It was past midnight when Aurora's phone rang.
She was still in her office, legs curled beneath her on the velvet couch, red lipstick smudged from hours of biting her lip in thought. The skyline glowed beyond her penthouse windows, and her mind raced through contingency plans.
She didn't expect the name flashing on her screen.
Dominic Raine.
For a moment, she just stared at it. Then, smirking, she answered on speaker, her voice calm, amused.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Raine?"
His voice came through like silk over ice. "We need to talk. Privately."
"I'm not in the mood for another boardroom battle."
"This isn't about the patent."
"Oh?" she drawled, curling a strand of her hair. "Are you finally ready to admit you lost?"
A pause. "Meet me. Twenty minutes. My penthouse."
She raised a brow. "You're inviting me to your lair?"
"I'm offering a deal," he said. "But only if you can keep your claws in.
"Oh, honey." She laughed. "You don't want me declawed."
---
Exactly twenty-five minutes later, Aurora stepped off the private elevator into Dominic Raine's top-floor apartment. The place was as cold and meticulous as the man himself—steel, glass, and sharp angles.
He stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, dressed in black slacks and a fitted grey shirt, sleeves rolled up, collar unbuttoned. No tie. No suit jacket. Just Dominic, raw and unpolished for once.
She hated how good he looked like that.
"You didn't even offer me a drink," she said, stepping inside without hesitation. "Rude."
He handed her a glass of brandy without a word. She took it, swirling it slowly.
"So?" she asked, cocking a hip. "What's this mysterious offer?"
Dominic didn't sit. He simply stared at her for a long moment, gaze unreadable. Then he said, "Merge with me."
The words slammed into her like a truck.
"I beg your pardon?"
"LaneTech. Raine Industries. We merge.
Aurora laughed—sharp, bright, disbelieving. "You've lost your mind."
"You're bleeding capital from expansion. I'm leaking innovation thanks to the Spectra stunt. We'd be untouchable together."
"I don't sleep with snakes."
"I'm not asking you to sleep with me, Aurora." His voice dipped, dangerous. "I'm asking you to win."
She walked to the window beside him, watching their reflections shimmer in the glass. Her voice softened, curious. "Why now?"
"Because we're circling each other, trying to kill one another, while the real threat is gaining on us." He turned to face her fully. "GlobalTech is expanding. They want in on the AI market. You think they won't come after both of us?"
She was quiet.
She knew he was right.
"Terms?" she asked.
"Fifty-fifty ownership. Full control of your creative division. I retain tech leadership. We cross-brand. And you agree to publicly announce it together."
She scoffed. "You want me to stand on stage and smile like we're best friends?"
"Something like that."
She sipped her drink, staring at him over the rim. "What's in it for you, really?"
"You."
The air stilled.
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
Dominic stepped closer. "You're the only person who can keep up with me. Who challenges me. Who doesn't back down." His eyes dropped to her lips. "You want to win? So do I. Together, we destroy everyone else."
Aurora's heart hammered. It wasn't the words—it was the way he said them. Like power and passion were the same thing.
"Careful, Raine," she murmured, placing her glass down. "You're starting to sound like a man who wants me."
His fingers brushed her jaw, feather-light. "I do."
The silence between them turned molten.
She didn't pull away.
But she didn't lean in, either.
Instead, she smirked. "Business first. Lust later."
Dominic's smile was faint, but real. "Deal?"
"Send the papers."
---
The next morning, news broke that shocked the industry:
"LaneTech & Raine Industries Announce Unexpected Merger!"
"Rivals No More? Aurora Lane and Dominic Raine Stand United"
At the press conference, they stood side by side. Flawless. Powerful. Dangerous.
And when the cameras flashed, Dominic reached out and brushed her back ever so gently.
It looked like support.
But to Aurora, it felt like a warning.
Because this merger wasn't peace.
It was war disguised as a handshake.
And they were both playing a game with no rules.
---