"I don't care how it happens, but you are going to be mine."
Arnold Blaze's whispered vow hung in the air, a promise as cold and unyielding as the man himself.
The floor-to-ceiling windows of his office cast long shadows across the polished marble. The glittering cityscape below was a jungle of glass and steel, and he was its undisputed king.
But tonight, Arnold wasn't thinking about the empire he built with ruthless precision.
He was thinking about her.
Lilith.
She was the only thing he couldn't control. The one mystery that refused to be solved. And it drove him mad.
Still, business came first.
He turned sharply, his tailored suit whispering wealth with every step, and strode into the sleek conference room. Inside, the tension cracked like static. On one hand sat his team, sharp, silent, and ready. On the other hand, the smug vultures from Sterling Industries, led by their CEO, Victor Sterling.
Arnold's jaw tightened.
Victor leaned back in his chair, flashing a lazy grin. "Blaze, let's not waste time. Sterling has the upper hand here. Your growth is flashy, but without our resources, you're plateauing."
Arnold didn't blink. "You assume I'm here from weakness. That's your first mistake."
He tapped his tablet. Behind him, a massive screen came alive, displaying five-year market projections. Red dominated Sterling's future.
"Your decline is inevitable," Arnold said coolly. "But with Blaze Enterprises, you gain forty percent market growth. I'm offering salvation."
Victor's grin faded. "You're bluffing."
"Am I?"
Arnold's eyes glittered like shards of ice. "Ask yourself one thing, Victor: Can you afford to walk away?"
Silence. Then whispers. Sterling's team glanced at one another, pale and panicked.
Arnold leaned back, savoring the silence.
Victor finally swallowed his pride. "What are your terms?"
"Fifty-one percent control. Full access to your international assets. And a permanent seat on your board."
The room erupted in low protests. Victor looked like he might explode, but he shook Arnold's hand anyway.
"This isn't over," he muttered.
Arnold smiled, cold and victorious. "It never is."
Later that evening, back in his office, Arnold nursed a glass of bourbon as his executives debriefed.
Lucas, his right-hand man, offered a nod. "You crushed them."
"Not yet," Arnold muttered. "Tomorrow's cleanup matters more."
Isabella, his sharpest female executive, scribbled notes with swift precision. Her eyes lingered on Arnold longer than necessary, but he didn't notice.
His mind was elsewhere.
Lilith.
He dismissed them both and loosened his tie. The night was young, and for once, the high of conquest didn't feel like enough.
He needed a distraction.
And so, against his usual habits, Arnold Blaze walked into one of the city's trendiest nightclubs, unaware that tonight would change everything.