Three weeks before the Blackwood Charity Gala…
Lila Evans
The email arrived at 2:17 a.m.
Lila Evans was still awake.
Not unusual.
Sleep had become a luxury ever since Stratagem Consulting started bleeding clients. The small firm's open office was nearly empty, lit only by the bluish glow of computer screens and the tired hum of the air conditioner.
Lila rubbed her eyes and refreshed her inbox.
There it was.
Subject: Blackwood Enterprises — Westbridge Inquiry
Her heart skipped.
Then immediately guarded itself.
"Don't get excited," she muttered.
Blackwood Enterprises was famous for two things: making obscene amounts of money… and rejecting almost everyone.
Still, her fingers moved quickly as she opened the message.
We have received your proposal submission. Further review pending.
That was it.
No warmth.
No encouragement.
Just corporate ice.
Lila leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling.
"Pending review," she repeated softly.
Most analysts would have taken the hint.
She wasn't most analysts.
By morning, she had already sent her first follow-up.
By afternoon, her second.
By the end of the week…
Five.
Her boss nearly had a heart attack.
"Lila," Mr. Henderson said carefully, standing beside her desk, "Blackwood Enterprises is… particular. We don't want to appear desperate."
Lila didn't even look up from her projections.
"We are desperate."
He winced.
Not wrong.
Stratagem had lost two major clients that quarter. If the Westbridge deal slipped through their fingers, layoffs were almost guaranteed.
Including hers.
"I know the numbers," Henderson sighed. "But Adrian Blackwood doesn't respond well to pressure."
Lila finally looked up.
Her gaze was steady.
"Then it's a good thing I'm not pressuring him."
A pause.
"I'm reminding him I exist."
Adrian Blackwood
Across the city, Adrian Blackwood was already irritated.
He stood in his private office on the top floor of Blackwood Tower, skimming through the latest acquisition reports with surgical focus.
"Sir," his assistant Marcus said cautiously, "there's… another email."
Adrian didn't look up.
"From?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Stratagem Consulting."
That got his attention.
Adrian's eyes lifted slowly.
"…Again?"
Marcus nodded.
"That makes… six this week."
Silence settled over the office.
Most firms sent one proposal and waited.
Smart firms, anyway.
Adrian extended his hand.
"Show me."
Two minutes later, he was still reading.
Marcus shifted slightly.
That, in itself, was unusual.
Adrian Blackwood did not waste time on small firms.
Yet his gaze remained fixed on the screen.
Clean analysis.
No fluff.
Aggressive—but backed by numbers.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Who wrote this?" Adrian asked.
"Lead analyst is listed as Lila Evans."
The name meant nothing to him.
But something about the tone of the report…
It didn't beg.
It didn't flatter.
It challenged.
Adrian's fingers tapped once against the desk.
A quiet, thoughtful rhythm.
"Keep the file," he said at last.
Marcus blinked.
"You want to proceed?"
Adrian's expression returned to its usual cool neutrality.
"Not yet."
A pause.
Then, almost absently—
"Schedule Stratagem for the charity gala screening."
Marcus's brows rose slightly.
That was… unexpected.
But he simply nodded.
"Yes, sir."
The Observer
Across town, in a luxury penthouse washed in golden evening light, a woman scrolled through her tablet with growing displeasure.
Her nails were perfectly manicured.
Her expression was not.
The headline on the internal Blackwood briefing glowed on the screen:
Westbridge Development — External Proposal Under Review
Her eyes narrowed.
"Stratagem Consulting…" she murmured.
Tap.
The analyst profile opened.
Lila Evans
A photo appeared.
Simple.
Professional.
Unremarkable—
Except for the eyes.
Sharp.
Unyielding.
The woman's lips pressed into a thin line.
"Well," she said softly, setting down her champagne glass.
"Isn't this interesting."
Back at Stratagem
Two days before the gala…
Lila finally got the call.
Her phone rang just as she was about to leave the office.
Unknown number.
She answered anyway.
"Lila Evans speaking."
The voice on the other end was crisp and professional.
"This is Marcus Hale from Blackwood Enterprises. Mr. Blackwood has reviewed your proposal."
Lila sat up straight.
Her pulse quickened despite herself.
"I see."
"We'd like you to attend the Blackwood Charity Gala this Saturday for further discussion."
For the first time in weeks…
Lila Evans was speechless.
Then her expression hardened with determination.
"Understood," she said calmly.
But the moment the call ended—
She exhaled sharply.
Game on.
Elsewhere…
In the quiet of his office, Adrian Blackwood stood by the window overlooking the city.
Marcus spoke from behind him.
"Do you think Stratagem is worth the time?"
Adrian's gaze drifted to the city lights.
Unreadable.
"Probably not."
A beat.
Then, quieter—
"But I'm curious."
And somewhere in the city…
Fate was already tightening its threads.