Chapter 5: Collateral Damage.

Elena hadn't slept a wink.

Even as the sun bled through the floor-length windows of her penthouse, casting golden streaks across her room, her mind replayed the rooftop encounter like a broken record. Grayson, on his knees. His words, pleas, promises, and confessions still haunted her.

She gripped the photo of Sophie he had given her and stared at it again.

It had been a mistake to meet him. She'd cracked, even if just for a second. Letting him back in –emotionally or otherwise–would be like playing with a loaded gun.

And Elena Monroe had no more lives left to waste on him.

Wolfe Enterprises – Grayson's Office...

Grayson stood at the edge of his office window, staring out over the Manhattan skyline. The city bustled below, unaware of the chaos unraveling in his world.

The press had slowed down since the initial leaks, but the tension inside the building remained sharp enough to cut glass. Investors were jumpy. Board members restless. His reputation, once untouchable, now teetered on the edge of collapse.

And still, all he could think about was her.

And Sophie.

His daughter.

He had a daughter.

He raked a hand through his hair. Five years. He'd lost five years of her life.

Now that he knew, he wasn't backing down.

He turned to his assistant. "Clear my schedule. I want a private investigator on Monroe Holdings. Discreet. I want to know who's working closest to Elena."

"Yes, sir."

"And send a care package. Toys. Books. Educational games. Age five to six. Send them anonymously."

The assistant blinked. "To Monroe Holdings?"

"To her penthouse."

"Yes, Mr. Wolfe."

Monroe Holdings – Elena's Office...

Elena unwrapped the package slowly. Sophie, bouncing in excitement beside her, squealed with joy when she spotted the box filled with new toys.

"Mommy, look! Books! And crayons! And wow... a talking bear!"

Elena forced a smile. "Go play in the lounge, sweetheart. I'll be out soon."

As Sophie skipped out, Elena scanned the card tucked beneath the ribbon. It had no name. No signature.

But she knew.

Of course she knew.

She picked up her phone.

Elena: Stay out of my home, Grayson.

A minute later, her screen lit up.

Grayson:" I wasn't trying to cross a line. I just wanted her to smile."

Elena: "She doesn't know who you are. Keep it that way."

Grayson: "You said 'for now.' I'm being patient. But I'm not disappearing."

She didn't reply.

She couldn't.

Flashback – Four and a Half Years Ago...

Elena was standing in a sterile hospital room, holding a tiny bundle against her chest. Sophie was minutes old, warm and perfect. Elena's heart swelled with overwhelming, all-consuming love.

But also fear.

Grayson hadn't called. Hadn't messaged. He hadn't looked for her.

He didn't even know she'd been pregnant.

She whispered into her daughter's ear, "It's just you and me now, baby girl."

Present Day – Monroe Penthouse...

That night, Elena stood by Sophie's bedroom door, watching her sleep. Her tiny chest rose and fell with soft, contented breaths. Her small fingers curled around the new bear.

He had no right.

But God help her, he'd made Sophie smile.

Her phone buzzed again.

This time, it was Nico.

Nico: "Heads up. Grayson's moving. Private investigators. He's trying to find your pressure points."

Elena responded quickly.

Elena: "Let him dig. I've buried the bodies deep."

Still, it unnerved her.

Grayson Wolfe wasn't a man who played fair.

And now he knew her weakness.

The Next Day – Monroe Holdings Boardroom...

"He's pressing into our suppliers," Nico said, throwing a file onto the glass table. "Trying to cut our supply chain at the knees."

Elena remained calm. "Expected. Wolfe Enterprises owns half of East Coast logistics. If he wants war, he'll get it."

Nico crossed his arms. "You sure you're not cracking?"

"I'm pissed. That's different."

"You're… also conflicted."

She glared. "Don't start."

"Look, I know you. And I saw that look when you watched Sophie play with the bear."

"She deserves a father who won't disappear when things get hard."

"And what if he's changed?"

Elena turned away. "People like Grayson Wolfe don't change. They just become better liars."

Later That Evening – Charity Gala at the Grand Lyra Hotel...

Elena stepped out of the limo in a deep emerald gown that shimmered under the camera flashes. Her hair was swept up in a regal chignon, her neck adorned with diamonds.

The city's elite turned to look. She was the storm that had arrived.

But Grayson was already inside.

When their eyes met across the room, the air thickened.

He looked lethal in a tailored black suit, his expression unreadable.

Nico appeared at Elena's side with two champagne flutes. "Should we dance before or after the first media strike?"

She smiled tightly. "Let's wait for Grayson to squirm."

Minutes later, the event's MC took the stage.

"And now, our final donation of the night… from Monroe Holdings. Ten million dollars toward children's mental health initiatives."

Applause thundered. Elena's name trended online within seconds.

Grayson watched her from across the room.

She wasn't just trying to ruin his company.

She was outshining him in every arena.

Near Midnight – The Balcony of the Gala...

Elena stepped outside for air, the night breeze cooling her flushed cheeks. She felt him before she saw him.

"You never did like attention," he said softly.

She turned. "Yet you always craved it."

He stepped closer. "Tonight, you stole the spotlight. Again."

"Not everything is a competition."

"With you, it always was."

Their eyes met, the silence stretching.

Then he said, "She's beautiful. Sophie. She reminds me of you."

"She's nothing like me," Elena said, voice suddenly thick. "She's gentle. And trusting. And she thinks the world is good."

"She sounds like everything I'm not."

"She's everything you almost cost me."

He swallowed. "Let me help. Let me be a part of her life."

"You're a threat."

"I'm her father."

"You were never there. You don't get to waltz in now and claim her."

He stepped closer, his voice lower. "You think this is about claiming her? Elena, I would burn this city down for a chance to earn her love."

She sucked in a breath.

His hand brushed her shoulder.

"Elena…"

She backed away. "Don't... Don't touch me unless you're ready to mean it."

He didn't follow.

"I never stopped meaning it," he said.

She turned and left before her heart could betray her. Again.