Chapter 2: A Dangerous Proposition

The morning after the gala, Evelyn sat in her sleek corner office, a panoramic view of the city stretching before her. The skyline, normally a symbol of her success, did little to calm the storm raging inside her.

She tapped a manicured nail against the polished mahogany desk, eyes scanning the latest reports on the Crestview project. The numbers were promising. If she played her cards right, Sinclair Enterprises would crush Knight Global.

A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

“Come in,” she called, expecting her assistant.

Instead, Damien Knight strolled in as if he owned the place.

Evelyn stiffened. “I don’t recall inviting you.”

Damien smirked, closing the door behind him. “I don’t need an invitation.”

She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. “I should call security.”

“You won’t.” He took a seat across from her, entirely too comfortable in enemy territory. “We need to talk.”

She raised a brow. “About?”

His gaze darkened. “Crestview.”

Evelyn’s stomach tightened, but she masked it with a cool smirk. “Let me guess—you’ve realized you can’t win and you’re here to surrender?”

Damien chuckled, the sound rich and infuriatingly confident. “Oh, Evelyn. If I ever surrender, it won’t be in business.” His voice dropped just enough to make the air between them thick with something unspoken. “Or anywhere else.”

Heat prickled along her skin, but she kept her expression unreadable. “Get to the point.”

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on her desk. “We both know this bid will be brutal. No matter who wins, the other will bleed. I propose an alternative.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m listening.”

“A partnership.”

The word sent a jolt through her. Of all the things she expected, this wasn’t one of them.

She scoffed. “You expect me to believe you’d share control?”

“Not share,” he corrected. “Merge. Knight Global and Sinclair Enterprises—joint control of Crestview.”

She shook her head, standing. “Why the hell would I agree to that?”

He rose too, closing the distance between them. Too close.

“Because,” he murmured, “together, we’d be unstoppable.”

The words sent an undeniable thrill through her. It was a tempting offer—too tempting. But Evelyn knew better than to trust Damien Knight.

She tilted her chin up, refusing to be swayed. “I don’t need you to be unstoppable.”

Something flickered in his eyes—something unreadable, dangerous. “No, but you want me.”

The air between them became suffocating. The unspoken tension that had simmered for years threatened to ignite.

Evelyn exhaled slowly, refusing to let him see the effect he had on her. “If you think I’ll let desire cloud my judgment, you’ve underestimated me.”

Damien’s smirk softened into something more wicked. “I would never underestimate you, Evelyn.” His voice dipped, just above a whisper. “But tell me… if this is just business, why haven’t you stepped away yet?”

She hadn’t realized it, but he was right. She was standing so close that she could feel his warmth, smell the faint scent of his cologne.

This was dangerous.

Evelyn forced herself to step back, reclaiming her space. “Your offer is noted. But I don’t trust you, Damien.”

He studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Fair enough.” Then, with a smirk, he added, “But I like a challenge.”

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving Evelyn standing in the middle of her office, her pulse racing.

One thing was certain—this war between them had just taken a dangerous turn.

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