Chapter 5: The Enemy of My Enemy

Sophia's POV

The moment I hear his last name, my world tilts on its axis.

Carter.

I replay it in my mind, convincing myself that I misheard. But no, the name lingers, heavy and unmistakable. Alex Carter. The same last name as my ex-husband. The same man I’ve vowed to ruin.

My fingers tighten around the stem of my champagne glass as I stare at him, my pulse hammering in my ears. His expression is unreadable—calm, composed—but I see it now. The resemblance. The sharp jawline, the piercing gaze, the way he carries himself with effortless authority. How had I not noticed before?

I take a slow breath, forcing the rage down. “Tell me I’m wrong,” I say, my voice quieter than I intend, but no less dangerous.

Alex doesn’t blink. “You’re not.”

A slow, mocking laugh bubbles out of me before I can stop it. “Of course.” I shake my head, biting back the bitterness coating my tongue. “Of all the men in the world, I had to sleep with you.”

His lips twitch, but there’s no amusement in his eyes. “Seems like fate has a twisted sense of humor.”

I glare at him, my mind racing. If he’s Nathan’s brother—half-brother, I remind myself—then this isn’t just an unfortunate coincidence. This is a complication. A threat.

I set my glass down with a deliberate clink and fold my arms. “Let me guess. You’re here to defend your dear brother? Tell me how I should just walk away and let him win?”

Alex’s expression darkens, something sharp flashing in his gaze. “Hardly.”

I narrow my eyes, waiting.

He exhales slowly, swirling the whiskey in his glass before speaking. “Nathan and I share a father. That’s where our relationship ends.” His voice is controlled, but I hear the weight behind his words. “He betrayed me years ago, and I’ve been waiting for the right moment to return the favor.”

A chill runs down my spine. There’s something calculated in the way he says it, a quiet promise of destruction.

I watch him carefully. “What did he do to you?”

A flicker of something crosses his face—anger, regret, maybe both—but it’s gone before I can decipher it. “Let’s just say you’re not the only one he’s screwed over.”

I don’t trust easily. I can’t afford to. But the way Alex says it—the controlled rage in his voice, the steel behind his words—tells me he’s telling the truth.

Still, I scoff, not willing to let my guard down so easily. “And what? You just happened to show up in my life, buy shares in Nathan’s company, and now we’re suddenly on the same side?”

Alex tilts his head slightly. “You think I planned this?” His lips curve into something close to a smirk, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t chase after women, Sophia. And I certainly don’t chase after married ones.”

The heat in my cheeks is immediate, but I refuse to let him see how his words affect me. “Ex-wife,” I correct him coolly. “And if you’re expecting me to believe this is just some cosmic accident, you’re even more arrogant than I thought.”

Alex studies me for a long moment, then leans in slightly, lowering his voice. “Believe what you want. But if I had known who you were that night…” He lets the words hang between us, unfinished.

I lift my chin. “You wouldn’t have touched me?”

His gaze flickers to my lips, then back to my eyes, his expression unreadable. “I didn’t say that.”

My breath catches for half a second before I force myself to regain control. I refuse to let him get under my skin. Not again.

Instead, I focus on what matters. “So, what now? You expect me to believe we’re just two people who happen to hate the same man?”

Alex sets his glass down and straightens, his demeanor shifting from casual to businesslike. “Not quite.”

I cross my arms again. “Then what?”

He watches me, his gaze assessing, as if deciding how much to say. Then, finally, he speaks.

“We have a common enemy, Sophia. And right now, we have something Nathan doesn’t—each other.”

I let out a short laugh. “And what? You want to team up? Start some little revenge club?”

He doesn’t flinch. “Something like that.”

I shake my head, stepping back slightly. “I don’t need a partner, Alex. I’ve been handling this just fine on my own.”

His voice is steady, measured. “You want to take him down completely? Not just in the courtroom, but where it really hurts? His company. His power. His reputation.”

I hesitate. Because the truth is—yes. That’s exactly what I want.

But working with him?

Alex seems to read my thoughts because he steps closer, his voice dropping lower. “I have the resources. The connections. And unlike you, I know exactly how Nathan thinks.”

I swallow hard. “And what do you get out of this?”

His smirk returns, but this time, it’s colder. “The satisfaction of watching him lose everything.”

It’s tempting. Too tempting.

But I don’t trust easily. And something about this feels too… convenient.

I narrow my eyes. “What’s the catch?”

Alex watches me for a beat before speaking. “You want real power, Sophia? You want to make sure Nathan never gets back up after this?”

I nod slowly.

His gaze darkens. “Then you need more than just shares in his company. You need control.”

I tilt my head. “And how exactly do you suggest I do that?”

Alex’s smirk fades, his expression turning deadly serious. “You become his boss.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

He leans in, his voice smooth but firm. “Nathan is vulnerable right now. Between the divorce, the scandal, and his company’s shaky finances, he’s barely holding things together. If we pool our resources, we can take control before he even realizes what’s happening.”

It’s a bold idea. A dangerous one. But undeniably brilliant.

Still, I don’t let myself fall into it just yet. “And what do you get?” I ask again.

For the first time since we started talking, Alex hesitates. Then he finally says, “I’ll be honest with you, Sophia. I don’t do anything for free.”

I exhale sharply. “So, what’s the price?”

He steps even closer, the air between us crackling with unspoken tension. “You work with me. Fully. No secrets, no half-measures.”

I swallow. “That’s it?”

His lips press together slightly before he speaks again. “And when the time comes, you owe me a favor.”

A chill runs through me. “What kind of favor?”

Alex holds my gaze, and for the first time, I see something unreadable there. Something I can’t quite decipher.

“I’ll tell you when the time is right.”

Every instinct in me screams to walk away. To refuse. To handle this on my own.

But then I think of Nathan. Of Chloe. Of every lie, every betrayal, every moment of humiliation they made me endure.

I think of revenge.

I take a breath. Then, slowly, deliberately, I extend my hand.

Alex’s gaze flickers down to it before he takes it, his grip firm, unyielding.

“Looks like we have a deal,” I murmur.

His smirk returns, but there’s something darker beneath it. “Oh, Sophia,” he says smoothly. “You have no idea what you’ve just agreed to.”

A shiver runs down my spine, but I don’t pull away. Because whatever comes next…

I’m ready for it.

To be continued…