"Mr. Carter will see you now."
The receptionist's voice was polite, but the atmosphere in Carter Group's headquarters was thick enough to cut. Every eye seemed to follow Samantha Bradley as she walked down the gleaming marble corridor — the woman who had the business world on its knees in less than a year. Her heels struck a confident rhythm against the floor, each step echoing with purpose, poise, and danger.
Jake Morgan walked beside her, calm as ever, his tailored suit pressed and his expression unreadable. Yet his sharp eyes scanned the space around them, taking in every detail — the way Carter employees straightened as she passed, the nervous whispering that trailed behind.
He leaned closer. "You sure about this?"
Samantha didn't look at him. "Business requires face-to-face conversations."
Jake gave a dry chuckle. "And revenge requires sharp timing."
Her lips curved slightly — not quite a smile. "Then I'm right on schedule."
The glass doors to the executive suite slid open with a low hum. Inside, the air smelled faintly of cedar and success — Nick's kind of space. Everything in the room spoke of control: clean lines, dark furniture, and a single large window framing the skyline like a promise he was trying too hard to keep.
Nick Carter rose from behind his desk the moment she entered. His movements were composed, but his eyes… his eyes betrayed him.
"Samantha," he greeted, his tone polite, formal — but the slightest rasp lingered beneath the words. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with us."
Samantha extended her hand smoothly. "Mr. Carter."
Their hands met for a brief moment. Just skin. Just business. Yet for Nick, it felt like the air thinned. There was something about her presence — the cool command in her voice, the faint trace of perfume that stirred memories he couldn't place.
Jake shook Nick's hand next, breaking the tension. "Pleasure, Mr. Carter."
"Please, have a seat."
The three of them settled around the polished table, assistants discreetly serving coffee before slipping out, leaving behind only silence and the soft hum of the city outside.
Samantha flipped open her folder, sliding a set of documents across the table. "Elevate Strategic Group is considering a partnership with Carter Group's renewable expansion project. We've reviewed your proposals. The potential is promising — but your projections are overly optimistic."
Nick tilted his head, studying her. "Overly optimistic?"
Her tone was cool, factual. "Yes. Carter Group has lost two major investors in the past quarter. If you can't secure a reliable partner soon, your supply chain contracts could collapse within six months."
Nick stiffened slightly. He hadn't expected her to cut straight through his armor like that. "You've done your homework."
"Always," she replied, eyes glinting. "It's how I stay ahead."
Jake watched silently, his hands folded, eyes flickering between them. He knew that look on Samantha's face — the calm precision she wore before she struck. But there was something else there too. Something softer she was trying to bury.
Nick cleared his throat. "You came here with quite the assessment. Should I assume you also came with a solution?"
Samantha's lips curved faintly. "Perhaps." She leaned back slightly, voice low, deliberate. "Elevate is considering a joint investment — fifty-fifty, under equal management terms. But it won't come without oversight."
Nick's brow furrowed. "Oversight?"
"Elevate doesn't fund instability," she said. "If we enter this partnership, I'll require full access to Carter Group's financial operations. Transparency ensures trust."
For a moment, Nick said nothing. He simply looked at her — at this woman who spoke with absolute confidence, who somehow made him feel both challenged and… familiar.
He finally exhaled. "You drive a hard bargain, Ms. Bradley."
She tilted her head slightly. "It's the only way I know how."
Their eyes met again — a moment too long, too charged. Jake noticed it instantly. His jaw clenched slightly, though he kept his composure.
Nick broke the silence first, leaning back with a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Still, I have to admit, you surprise me. I didn't expect the great Samantha Bradley to take an interest in Carter Group of all companies."
Samantha gave a light shrug, her tone calm. "Some debts deserve closure, don't you think?"
The words hung between them, quiet but sharp, like glass glinting in sunlight.
Nick blinked. "Debts?"
Her smile didn't waver. "Business debts, Mr. Carter. Of course."
But something in her voice — something just beneath the surface — made his pulse spike.
Jake saw it. He saw the flicker of confusion in Nick's eyes, the guarded mask that Samantha wore, and the old ghosts that still lived between them even though Nick didn't recognize her.
He leaned forward slightly, his tone cutting through the tension. "The proposal stands, Nick. Review it with your team, and we'll schedule a follow-up next week."
Nick nodded, though his gaze lingered on Samantha. "Of course."
As they stood, he extended his hand again. "Thank you for coming, Ms. Bradley."
Samantha took it, steady and composed. "I don't make visits without purpose."
For a heartbeat, they stood like that — two people who didn't realize how much history sat between them.
When they left the office, Jake remained silent until the elevator doors closed behind them. Then, he finally turned to her.
"You're playing with fire, Sam."
She didn't look at him. "I started this fire, Jake. I intend to control it."
He folded his arms, his tone softer now. "You say that like it's all strategy. But I saw your face in there. The way you looked at him."
Samantha turned sharply. "Don't."
Jake's voice dropped, gentler. "You can lie to everyone else. Not to me."
Her eyes hardened. "He doesn't even remember the woman he left bleeding in the rain. That's how little I matter to him."
Jake took a step closer. "And yet you still talk about him."
The elevator chimed softly — their floor. Samantha stepped out first, her shoulders straight, her mask slipping perfectly back into place.
"I talk about closure," she said, voice cold. "Not love."
Jake followed her, his heart tightening as he watched her walk ahead — all strength and control, the kind of woman who could destroy empires without blinking.
But he knew the truth. Behind that icy calm, Samantha Bradley was still fighting ghosts — and Nick Carter, unknowingly, was one of them.
As they entered the penthouse lobby, Jake finally broke the silence again. "You're going to crush him, aren't you?"
Samantha's gaze was fixed ahead, her tone a whisper meant only for him.
"No," she said. "I'm going to make him see what he threw away."
Jake said nothing. But as the elevator doors closed behind them, his reflection in the mirrored wall revealed what his words didn't — jealousy, quiet and aching.
Because the man she wanted to destroy was still the only one who could make her voice tremble.
And Jake knew… that made him the one most likely to get burned.