The headlights cut through the darkness like blades.
Lina stood frozen on the beach, the roar of the waves pounding in her ears as the convoy slowed and stopped several meters away. Black sedans. Tinted windows. Engines humming like predators waiting to strike.
She had known this moment would come.
She just hadn't expected it to feel so final.
The passenger door of the lead car opened.
A woman stepped out.
Tall. Elegant. Dressed in a tailored coat that belonged in boardrooms, not seaside towns. Her heels sank slightly into the sand, but she didn't falter.
Evelyn Moore.
Lina's heart dropped.
So the rumors were true.
Evelyn studied her from head to toe, a faint smile touching her lips. "You're prettier in person."
Lina straightened her shoulders. "You followed me."
Evelyn's smile widened. "Of course I did. You're… valuable."
"I'm not an asset," Lina said, forcing her voice steady.
Evelyn tilted her head. "That's where you're mistaken."
Minutes later, Lina sat inside one of the cars, hands clasped tightly in her lap.
Evelyn sat across from her, legs crossed, perfectly composed.
"You have two choices," Evelyn said calmly. "We do this quietly, or we do this publicly."
Lina met her gaze. "I already left him."
"Yes," Evelyn agreed. "But not completely."
Lina frowned. "What does that mean?"
"You're still a weakness," Evelyn replied without hesitation. "As long as you exist, Nathaniel is unstable."
Lina's chest tightened. "So what do you want?"
Evelyn leaned forward slightly.
"You'll sign a contract," she said. "An NDA. A relocation agreement. You'll disappear—for real this time."
Lina's hands trembled.
"And if I refuse?"
Evelyn smiled gently.
"Then your name will be everywhere," she said. "Your finances audited. Your family questioned. Your past… creatively exposed."
Lina swallowed.
She had known power was cruel.
She hadn't realized how personal it could be.
In the city, Nathaniel slammed his fist against his car door.
"Move," he snapped to his driver. "Now."
Traffic blurred as they sped through the night.
His phone buzzed again.
No answer.
"Damn it," he muttered.
He knew Evelyn's style. Clean. Polite. Merciless.
And she would never act without his father's approval.
"They think I'll choose power over her," Nathaniel said coldly.
The driver didn't respond.
"They're wrong."
The car stopped at a private villa overlooking the sea.
Lina was escorted inside.
The place was immaculate. Cold. Empty.
Evelyn poured herself a glass of wine and gestured for Lina to sit.
"You're afraid," Evelyn said calmly.
Lina didn't deny it. "You're threatening my life."
Evelyn sipped her wine. "No. I'm offering you control over how it ends."
Something inside Lina snapped.
She stood abruptly.
"No," she said. "You're afraid."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow.
"You're afraid that despite all your money and power," Lina continued, voice shaking but strong, "he still chose me."
Silence fell.
Evelyn's eyes hardened.
"Careful," she warned.
Lina took a deep breath.
"I loved him when he had nothing," she said. "I didn't chase his name. I didn't want his money."
Evelyn rose slowly.
"And that," she said coldly, "is exactly why you're dangerous."
The door burst open.
"Nathaniel Blackwood," a voice announced.
Lina spun around.
Nathaniel stood in the doorway, chest rising and falling, eyes blazing.
The room froze.
Evelyn turned slowly. "You're earlier than expected."
Nathaniel didn't look at her.
His gaze was locked on Lina.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
She shook her head, tears filling her eyes.
"No."
He exhaled sharply, relief flashing across his face.
Then he turned to Evelyn.
"This ends now."
Evelyn smiled. "You're in no position to make demands."
Nathaniel stepped forward.
"Actually," he said calmly, "I am."
He pulled a folder from his coat and tossed it onto the table.
Evelyn frowned and opened it.
Her expression changed.
"What is this?" she demanded.
"Evidence," Nathaniel replied. "Illegal acquisitions. Insider trading. Political bribes."
Evelyn's face went pale.
"You wouldn't dare."
"I already did," he said. "Multiple copies. Multiple agencies."
Silence thundered through the room.
The chairman's voice came through Evelyn's phone moments later.
"Stand down," he ordered sharply.
Evelyn closed her eyes.
For the first time, she had lost.
Nathaniel turned to Lina.
"This isn't over," he said softly. "But you don't have to face it alone."
Lina looked at him, tears spilling freely now.
"I didn't want you to lose everything because of me."
He smiled sadly.
"I didn't lose anything that mattered."
He reached for her hand.
She hesitated.
Then—
She pulled away.
"I can't go back to being protected," she said. "I need to be strong on my own."
His smile faded slightly.
"I understand," he said quietly.
Evelyn laughed bitterly behind them.
"You think this changes anything?" she sneered. "You're still nothing compared to us."
Lina turned.
Her fear was gone.
"I'm not nothing," she said. "I survived you."
Evelyn's eyes burned with hatred.
"You've made an enemy," she warned.
Lina nodded.
"I know."
Hours later, Lina stood alone on the villa balcony.
The sea stretched endlessly before her.
Nathaniel approached quietly.
"What will you do now?" he asked.
She took a deep breath.
"I'm going to learn," she said. "I won't be small anymore."
He nodded.
"I'll be watching from the sidelines," he said. "Until you're ready."
She looked at him, heart aching.
"And if I never am?"
He smiled gently.
"Then I'll wait."
A message buzzed on Lina's phone.
An unknown sender.
You passed the first test.
Her breath caught.
She looked up at Nathaniel, unease creeping in.
"This isn't over," she whispered.
The wind howled.
Somewhere in the dark, new players were moving.
And Lina had just stepped onto the board.
[End of Chapter 7]