?Chapter 19: The Storm Begins

                                        

                                              
Third person POV
Even as the city hummed with its usual pulse—glass towers glinting, traffic humming inside the Voss penthouse, the air felt colder.
Dominic Voss leaned over the mahogany desk in his study, reading an email that flicked across sectors in his empire like an explosive device. Midcoast shipments were being intercepted. Innocente Pharmaceuticals was under audit. A lobbyist was leaking internal memos. The pattern was unmistakable someone from within was dismantling Voss Global's infrastructure.
His face was calm, ruthless, composed on the surface. But behind the sculpted mask, something shook.
He crushed his phone in his hand, the screen shattering. Threat in His World
Downstairs, his inner security chief, Ricardo, entered and stood at rigid attention.
"Sir, this morning's audit report is cleaner than expected but word from Eastern Europe says Ivan Markovic has placed an offer to several of your key partners. He's closing deals with infrastructure companies in your pipeline."
Dominic didn't blink.
"Ivan Markovic," he murmured. "He's trying to weaken me."
Ricardo nodded. "Still unconfirmed how deep the alliance goes But enough to destabilize market confidence."
Dominic rose, black silk tie loosened, sleeves rolled up. "I want everyone on high alert, Track every contact, Freeze every incoming invoice from his front companies."
Ricardo raised an eyebrow. "He can afford to burn it all down, sir."
Dominic's voice was low and dangerous. "Then we'll watch him burn it to ash."
He turned to his secure feed, pulling files across the screen financial trails, shell corporations, coded deals.
⸻
Threat in Her World
Meanwhile, on the quiet corner of a side street in the financial district, Aria stepped out of a café into sharp daylight.
Her phone vibrated. A message popped on screen
EZRA."It's been a while. We need to talk about our future. Co‑parenting is possible, I can help".
Her breath caught.
Ezra. The ghost she'd finally banished, now reaching through cracks in her life.
He wanted to say co‑parenting, but she knew better.
He had never cared about the baby. He cared about control.
She walked faster, glancing at her bump. The baby moved, protective. Silent reassurance heartbeat at her elbow.
⸻
Back in the penthouse, Dominic's secure line buzzed. He answered.
"Sir... guest outside your building Claims to have business."
He stared at the camera feed. A slim man with sharp features, dirty designer coat Ezra.
Fury eclipsed all else. She'd never mentioned him.
"Send him in."
⸻
When Ezra strolled into the lobby, Dominic was waiting in the marble foyer, his presence a fortress.
Ezra stopped at thirty feet, expression smooth, practiced.
"Dominic Voss," he said casually. "Heard you might let me see Aria."
"Leave," Dominic's voice bounced off the stone pillars. Cold.
Ezra lifted one hand. "I'm not here just to threaten Anyone, I'm offering a partnership."
Dominic took a step forward. "I don't do partnerships. I do war."
Ezra smiled fondly, dangerously. "The baby deserves a father. I have rights."
Dominic's fist tightened. "That child belongs to her, You lost your chance years ago."
Ezra shrugged. "People evolve. I have leverage, I know things, I could make it very difficult for her."
Dominic's hand dropped to his side. He flexed. Everything about his posture screamed menace.
"Leave," he repeated.
Ezra paused. Then bowed slightly. "For now."
⸻
Less than an hour later, Dominic stood in the top floor panoramic conference room, overlooking the city.
Two colleagues entered Ricardo and Elena, Elena has been working with him for years now, she was younger, her sharp shaking hands with him.
"Sir," Ricardo began, tension in his voice. "Ivan's moved faster than predicted. He's purchased controlling shares in your prime industrial leases. He's exposed multiple shell companies tied to you,Market sentiment is swinging , Public confidence is down."
Dominic exhaled slowly. "Everything is connected, Ivan is going after the same territories And he's got rooted assets."
Elena flipped through spreadsheets. "That's not all. We just got news: Innocente Pharma's biggest investor is pulling out due to rumors of internal fraud"
Dominic slammed his fist on the glass.
"How did he find these vulnerabilities?" Dominic asked 
"That's what we don't know yet," Ricardo said. "It's someone with access,Someone trusted."
Dominic's eyes darkened. "Then we treat everyone as suspect."
⸻
At dinner that night, the penthouse was empty. Aria came home late head low, anxiety braided through her posture. She didn't mention Ezra.
Dominic watched her from across the room, well dressed, tie undone, tension carved into his features.
They didn't speak.
Dinner was silent fusilli, but Aria couldn't taste it. Dominic ate with mechanical silence, checking his phone twice.
They retreated to the balcony.
He pulled her into his arms, wrapping her coat lightly around her shoulders.
"Ivan is attacking. I'm vulnerable here and now you know it too."
She looked up, teary. "And Ezra?"
He pressed his lips to her hair. "Ezra thinks he's making a deal But he's walking into the lion's den."
Her voice trembled. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
He shook his head. "You shouldn't have to, I should've told you when I saw him at the lobby."
He took her hands in his strong, steady one.
"I'll handle Ivan from the outside, I'll expose the traitor inside. I'll shut down Ezra before he opens his mouth again."
Aria looked into his eyes storm colored, sharp. She felt fear crack open her chest, but also fierce relief.
"Then let me help," she whispered.
He swallowed. "You won't. Not in that. But you'll be safe. I promise."
Her thumb grazed the back of his hand. "Promise me we'll fight this together."
He nodded once solid. "Our storm is only beginning."
⸻
The next day, Thursday morning, before alarms or threats, the Voss penthouse sat quiet.
But behind locked doors and whispered commands, two things were clear
	•	Ivan was sharpening his knives at Dominic's throat.
	•	Ezra was drawing circles around Aria's innocence.
And between both threats, the storms were converging fast.
The empire was wobbly. Hearts were fragile.
And neither Dominic nor Aria had seen the first bolt of lightning yet.