Paris – Killian's Penthouse
Evangeline pulled away first.
Her breath came fast, lips swollen from a kiss she shouldn't have wanted.
What the hell did I just do?
Killian's eyes were dark, a storm raging behind them. He reached for her again, but this time, she stepped back.
"No," she whispered. "This was a mistake."
A muscle ticked in his jaw. "You didn't seem to think so a second ago."
She shook her head, fingers trembling as she swiped her tongue over her lips. "I can't do this, Killian. Not again."
His gaze sharpened. "You mean you won't."
Before she could answer, a sharp buzzing cut through the silence.
Killian exhaled sharply and turned toward his desk, snatching his phone off the surface. She saw the way his entire body tensed as he read the screen.
Evangeline frowned. "What is it?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared at the message, shoulders tight, expression unreadable.
And then, very quietly, he murmured—
"We have a problem."
Her stomach twisted. "What kind of problem?"
Killian tossed the phone onto the desk and ran a hand through his hair. "Someone leaked our merger."
She sucked in a sharp breath. "What?"
"I just got word—the press is already on it. But that's not the worst part." His eyes lifted to hers. "Someone's been digging."
A cold wave of dread washed over her.
She didn't have to ask what he meant.
Their past. The war. The reason she left.
All of it—a buried minefield waiting to explode.
She swallowed hard. "How bad is it?"
Killian exhaled, jaw tightening. "Bad enough."
He turned the screen toward her, and when she saw the headline, her blood ran cold.
Billionaire Rivals Call Truce—But At What Cost?
The subheading was worse.
Sources claim Killian Thorne was behind Evangeline Sinclair's downfall. Did betrayal turn to business… or something more?
Evangeline's pulse pounded. This wasn't just a leak. This was calculated.
She looked up at Killian. "Someone wants us at each other's throats."
His expression darkened. "Not just that. Someone wants to destroy you. Again."
Her throat went dry.
She had enemies.
That was nothing new.
But this? This was different. This was personal.
And Killian knew it, too.
A muscle feathered in his jaw. He grabbed his whiskey glass, downing the rest in one long swallow before setting it aside with a sharp clink.
"We need to find out who's behind this," he said. "And fast."
She crossed her arms. "Do you have a list of suspects?"
His lips curled in a humorless smirk. "I have a list of people who'd love to see us both ruined."
Before she could press him further, his phone buzzed again. This time, he answered.
"Talk."
Evangeline watched as his expression shifted, going from tense to lethal in the span of five seconds.
"No," he said sharply. "Shut it down. Now." A pause. "I don't give a damn what it costs. Pay them off."
Another pause. Then his jaw tightened. "You're sure?"
Evangeline's stomach twisted.
Whoever was on the other end said something that changed everything.
Because when Killian hung up, his face was unreadable, but his voice was deadly.
"They're not just going after you," he said. "They're going after both of us."
Her heart pounded. "Who?"
He held her gaze.
And when he finally spoke, her blood turned to ice.
"Your ex."
Silence crashed between them.
Evangeline's stomach churned. "Damian?"
Killian's nod was sharp. "He's working with someone. And whoever it is? They want blood."
Her hands curled into fists.
Damian. The man who left her when she needed him most. The man who watched her lose everything and never looked back.
And now, he was trying to finish the job.
Killian's gaze was unreadable. "We need to move. You're not safe here."
Evangeline straightened, her pulse thrumming. "I don't need your protection."
His lips curved into something dark. "You don't have a choice."