The elevator doors slid open, but neither Dominic nor Aurora spoke on the way down.
Not a word.
Not a glance.
But their silence roared louder than any argument ever could.
Dominic's mind was a battlefield of strategy and suppressed desire. He hadn't planned to kiss her. He sure as hell hadn't planned to feel again.
Not after how she looked at him the night she found out about the shares.
Not after the storm she left behind.
Aurora, meanwhile, stared ahead with a cool expression, but inside, she was boiling.
Not with anger. Not anymore.
With confusion.
Regret.
And a dangerous flicker of hope.
---
They reached the parking area, a black SUV waiting for Dominic, sleek and tinted.
"I'll have the evidence delivered to your office tomorrow morning," he said, breaking the silence. "Emails, phone records, internal financials from Juliana's shell companies. She's laundering money through a fake wellness brand under your name."
Aurora's eyes flared. "She used me?"
"She wanted to destroy us both in one strike."
"Well," she said, her voice sharp and dangerous, "she should've aimed better."
Dominic opened the car door. She paused.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"To settle this the only way she'll understand. Fire."
"You're not doing this alone."
He smirked, leaning in slightly. "Didn't plan to. Partners?"
"Temporary," she warned.
"But very attractive," he said, lips curling.
She rolled her eyes. "You flirt like you breathe. Constant and unnecessary."
"And you still blush when I call you beautiful."
"I do not—"
"You do," he cut in, then stepped back into the car with that maddening smile.
She hated how good it looked on him.
Worse?
She wanted to see it again.
---
The Next Morning – Lane Innovations HQ
Aurora's office was glass, high-rise, and commanding. Just like her.
She'd barely taken her first sip of coffee when a secure file landed in her inbox.
Sender: Dominic Raine.
Subject: Let's Burn Her Together.
She opened it.
Evidence. Clean. Meticulously cataloged. Voice recordings. Screenshots. A video feed of Juliana laughing with her legal advisor, talking about "taking that little minx down."
Aurora's jaw tightened.
Little minx, huh?
She'd show Juliana just how dangerous little things could be.
Her phone buzzed.
Dominic: Lunch. One o'clock. Van Dante's. Private room.
Aurora smirked.
This wasn't just about teaming up anymore.
It was about taking back everything they had lost—even if that included each other.
---
Van Dante's – 1:03 PM
Aurora walked in wearing a soft white satin blouse tucked into high-waisted black pants. Minimal makeup. Maximum impact.
Dominic was already seated in the private lounge, shirt sleeves rolled up, one hand on his scotch glass, other scrolling through his tablet.
He looked up when she entered—and lingered.
"Dressed to kill?" he asked.
"No," she replied coolly, "just dressed to own."
"Same difference."
She sat across from him, tossing a manila folder onto the table. "I had my legal team draft a cease-and-desist order against Juliana's 'wellness brand.' One signature from me, and it'll go public."
Dominic scanned it. Impressed.
"She's going to panic."
"She'll do worse," Aurora said. "She'll retaliate."
"That's why we're one step ahead."
She looked at him.
That dangerous calm in his tone. The slow smirk that twisted his lips.
He was enjoying this.
And so was she.
"So what's your next move, King?"
"I plant a mole in her boardroom. Someone who'll leak every upcoming decision she makes."
"And who do you trust enough to do that?"
His eyes met hers. "You."
Aurora's eyebrows shot up. "You want me to play double agent?"
"You're the only one who can get that close without raising flags."
"I'm the CEO of a rival company."
"And her biggest target. She'll never suspect you'd team up with me after what happened."
Aurora hesitated.
Then a wicked smile spread across her lips.
"Alright," she said. "Let's give her a war she'll never forget."
Dominic leaned in, voice low. "I always liked you best when you were plotting revenge."
"And I always liked you least when you were enjoying it."
Their eyes locked. Fire flickered.
And then, because neither of them had self-control where the other was concerned, Dominic reached across the table and brushed his fingers along the inside of her wrist.
Aurora froze.
"You still shake when I touch you," he murmured.
"I'm just repulsed," she said, breath uneven.
He smirked. "Then why aren't you pulling away?"
She did.
Eventually.
Barely.
---
Later That Night – Dominic's Penthouse
Dominic stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, city lights glittering behind him.
He knew this alliance with Aurora was temporary.
But it was the most alive he'd felt in months.
She made him feel… cornered. Challenged. Desired. Human.
A vibration pulled him from his thoughts.
Aurora: Operation Seduction & Sabotage begins tomorrow. You sure you're ready for this?
Dominic: Always ready for you.
Her reply came instantly.
Aurora: Don't flirt with your business partner.
Dominic: But we're enemies with benefits now, remember?
Aurora: Only if those benefits include revenge.
Dominic: And maybe one more kiss.
There was no reply.
But a second later, his phone pinged.
A photo.
Aurora, in a red silk robe, holding a glass of wine with a devilish smirk.
No caption.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then whispered to no one, "You'll ruin me, Aurora Lane."
But God help him, he wanted to be ruined by her.
---