The office quieted after the meeting.
One by one the board members left.
Their shoes made soft sounds against the floor. Their voices faded down the hallway.
Soon the conference room held only two people.
Alex and Adrian.
Alex leaned against the long glass wall and looked down at the city.
Cars moved like small silver insects.
People hurried across sidewalks.
Everything below looked simple.
He knew it wasn't.
He rubbed his wrist where Adrian had touched him earlier.
It had only lasted a moment.
Still, he remembered it clearly.
That annoyed him.
"You're thinking too loudly," Adrian said.
Alex turned.
"You say strange things."
Adrian gathered the last of the documents from the table.
"You're staring at the city like it insulted you."
Alex folded his arms.
"It might have."
Adrian didn't answer.
The room felt calmer now.
But not safe.
Alex walked back toward the table.
"That meeting was brutal."
"Yes."
"Victor Moreau is a nightmare."
"Yes."
"You say that like it's normal."
"It is."
Alex sighed.
"Everything in your life is normal to you."
"Yes."
Alex grabbed one of the empty water glasses from the table and turned it slowly in his fingers.
"I don't like him."
Adrian placed the last file into a folder.
"That's mutual."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"He doesn't like me either."
"No."
"Why?"
Adrian looked at him.
"Because you're unpredictable."
Alex blinked.
"That's not a compliment."
"It wasn't meant to be."
A quiet knock sounded on the door.
Before Adrian answered, Elena Vargas stepped inside.
She carried a tablet and three folders.
"Mr. Laurent."
Adrian nodded.
"Elena."
Her eyes moved briefly to Alex.
"You survived the board."
Alex shrugged.
"Barely."
Elena walked closer to the table.
"There's something you need to see."
She turned the tablet toward Adrian.
Alex leaned slightly to look.
A news article filled the screen.
But this one was different.
The headline made Alex blink.
MYSTERY HUSBAND LINKED TO FINANCIAL DEBT SCANDAL
Alex frowned.
"That can't be good."
Adrian read the article silently.
Elena spoke.
"They found the lender."
Alex straightened.
"What?"
Elena tapped the screen.
"The man you owed money to."
Alex felt his stomach tighten.
"How?"
"Someone leaked the information."
Alex looked at Adrian.
"Victor."
Adrian didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Elena scrolled.
The article continued.
Speculation.
Rumors.
Photos of Alex leaving his old apartment building.
Alex laughed quietly.
"Well."
Elena looked at him.
"You're calm."
Alex shrugged.
"What else am I supposed to do?"
Adrian set the tablet down.
"It's manageable."
Alex blinked.
"Manageable?"
"Yes."
Alex rubbed his face.
"They're calling me a scandal."
"They're calling you leverage."
Alex looked at him.
"That's worse."
Elena closed the tablet.
"The markets are already reacting."
Adrian nodded once.
"I expected that."
Alex stared at him.
"You expected this?"
"Yes."
Alex laughed.
"That's terrifying."
Elena crossed her arms.
"Victor Moreau moves fast."
"Yes," Adrian said.
"And this rumor benefits him."
Alex leaned against the table.
"So what's the plan?"
Adrian looked at him calmly.
"We control the narrative."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
Elena answered.
"You attend another event tonight."
Alex groaned.
"You people really love parties."
"This one is private."
Alex pointed toward the tablet.
"Private rumors don't seem to stay private."
Adrian stepped closer to him.
"That's why we respond quickly."
Alex studied him.
"You're serious."
"Yes."
Alex sighed.
"Fine."
Elena watched them both carefully.
Then she said,
"There's another problem."
Adrian waited.
Elena spoke slowly.
"The article claims you married Alex because of a financial connection."
Alex frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Elena looked at him.
"They think you were paid."
The room went silent.
Alex stared at the tablet again.
"They think I'm… what?"
Adrian's voice stayed calm.
"A transaction."
Alex laughed.
But it sounded sharp.
"That's insulting."
Elena nodded.
"It's effective."
Alex looked at Adrian.
"Your enemy is really good at this."
"Yes."
Alex walked toward the window again.
The city below looked normal.
But nothing about this felt normal.
"They're turning me into a weapon," he said.
"Yes."
Alex turned.
"You're very calm about that."
"I expected it."
Alex shook his head slowly.
"You expect everything."
"Yes."
Alex looked at Elena.
"So what do we do tonight?"
Elena answered immediately.
"You appear together again."
Alex sighed.
"Of course we do."
Adrian stepped closer.
"This time it will be smaller."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"How small?"
Elena replied,
"Only fifty people."
Alex stared.
"That's still a lot of billionaires."
Elena almost smiled.
"Yes."
Alex walked back toward the table.
He picked up the tablet again and read the article once more.
The words felt strange.
Like they were talking about someone else.
Alex Carter.
Debt.
Mystery husband.
Scandal.
He set the tablet down.
"You know what the funny part is?"
Adrian waited.
Alex looked at him.
"They're not completely wrong."
Elena watched him carefully.
"What do you mean?"
Alex shrugged.
"I did marry him for money."
Adrian didn't react.
Alex continued.
"That's technically true."
Elena said nothing.
Alex leaned back against the table.
"But they're still wrong."
Adrian looked at him.
"How?"
Alex crossed his arms.
"Because they think I'm weak."
The room stayed quiet.
Alex looked toward the window again.
"They think I'm leverage."
Adrian nodded once.
"Yes."
Alex smiled slightly.
"That might be their first mistake."
Elena studied him.
"You're adjusting faster than I expected."
Alex laughed softly.
"I grew up in worse neighborhoods than this."
Adrian watched him carefully.
"Yes."
Alex pushed away from the table.
"So," he said.
"Another party tonight."
"Yes."
Alex walked toward the door.
Then he stopped.
He looked back at Adrian.
"You know something?"
Adrian waited.
Alex's smile faded.
"Victor Moreau is trying to break you."
"Yes."
Alex nodded slowly.
"I can see why you married someone unpredictable."
Adrian didn't answer.
Alex opened the door.
But before he stepped out, he added quietly,
"He's going to regret that."
Adrian watched him leave.
The door closed softly behind Alex.
Elena remained in the room.
She looked at Adrian.
"You trust him."
Adrian said nothing for a moment.
Then he walked back to the window.
The city stretched endlessly beneath the glass.
Finally he said,
"No."
Elena waited.
Adrian's voice was calm.
"But Victor will underestimate him."
Elena nodded slowly.
"That might be worse."
Adrian looked down at the traffic far below.
"Yes."
And somewhere in the city, Victor Moreau was smiling.
Because the rumor had already begun spreading.
And rumors, Adrian knew well, could start wars.