The penthouse was quiet, the kind of quiet that came only after chaos had been unleashed.
Chaos sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows, the morning sun spilling over his frame as he flipped through his phone before him. Each headline was the same, though dressed in different words:
• Chaos Riegrow's Woman?
• Damian Gray Upstaged in His Own Ballroom.
• The Saints Heiress and the Riegrow Claim.
He didn't smile. He didn't need to. His icy blue eyes lingered over a photograph, him gripping Damian's wrist mid-strike, she standing beneath his shadow. Another, sharper one: his hand in hers, leading her through the crowd while Natalie wept in the background.
"Perfect," he murmured, his gloved finger tracing the edge of her image.
From the corner, Xavier entered silently, placing a tablet on the table. "Social media is on fire, sir. Investors are cautious but intrigued. Half the board thinks you've made a mistake. The other half believes this was the boldest power move in years."
Chaos leaned back, the faintest smirk curving his lips. "Let them argue. The moment you make the world question where you stand, you've already taken control of the board."
Xavier's brow furrowed slightly. "And Miss Saints? The reports suggest she's keeping silent. No interviews. No public statement. Nothing."
At that, Chaos's gaze sharpened. His smirk darkened into something hungrier. "She's rattled. Broken hearts and humiliation cut deep... but silence? Silence is survival. She's thinking. Fighting. And when she decides her next move..."
He reached for his glass of whiskey, taking a deliberate sip. "...I'll be waiting to remind her she isn't fighting alone. Not anymore."
Xavier inclined his head and bowed without saying a word