"You're not supposed to be here."
Kylie Reynolds didn't flinch. She turned slowly, her crimson dress hugging every curve, the slit up her thigh daring anyone to challenge her. Her heels clicked on the marble floor of the Collins Global lobby like war drums.
"And yet," she said calmly, "here I am."
The young assistant standing near the reception desk looked panicked. She clutched her tablet like a shield. "Security will escort you out. You were removed from the list."
Kylie's lips curved, but there was no warmth in her smile. "I'm used to being removed. But you should know something, sweetheart. When a woman like me walks back into the building she was once thrown out of, she's not here to be escorted. She's here to take the damn building."
The assistant blinked. She took a step back, unsure whether to call security or run herself.
Kylie took a breath. Beneath her cool exterior, her heart was hammering. The scent of polished steel, pine scented air vents, and power still clung to this place. Her place. Her father's company. The empire that should have been hers.
She hadn't stepped inside Collins Global in five years. Not since her world had collapsed.
Not since Sebastian Carter had smiled at her with love in his eyes and a knife behind his back.
Now, the glass doors reflected not Jacinta Collins, the naive heiress they declared mentally unstable, but Kylie Reynolds the woman she'd built from ashes.
"Is there a problem here?" a new voice cut through the tension.
A man stepped forward, suited in navy, sleek and corporate. He was handsome in a forgettable way. The kind of man who always stayed near power but never held it. Middle management in designer shoes.
Kylie turned to him. "Tell Sebastian Carter that Kylie Reynolds is here for her 10 a.m. meeting."
The man blinked. He looked her over, then smirked. "I'm sure Mr. Carter is busy today. Perhaps you can schedule something next week."
Kylie raised a brow. She leaned in just slightly, her voice soft. "Tell him this meeting isn't optional."
The man hesitated. There was something in her tone that cut sharper than any threat. He tapped something on his watch and murmured into his earpiece.
Minutes later, the elevator chimed. The assistant stepped aside, avoiding Kylie's eyes.
As the doors closed, Kylie caught her reflection. Strong jaw. Red lips. No fear. The girl she used to be had died in this building. And today, she would bury the man who killed her.
On the top floor, the air was colder.
"Miss Reynolds," Sebastian Carter said, rising from his seat behind the CEO desk. "This is a surprise."
Kylie smiled as she walked in. The office hadn't changed. The same floor to ceiling windows. The same silver framed photo of her father on the shelf. And Sebastian still too charming, too polished. Like a beautiful poison.
"Hello, Sebastian. Still playing king in a castle you stole?"
He laughed. "Let me guess. You're here to shout, cry, throw something? I have to admit, Jacinta or is it Kylie now? It's hard to keep up I didn't think you had the courage to come back."
Kylie walked closer. "You thought you destroyed me. I understand. You always underestimated me. That was your first mistake."
"And your second was coming here without an army."
She placed a folder on his desk. He opened it slowly.
Inside were purchase orders. Company shares. Legal transfers. All signed.
Sebastian's smile dropped.
"You remember Pioneer Corp? That small firm your board rejected last year? They just bought thirty percent of your overseas logistics. Two of your top investors moved to our camp. And the man backing me now? Let's just say his money makes yours look like lunch change."
"You're lying?" said Sebastian
"You don't believe me? look for yourself"
Sebastian picked the folder and leaned back, looking at it jaw tight. "What do you want, Kylie?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Everything you took from me. And more."
The silence cracked between them.
"I could ruin you," he said finally. "Still. You're not untouchable."
"You're right. I'm not. But the man I work with? He is."
Sebastian stood. "Who is he?"
She leaned in, whispering like a secret. "Don't worry you'll find out soon, He's the man who taught me how to take off my crown and sharpen it into a weapon."
Hours later, Kylie stepped into the waiting car.
Cole Walter sat inside, legs crossed, his suit perfect, his expression unreadable.
"Well?" he asked without looking at her.
"He didn't scream. He didn't throw anything. That means he's terrified."
Cole nodded once. "Good. Fear means he's predictable."
Kylie exhaled. "I thought it would feel better."
Cole finally looked at her. His eyes were dark and unreadable. "Revenge rarely does. Not until it's finished."
She glanced at him. "You think I'm not ready?"
"I think you're still hoping he'll apologize. And that's a weakness."
That annoyed her. "I don't want an apology. I want his world to fall. I want him to feel what I felt."
"Then stop caring how you look doing it."
Kylie turned her head, staring out the window.
"We need to move faster," she said after a beat. "I want a seat at the next board meeting."
Cole smirked. "That can be arranged. But if you want to sit at the table again, you'll need more than a new name and sharp heels."
She faced him. "What do you suggest?"
"We get married."
Silence dropped like a bomb in the car.
"Excuse me?"
"A contract marriage. Temporary. Strategic. You become the wife of the man whose firm controls half the Collins infrastructure. Your name becomes synonymous with corporate power. No one questions your presence at that table."
She stared at him. "This wasn't part of the plan."
"It is now."
"Cole—"
"This is how we win."
She searched his face. Cold. Composed. Dangerous. There was nothing personal in his suggestion. But her heart still kicked in her chest like a warning.
"And what do you get out of it?"
"Credibility. Access. You help me destroy the Collins name. I help you wear it like armor."
She laughed softly. "You're serious."
"Deadly."
Kylie looked away. Her reflection shimmered in the tinted glass.
Fake marriage. Real power. No emotions.
This was everything she wanted.
So why did it feel like something else entirely?
"Fine," she said finally. "Let's get married."
Cole nodded. "Good."
And just like that, the next move on the board was made.