It was war now.
The kind of war that couldn't be won with lawyers or press releases. It had to be fought with cunning, secrets, and, most of all—restraint.
But Aurora Lane wasn't known for restraint.
She paced her office like a lioness trapped in a glass cage. The headlines blared from her screen:
"Affair or Alliance? Dominic Raine and Aurora Lane Caught in Scandalous Partnership!"
"Insider Trading or Intimate Betrayal?"
"Secret Footage Reveals Billionaire Romance Turned Corporate Conspiracy!"
The leaked video had gone viral within minutes.
Every media outlet had dissected it—her laugh, the way Dominic looked at her, the kiss. That single damn kiss in the shadows of the gala was now on repeat like a bad song she couldn't shut off.
Maya handed her a cup of coffee. "You need to breathe."
Aurora barely heard her. "Do you know what they're saying? That I seduced Dominic for funding. That he funded me because I—" She swallowed the rest.
"Everyone is watching, Aura."
"I didn't build this company for years to be reduced to someone's mistress in the headlines."
"No one who knows you believes that."
Aurora's eyes flared. "But the board? The shareholders? Investors? Perception is everything in business, Maya."
Her phone buzzed. Another message from Dominic.
DOMINIC: Let me handle the press. I'll take the hit. Just say the word.
She stared at the message.
He was always trying to protect her. That was the problem.
She didn't need a shield.
She needed a weapon.
---
Meanwhile – Raine Enterprises
Dominic's jaw was tight as he addressed his PR team.
"I don't want a single headline thrown back at her. We focus everything on me. Say I made the investment behind her back, that I'm the one who blurred the lines."
"Sir," his head of PR said carefully, "that may trigger an ethics investigation."
"I don't care."
"Your stock will take a hit. Investors may pull—"
"I said I don't care."
The room fell silent.
Dominic turned away from them, facing the towering skyline. His reflection in the glass looked like a man with everything—and yet nothing in control.
He didn't regret falling for Aurora.
He regretted not telling her sooner.
The anonymous investment had been his way of supporting her when her company faced a brutal acquisition threat last year. It wasn't about control—it was about watching her win, quietly.
He didn't want credit.
But now the world thought the worst.
And worst of all, Aurora wasn't returning his calls.
Not after the video.
Not after the leak.
Not after Juliana's final blow.
---
Lane Innovations – Emergency Board Meeting
The boardroom was thick with tension.
"We need a statement," said Mr. Yao, their legal counsel. "Preferably from Ms. Lane herself, denying any improper conduct."
Aurora sat at the head of the table, a queen in a crumbling castle.
"I won't lie," she said firmly. "We had a relationship. That's not illegal."
"It is if he was funding your expansion while you were involved. It looks like manipulation," one board member snapped.
Aurora's fingers curled around her pen.
She wanted to scream. To flip the table. But she stayed composed.
"I was unaware of his investment at the time. We were not together when it was made. I will release a statement saying that."
Another board member leaned forward. "And what about the video?"
Aurora paused.
"I'll address it."
"How?"
"By reminding the public that a woman in business doesn't owe her success to a man's affection. And that no matter how they spin it—this company was built by me."
The room went still.
Then, one by one, the board members nodded.
She still had their loyalty.
But it was hanging by a thread.
---
That Night – Aurora's Penthouse
Aurora stood on her balcony, a blanket draped around her shoulders, watching the city lights flicker like fireflies in chaos.
Her doorbell rang.
She knew who it was before she opened it.
Dominic stood there, drenched from the rain, dark suit clinging to him like a second skin.
"I told security not to let anyone up," she said softly.
He stepped forward. "They didn't want to. I bribed them."
A small smile tugged at her lips, despite everything.
"You shouldn't be here."
"I know."
She looked at him, thunder rolling behind her eyes. "You kept that investment a secret."
"I was trying to help—"
"I didn't ask for your help, Dominic! That's the part you don't get. You keep trying to save me like I'm this fragile thing that needs you to fight my battles."
His jaw clenched. "Because I love you."
She froze.
The rain between them was deafening.
He stepped closer. "I love you, Aurora. I've loved you since the day you told me to go to hell in front of twenty CEOs."
She blinked rapidly.
"And I know I should've told you. About the money. About everything. But I've never wanted credit. I just wanted you to win."
Her heart warred with her mind.
"You made me look like a kept woman."
"No," he said fiercely. "I made a mistake. But you—You are a storm. You don't need anyone's approval. Least of all mine."
Aurora's breath hitched.
"And the kiss?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. "The one in the video?"
"I meant it," he said. "And I'd do it again."
Her throat tightened.
She should've slammed the door.
Should've told him to leave.
But instead—
She grabbed him by the collar and kissed him like he was oxygen and she'd been drowning.
And this time, when the cameras flashed?
There were none.
Because for once—it was just them.
No boardroom.
No business.
No war.
Just heartbreak.
And the beginning of something neither of them could stop.
---