Two weeks later, the air in the city smelled different.
Isabella had changed her last name back to Bennett—a silent, precise cut that erased the final traces of her past.
No longer Mrs. Soren. No longer anyone's shadow.
She stood in front of the towering glass building that housed Soren Group's most aggressive competitor—LTX Holdings.
"Welcome, Miss Bennett," the receptionist greeted her warmly. "Mr. Lennox is expecting you."
Isabella smiled. "Let's not keep him waiting."
Marcus Lennox, CEO of LTX, was a shark in a tailored suit—young, ambitious, and more than happy to dismantle the empire Charles Soren had built.
He stood as she entered, eyes narrowing slightly with curiosity and interest. "You look nothing like the woman the tabloids described."
"I'm not," Isabella replied smoothly. "I'm worse."
Marcus laughed. "Good. I like dangerous women."
She handed him a leather-bound folder. "Inside are the leaked blueprints for Soren Group's next high-profile tech acquisition. Unreleased. Unprotected."
He flipped through the pages, eyebrows arching.
"You want to burn down your ex-husband's house," he said slowly, "and you want to use me as the matchstick."
"I don't need a match," Isabella said, her tone calm and cold. "I am the fire."
Marcus leaned back, considering her carefully. Then, a grin. "Let's light it up."
Their hands met in a silent agreement. No contracts. No hesitation. Just shared ambition—and shared enemies.
Isabella walked out of LTX's building with a calm smile and an iron heart.
Her first strike had just been set in motion.
The war had begun.