Aria's POV
"Your name just got flagged."
Elias' voice was tight, urgent. No preamble.
I paused mid-way, gently swaying Leo's bassinet with one hand while holding the phone to my ear with the other.
"Flagged where?" I asked, heartbeat ticking up.
"Everywhere, Aria. Five firms in two days. Branding, strategy, media… your proposals aren't even making it through to review. They're being pulled before the second email."
I turned to look at my cracked kitchen tiles like they'd have answers.
"That doesn't happen by coincidence."
"No," Elias agreed, his voice grim. "That happens when someone with power wants you erased."
I closed my eyes. "Someone?... Miranda."
He exhaled like he'd been holding that breath since yesterday. "She's circling."
"She's been circling since the day I walked into Damien's office with a ring on my finger," I muttered. "But now she's biting."
Behind me, the stove clicked as Leo's bottle slowly warmed. The apartment felt colder than usual.
"I thought Damien would see through her by now."
Elias hesitated. "He's not blind, Aria. He's just… selective."
"Selective about which lies to believe. Selective about which woman's side of the bed he rolls into."
Leo whined in his sleep. I moved to scoop him up.
"I have to go." I murmured.
"Send me your next deck," Elias said softly. "We'll find a way around this. But be careful. This isn't just sabotage. It's personal."
I ended the call and kissed Leo's soft forehead. His lashes fluttered. Innocent. Unbothered.
"She's scared of us, Leo." I whispered. "Which means we're doing something right."
LATER THAT DAY
The fourth floor office above the bodega smelled like printer toner and burnt coffee, but it was mine. At least, for now. I had three proposals prepped, a nervous startup interested, and a frayed hoodie over my tank top.
I clicked into my first Zoom pitch…Orion Branding.
The woman on the other end smiled tight. Too tight.
"Ms. Sinclair, thank you for your time, but we won't be moving forward."
I blinked. "You haven't heard the pitch."
"We were advised to avoid affiliations that might… conflict with our existing partnerships."
I leaned closer to the webcam. "Which partnerships would those be?"
She smiled again. Empty. Corporate. "Thank you for understanding."
Click. Disconnected.
"That's number six." I muttered under my breath.
Before I could process it, the second call rang in. Smaller company. Nonprofit tech.
The CEO appeared on screen, enthusiastic…until he saw my name.
His face changed instantly.
"I… uh, Ms. Sinclair…"
"You just realized who I am."
He swallowed. "We can't be associated with... controversy. It's too risky."
"Let me guess. Someone told you I was unstable? A liability?"
He didn't answer.
I leaned forward, smile tight. "Tell Miranda her smear campaign is sloppy. I expected better from the woman who used to rewrite my press releases."
Click. He was gone.
I stared at the black screen.
This wasn't coincidence.
This was war.
THAT EVENING
Rain smeared the windows, distorting the neon lights of the city below. Leo was finally asleep after hours of fussing. I sat beside him in the dark, the room humming with quiet despair.
My phone buzzed.
Blocked Number: How's that 'empire' coming along?
My stomach turned. I typed back.
Me: Send another threat, and I swear…
The typing bubble appeared.
Blocked Number: Not a threat. Just a reminder. You can't beat us.
I stared at the message, the words digging into old bruises.
Blocked.
Then I called Elias.
"She's cutting off my air supply." I said.
"She's trying to," he corrected. "So we pivot."
"How?"
"New name. New pitch. Ghost consultant. Shell entities. We build your empire without your face attached."
"She'll trace it."
"Then we stay faster. Smarter. She's playing defense now, Aria. That means you've already won the first round."
I rubbed my temples. "I'm tired, Elias."
"Then rest," he said. "But don't stop."
THREE DAYS LATER
I walked out of a shared conference room with my first win in weeks.
The client… small, but well-connected.. signed a short-term strategy contract with 'R.A. Sterling.'
"She's sharp," the woman said, shaking my hand. "I don't care what the blogs say. If you can deliver, you're in."
I left the building, contract in my tote, head high.
Then a black SUV pulled to the curb.
Window down.
Miranda.
I stopped, heart hardening.
"Cute alias," she purred. "Almost fooled someone."
I crossed my arms. "Jealousy's not a good look, Miranda."
"Oh, darling," she said, smile sharp. "I'm not jealous. I'm careful. Of Damien. Of DOMAANOf… reputation."
"You mean control."
She didn't blink. "Call it what you want. But you? You're a stain he's almost scrubbed out."
"I'm the mother of his son."
Her face didn't move. "And yet, he doesn't know that."
She leaned in. "If you thought you could disappear with a bastard child and still play in our league, you were always more naive than I gave you credit for."
I felt fire crawl up my throat.
"Leo is not a mistake."
"He's leverage," she said flatly. "And one that won't work forever."
She handed me a manila envelope.
"One last warning," she said. "Take the offer. Or watch your house of cards burn."
The SUV rolled away.
I stood there, frozen.
The envelope felt heavy in my hands.
Back at the office, I opened it.
Inside was a photo.
Leo.
Sleeping peacefully.
Taken through the apartment window.
My breath caught.
A note was folded beneath it.
Typed. Clean.
He's not safe until you disappear.
I felt my knees threaten to give way.
I dropped into the nearest chair and stared at the photo, hands shaking. " She knew where we lived. She knew how to find us. And now… she'd shown me just how far she'd go."
But instead of fear, something else began to bloom in me.
Anger.
Purpose.
Fire.
She could stalk me. She could freeze me out of boardrooms. But she forgot one thing:
I'd survived worse.
I'd survived Damien's rejection.
I'd survived heartbreak and pregnancy and near miscarriage.
I'd survived bleeding alone.
And I wasn't just fighting for myself anymore.
I was fighting for Leo.
And this time?
I wasn't going down quietly.