the desk and catching up to her before she could yank it open. His hand closed gently around her wrist. “Alex, please. Just hear me out—”
But the second his fingers touched her, the rage inside her boiled over.
She turned and punched him in the face.
Hard.
The sound cracked across the room.
Zade flinched, blinking rapidly as the red mark bloomed on his cheek.
“Don’t ever touch me again,” Alex whispered, voice trembling—not with fear, but with fury. “You don’t get to call me by my name. You don’t get to ask me to trust you. You made your bed, Zade. Now choke on the sheets.”
She pulled her hand back, grabbed her bag, and walked out without looking back.
Down the hallway. Past the receptionist. Into the elevator that felt way too slow.
Her hands trembled by the time she reached the parking garage, but her eyes stayed dry. No tears. Not anymore.
She got into her car, slammed the door shut, and peeled out of the lot like she was escaping a prison.