Chapter 12

He grabbed the papers so tightly his knuckles became white. Charlotte gulped. “Sir… she owns part of your company now.” Adrian sprang up from his chair, his pulse thundering in his ears. “No.” No, no, no. This wasn’t possible. This wasn’t happening. His mind raced back to last night. To her tranquility, her control, the way she had smiled when he signed. She had played him. He had gone straight into her trap. Adrian’s breath came fast, his palms tightened into fists. For the first time since she returned, he noticed it. She wasn’t the lady he had once known. She wasn’t Isabella anymore. She was something colder, sharper and ruthless. And she had just won. Across the city, Aria sat in her office, sipping her coffee, her phone humming with new news. Liam chuckled from across the room, shaking his head. “You didn’t just beat him, Aria. You burned him to the ground.” Aria grinned, setting her cup down. “He had it coming.” Her phone vibrated: Adrian Marsden.