CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SELENE’s POV

The moment I stepped out of Laurent Group headquarters, cameras flashed immediately. Reporters started calling my name, screaming lot of questions before security blocked them off.

“Miss Arden! Is it true you’re targeting Laurent Group directly?”

“Did Adrian Laurent agree to negotiations?”

“ Are the acquisition rumors true?”

I ignored every question and entered the car without slowing down, the door shut quietly behind me, cutting off the noise outside.

I exhaled deeply as the city moved outside the tinted windows while Marcus drove away. I leaned back against the leather seat slowly and closed my eyes for a second, then Adrian’s voice came back again.

You have an unusual habit as my late wife Serena.

The fact that Adrian remembered and took note of such tiny details made my stomach lurched in disappointment.

How did I make such a mistake, as little as it is, I should have been more cautious, more prepared for questions and memories.

I looked toward the car window, my eyes trailing the rain water drailing down the rear door glass.

No, I refuse to let something that insignificant shake me, people share habits all the time and coincidence exists. And Adrian Laurent was not some grieving husband desperately searching for ghosts.

If anything, he looked too composed lately. Married to Celeste, expanding globally, standing on magazine covers looking untouchable while Serena Vale stayed buried somewhere beneath cold ocean water and forgotten headlines.

“You’re quiet ma’am.” Clara’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“You’ve been quiet since we left Laurent Group headquarters,” she continued.

I looked away from the rain-streaked window I’ve been staring at, a faint smile touched my lips as I turned slightly to her. “I’m fine Clara, thank you.”

“Your next meeting was moved to four-thirty.” Clara said again

“Cancel it.” I replied sharply.

She blinked once, probably surprised because I almost never canceled meetings.

“Understood.”

“Marcus, drive straight to the Arden Tower,” I told the driver as I leaned back into the chair, staring into blank space.

“Okay Miss Arden.” I heard Marcus reply, but my mind was faraway.

The car stopped briefly at a traffic light. A large digital billboard across the street lit up with a broad headline display.

LAURENT GROUP STOCK SET TO EXPERIENCE SHARP DECLINE AFTER RIVERTON ACQUISITION DEAL

Beneath it stood Adrian’s photograph in a sharp suit and controlled expression. A perfect billionaire image.

I stared at it longer than intended, a satisfactory smile flashed across my face.

I remembered back then, Adrian standing inside our old apartment wearing rolled-up sleeves while arguing with investors over speakerphone. Exhausted, frustrated and ambitious.

Back then he used to come home and collapse beside me on the couch while I handled paperwork he was too tired to finish.

Back then when I had to sell the most valuable item mother bequeathed to me before her death, my mother’s gold jewelry piece to raise money to save his declining company.

Then, I used to believe we were building something together. Now look at us.

One powerful empire facing another across a battlefield neither of us openly named.

“Miss Arden, we’re here?” Clara’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts again.

I looked up and we’re already at Arden Tower.

The car pulled smoothly underground while security teams moved around quietly outside.

I was mentally exhausted by the time I entered the private elevator upstairs.

The penthouse doors opened with a soft mechanism sound. Leonard was already in the penthouse when I entered. He sat near the fireplace reading financial reports, his expression calm and controlled as always.

His eyes lifted briefly when I walked in. “You look irritated.”

I removed my heels slowly. “You say that like it surprises you.”

“It doesn’t.”

I walked toward the bar and poured myself water instead of wine this time, I gulped it down like my life depended on it while Leonard watched me quietly from where he was seated for several seconds before speaking again.

“The meeting didn’t go as expected?”

I dropped the glass in my hand. “The meeting went perfectly.”

All his focus was on me. “But.”

I held his gaze for a second, I hated how easily he read pauses.

I leaned against the counter slightly. “Adrian noticed something.”

That got his full attention immediately.

“What exactly?”

“A habit.”

Leonard stayed quiet.

“He compared me to Serena,” I continued.

There was a brief silence for a second, then Leonard set the document aside calmly. “And how did you respond?”

“I left.”

A faint approving nod followed. “Good.”

I frowned slightly. “You don’t seem concerned.”

“I taught you better than panic.”

That almost irritated me. “You don’t understand,” I said quietly. “It wasn’t suspicion, it felt instinctive.”

Leonard studied me carefully again before speaking.

“Selene,” he said evenly, “men like Adrian survive by reading weakness. That doesn’t mean he knows who you are.”

Deep down, I knew that was true. Adrian didn’t recognize me but underneath logic, something about me disturbed him and that could become a problem later.

Leonard stood slowly from his chair and walked closer.

“You’re losing focus.”

I looked at him longer than necessary. “I spent four years rebuilding my entire life. Don’t stand there acting like I suddenly became weak because Adrian noticed a hand movement.”

Leonard didn’t react to my tone, rather he walked to the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey.

“That is exactly why I warned you before returning,” he said as he poured some into the glass.

I turned towards him and folded my arms tightly. “You warned me about revenge clouding judgment.”

“No,” he corrected quietly. “I warned you about unfinished feelings that may disguise themselves as revenge.”

The sound of that irritated me so much. “That marriage died four years ago.”

He took a sip from the glass. “Did it?”

I looked at him coldly.

Leonard finally turned toward me again. “Because from where I’m standing, Adrian Laurent still affects you far more than he should.”

I grabbed the tablet resting nearby and opened Riverton projections immediately, forcing my attention back toward numbers.

“Riverton transfers officially tomorrow,” I said flatly. “Laurent Group will lose another thirty percent shipping stability within two weeks.”

Leonard watched me for another moment before giving a small nod. “There’s the woman I trained.”

I ignored him and kept scrolling through the acquisition reports, a new notification suddenly appeared across the screen.

UNKNOWN SENDER.