Isabella woke up to the piercing sound of her phone vibrating against the nightstand. Her head throbbed from the previous night's whiskey, and her body ached from exhaustion. She groaned, reaching for the phone, but when she saw the caller ID, her breath hitched.
Ethan Lancaster.
Her fingers curled around the device, heart hammering against her ribs. She debated ignoring it, but something told her Ethan wouldn't appreciate being avoided.
With a deep breath, she answered.
"You've been busy," his voice was smooth, dangerously calm.
She sat up. "Excuse me?"
"I hear you made a new friend," he murmured.
Isabella stiffened.
Damien.
How did Ethan know? She had only met him last night.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Ethan chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Don't play dumb, Isabella. You were seen with Damien Carter."
Her fingers clenched around the sheets.
"And?" she challenged.
There was a pause before Ethan's voice dropped, laced with warning. "Stay away from him."
Her pulse raced.
Damien had seemed charming, easy to talk to. But the way Ethan spoke about him made her hesitate.
Still, she wasn't going to let Ethan dictate who she could and couldn't associate with.
"I don't take orders from you."
Ethan exhaled sharply. "You should."
"Or what?" she snapped.
Silence.
Then, a quiet promise: "You don't want to find out."
A chill ran down her spine.
Ethan didn't make empty threats.
But she wouldn't back down.
"Goodbye, Ethan," she said and hung up before he could say anything else.
She exhaled shakily, her entire body tense.
She needed to get out.
The air outside was crisp, clearing her mind as she walked toward a café near her apartment. She needed time to think.
But the moment she stepped inside, her steps faltered.
Sitting at a table near the window, looking completely at ease, was Damien.
As if he had been waiting for her.
He looked up, smiling when he saw her. "Fancy meeting you here."
Isabella hesitated before walking over. "How did you know I'd be here?"
"I didn't," he said smoothly. "Just a lucky coincidence."
Something told her that wasn't true.
Still, she slid into the seat across from him.
"I assume you got a call from Ethan this morning?" Damien said, stirring his coffee.
Her stomach clenched. "How do you know that?"
Damien smirked. "Because he doesn't like competition."
Isabella frowned. "Competition?"
He leaned in, voice lower. "Ethan doesn't just want you, Isabella. He wants to own you. And anyone who gets in his way becomes a problem."
Her chest tightened.
She had known Ethan was controlling. Possessive.
But hearing it from someone else made it feel even more suffocating.
"What do you know about him?" she asked.
Damien tilted his head. "A lot. And I also know that men like Ethan Lancaster only respect one thing—power."
She swallowed hard. "And you have power?"
He smirked. "Enough to make things interesting."
Something about the way he said it made her uneasy.
"Why do you care?" she asked.
Damien's gaze darkened. "Let's just say Ethan and I have unfinished business."
Isabella studied him, a nagging feeling growing in her gut.
Had she just stepped into something far more dangerous than she realized?
The rest of the day passed in a blur.
She tried to focus on finding a new job, but Ethan's threat and Damien's words echoed in her mind.
By the time evening arrived, she decided she needed a distraction.
So when Damien texted her, inviting her to an exclusive gala, she found herself agreeing.
Maybe it was reckless. Maybe it was dangerous.
But she was tired of living in fear of Ethan Lancaster.
She was done letting him control her.
The gala was held in a grand hotel, the kind of place where only the wealthiest and most powerful gathered.
Isabella stepped out of the car, adjusting the sleek black dress Damien had sent over. It fit her perfectly, hugging her curves in all the right places.
She wasn't naive—she knew Damien wanted to make a statement by bringing her here.
And if Ethan found out?
She shivered at the thought.
Damien met her at the entrance, looking effortlessly charming in a tailored suit. "You look stunning."
She forced a smile. "Thanks."
He offered his arm, and after a brief hesitation, she took it.
The moment they stepped inside, all eyes were on them.
Isabella held her head high, ignoring the whispers.
But then, the room fell into silence.
And she knew why.
Ethan Lancaster had arrived.
Her heart stopped as their eyes met across the room.
His gaze darkened, his jaw tightening.
She had never seen him look so furious.
Damien leaned closer, smirking. "Showtime."
And just like that, Isabella realized she had just set off a war.
Ethan moved toward her, his strides slow and deliberate.
People parted for him instinctively, sensing the storm brewing beneath his polished exterior.
Damien tightened his grip on her hand.
Ethan stopped in front of them, his gaze locked on Isabella. "I told you to stay away from him."
Her stomach twisted, but she forced herself to stand tall. "You don't get to control me."
Ethan's jaw clenched. "The hell I don't."
Damien chuckled. "Jealous, Lancaster?"
Ethan's gaze snapped to him. "I don't get jealous. But I do eliminate threats."
The tension between them was suffocating.
People around them watched, eager for the confrontation to unfold.
Isabella knew she had to do something before it escalated.
So she did the only thing she could think of.
She turned to Damien and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
It was quick, barely a second long, but the effect was immediate.
Ethan's entire body went rigid.
And in that moment, Isabella knew she had just made the biggest mistake of her life.