Cameras flashed like strobe lights as Dominic stepped out of the black Rolls-Royce. Reporters shoved microphones forward, yelling questions over one another.
"Mr. King, is it true you and Miss Lane rigged stock values?"
"Dominic, is this romance just a cover for corporate fraud?"
"Will you resign—?"
The chaos crescendoed—until Aurora appeared.
Dressed in a form-fitting white suit, her long hair cascading in soft waves, she stepped beside Dominic like a queen entering her court. Her heels clicked confidently against the pavement, each step silencing the noise.
Dominic turned slightly, extended his hand. She took it without hesitation.
Every camera caught the moment.
Their fingers interlocked like they were built to fit each other.
And then she spoke—cool, collected, lethal.
"We are not here to answer baseless allegations. We are here to expose the truth." Her voice rang clear. "Someone wanted us to fall. Unfortunately for them, we rise together."
The reporters went wild.
Dominic leaned in just enough for the mics to catch. "This is just the beginning. We suggest you watch closely."
They walked through the entrance of the King Corp headquarters like royalty—equal parts dangerous and desirable.
---
Inside the elevator, Aurora exhaled, pressing her back against the mirrored wall.
"I still hate you," she muttered.
Dominic smirked. "You love me."
She rolled her eyes. "You wish."
He stepped closer, eyes flicking down to her lips. "You're wearing the ring. That says more than your mouth ever will."
She smirked. "My mouth says plenty when I want it to."
Dominic's laugh was dark and low. "Don't tempt me, wildcat."
---
In the war room on the top floor, the legal teams, media strategists, and private investigators had already gathered.
Aurora tossed a folder on the table. "I want everyone who's ever had dinner with Elias King and Marianne Bishop investigated. Bank records, phone logs, everything. If they sneezed near a microphone, I want a transcript."
Dominic nodded to his lead investigator. "The emails in the media were manipulated. The metadata proves it. The originals were never sent. We need to leak that to the press—quietly."
His team nodded and scattered.
Aurora glanced at Dominic. "You always play ten steps ahead."
He looked at her, eyes stormy. "Not always. When it came to you, I walked in blind."
She blinked, caught off guard by the rare vulnerability.
"Do you regret it?" she asked.
Dominic stepped close, tilting her chin. "Not for a second. But I do regret not protecting you better."
Her voice turned soft. "You still can."
---
Later that night, Aurora's penthouse buzzed with silence.
She poured a glass of wine and stood by the window, staring out at the city lights—bright, merciless, hungry.
Behind her, Dominic loosened his tie, watching her.
"You really think we can win this?" she asked without turning.
"We already are," he replied. "Every time they try to rip us apart, we show up stronger."
She turned. "You mean publicly. What about privately?"
He walked over, took the wine from her hand, and set it down. "Privately, I want you. No politics. No war. Just... us."
Her breath caught as he brushed his thumb down her cheek.
"I can't promise peace," she whispered. "I come with fire."
"I don't want peace," he growled. "I want the flames."
Then he kissed her like the war outside didn't exist. Like she was his only battlefield.
Clothes fell like fragile treaties—her blazer first, then his shirt. Her laugh echoed as he pinned her to the couch, his lips trailing fire down her throat.
"God, I hate how good you are at this," she breathed.
He nipped her ear. "That's not the only thing I'm good at."
She gasped as his hands slid lower. "You're still cocky."
"Only with you."
---
The next morning, the headlines flipped.
"Metadata Leak Proves Emails Were Fake—Dominic King and Aurora Lane Vindicated?"
"Whistleblower Claims Elias King Paid for Fabricated Evidence!"
Aurora burst into the office with the newspaper in hand. "We're trending. Everywhere."
Dominic grinned. "Checkmate."
She slapped the paper on his desk. "You're still a smug bastard."
"You love it."
She paused, smirked. "I do."
Their victory was just beginning.
But as the door closed behind her, Dominic's phone buzzed.
A single text.
Unknown Number: "She doesn't know the whole truth, Dominic. When she finds out, will she still love you?"
His jaw clenched.
He deleted the message.
Some wars hadn't begun yet.
---