Chapter 16

Chapter 16

ADRIA

The woman staring back at me wasn't Adriana Chen, the mousy wife. She wasn't quite Adriana Salvadore, the powerful heiress, either. She was someone in between—someone confident and put-together, someone who commanded attention without demanding it.

Someone who looked like she could negotiate billion-dollar deals before lunch.

I changed into clothes I'd stored here—a tailored charcoal suit with a silk blouse, heels that added three inches to my height, and a leather portfolio that looked both professional and expensive. I added simple jewelry: a watch, small earrings, a delicate necklace.

Miss Andy looked back at me from the mirror, and I felt something shift inside my chest. This was closer to who I really was. This was the person I'd buried to become Damien's ideal wife.

I checked the time. One-thirty. Just enough time to get to Kane Industries and make my entrance.

The drive there felt different. I sat up straighter, drove more confidently, didn't automatically defer to other cars the way I'd trained myself to do as Adriana Chen. It was amazing how much changing your appearance could change your entire demeanor.

Kane Industries occupied a sleek glass building in the financial district, all modern architecture and aggressive ambition. I pulled into the visitor parking and took a moment to center myself.

You've done this a thousand times before, I reminded myself. You've pitched to Fortune 500 CEOs, negotiated with venture capitalists, commanded boardrooms full of men twice your age. This is nothing.

Except it wasn't nothing. Because if Darius Kane recognized me somehow, if word got back to Damien that his wife was masquerading as the Salvadore heiress's assistant, the whole plan would fall apart.

No. That wouldn't happen. I'd been careful. I'd been thorough.

I grabbed my portfolio and headed inside.

The lobby was impressive—all marble and chrome, with a massive fountain in the center and the company logo etched into the wall behind the reception desk. Several people moved through the space with purpose, their expensive suits and confident strides marking them as successful professionals.

I approached the reception desk where a young woman with perfectly styled hair looked up with a professional smile.

"Good afternoon. How can I help you?"

"I'm Miss Andy," I said, keeping my voice slightly deeper than my natural tone. "I have a two o'clock appointment with Mr. Kane."

Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly—a tell that she'd been briefed about who I supposedly represented. "Of course, Miss Andy. Let me notify Mr. Kane's office that you've arrived."

She picked up the phone, spoke quietly for a moment, then hung up and smiled at me again. "Someone will be down to escort you up shortly. Can I offer you water, coffee, or tea while you wait?"

"Water would be lovely, thank you."

She handed me a bottle of Pellegrino in a chilled glass, and I'd barely taken a sip when a young man in an expensive suit appeared from the elevator bank.

"Miss Andy? I'm Joshua, Mr. Kane's executive assistant. If you'll follow me, please."

I followed him into an elevator that whisked us up to the top floor with barely a sound. The doors opened onto an executive suite that made Damien's office look like a storage closet. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered panoramic views of the city, and the space was decorated with what looked like original artwork and minimalist furniture that probably cost more than most people's cars.

"Mr. Kane is just finishing up a call," Joshua said, gesturing to a seating area with leather chairs that looked more comfortable than my bed. "He'll be with you momentarily. Can I get you anything else?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

He disappeared through a door, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my nerves. I pulled out my phone—my real phone—and saw messages from Adrian asking how things were going, from Maya demanding updates, and from James saying he'd have the full dossier on Damien's friends by tonight.

Everything was falling into place.

The door opened again, and this time it wasn't Joshua who emerged.

Darius Kane was not what I'd expected. Based on Damien's bitter comments about him, I'd pictured someone older, harder, more obviously ruthless. Instead, the man who approached me looked to be in his early twenties, with his glossy dark hair and sharp gray eyes that missed nothing. He was tall, well-built, and moved with the kind of confidence that came from knowing exactly who he was and what he was capable of.

"Miss Andy," he said, extending his hand. "Thank you for coming. It's an honor to meet a representative of Ms. Salvadore."

I stood and shook his hand firmly. "The honor is mine, Mr. Kane. Ms. Salvadore speaks highly of your work."

A slight smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Does she? I wasn't aware she knew much about Kane Industries."

"Ms. Salvadore makes it her business to know about every significant player in this city's business landscape," I said smoothly. "Your company has been on her radar for some time."

"Please, sit." He gestured to the chairs, and we both sat, a coffee table between us. "I have to admit, when I received her message, I was surprised. The Salvadore family isn't known for reaching out directly, especially not to companies like mine."

"Companies like yours?"

"Smaller, hungrier. Still fighting to prove ourselves against more established competitors." His eyes held mine. "I assume Ms. Salvadore has a specific reason for considering a partnership with Kane Industries rather than, say, Castellan Enterprises or Montgomery Holdings?"

There it was—Damien's company name, dropped casually into conversation like a test.

I allowed myself a small smile. "Ms. Salvadore believes that success isn't always measured by market share or years in business. Sometimes the most valuable partnerships are with companies that still have something to prove. Companies with vision and drive rather than complacency and arrogance."

Darius leaned back, studying me with those sharp gray eyes. "That sounds like it might be a commentary on certain competitors."

"Ms. Salvadore doesn't comment on competitors," I said primly. "She simply recognizes opportunity when she sees it."