The words echoed in Cambria's ears, as if the world had suddenly shifted beneath her feet. Elena was coming for her.
Cambria gripped the phone tighter, her knuckles turning white. "What do you mean, Elara?" she asked, her voice strained, trying to keep the panic at bay. "Why would Elena be after me?"
Elara's voice was sharp, filled with both urgency and a hint of fear. "We've intercepted a message from one of her informants. It's clear now that she's planning to eliminate you. She's not interested in Maddox anymore. She's after the one thing you've built your company on. She wants you to lose everything, and she's willing to do whatever it takes."
Cambria's heart pounded in her chest. She had known Elena wouldn't go down without a fight, but this? This was more than she had expected. It wasn't just about power or manipulation anymore. It was personal.
"I need to know everything, Elara. Every detail," Cambria said, her voice cold, but determination lacing every word. "Don't leave anything out."
Elara's response was quick, precise. "We've traced the communication. Elena has been making moves in the background, aligning herself with people who want to see you fall. Rumors are circulating that she's about to unleash a scandal, something that could ruin your company and tarnish your reputation. She knows exactly what will hurt you the most."
Cambria closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, her mind working at a thousand miles per hour. If Elena wanted to ruin her company, she would have to strike fast. The walls that Cambria had so carefully built around her empire were about to crumble, and there was no time to waste.
"I'll deal with this," Cambria said, her voice a mixture of resolve and cold fury. "Do whatever it takes to gather intel. I'm not going down without a fight."
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Elara responded. "Be careful, Cambria. This isn't just a business war anymore. It's a personal one."
Cambria didn't respond. She didn't need to. She could feel the weight of Elara's words, could feel the shifting tide of everything she had worked so hard to build. Elena had made a mistake; she had underestimated her.
As Cambria ended the call, the silence in her penthouse felt suffocating. She turned to Maddox, who had been standing motionless by the window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His eyes were narrowed, lips pressed into a thin line, as if he were deep in thought.
"What's going on?" Maddox asked, his voice low and filled with something that sounded like concern or maybe guilt.
Cambria met his gaze, her own eyes hard and cold. She had no time for games anymore. She had no time to wonder about Maddox's loyalties or his secrets. All that mattered now was survival.
"Apparently, Elena's not just after you, Maddox," she said, her voice steady. "She's after me. She wants to take everything I've worked for."
Maddox's face flickered with shock, disbelief, and anger, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. "Cambria, she's a monster. We both knew that. But you're not in this alone. I won't let her take you down."
Her heart twisted, the words cutting deeper than she wanted to admit. She had never wanted Maddox to be her knight in shining armor. But in that moment, his words felt like the first breath of air after being submerged underwater for far too long.
"I don't need saving," Cambria said sharply, though her voice softened just slightly as she added, "But I could use an ally. We're going to need to work together, Maddox. This is bigger than both of us."
Maddox nodded, the tension in his jaw easing slightly. "I'm with you, Cambria. Whatever it takes."
She glanced at him, her eyes scanning his face, searching for any hint of insincerity. But there was none. She wanted to trust him. She needed to.
"Get in touch with Elara," she ordered. "I need everything she can get on Elena. We need to know who she's working with, where she's hiding, and what she's planning."
Maddox turned toward the door, his steps confident. But before he could leave, Cambria stopped him.
"Maddox," she said, her voice suddenly quieter. "If we're going to do this, I need you to promise me something."
He turned back, his brow furrowing slightly. "What?"
"That no matter what happens, no matter who tries to pull you away from me, you stay with me. I can't do this alone."
For a long moment, Maddox didn't answer. The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. But when he finally spoke, his voice was steady and sure.
"You have my word. I won't leave you."
Cambria didn't know why she believed him, but she did. Perhaps it was because, in that moment, they were no longer just two players in a deadly game. They were partners, bound together by necessity and a shared desire for revenge. The world had tried to break her, but now, with Maddox at her side, she would break it first.
As he left the room, Cambria's eyes turned toward the window again, watching the city lights flicker below. She could feel the weight of everything she had fought for pressing down on her shoulders, but she was ready. This battle was far from over.
And when it came time for Elena to strike, Cambria would be waiting.
The phone buzzed again, and Cambria's heart skipped when she saw the incoming message from Elara.
"Cambria, we've got a problem. Elena just made her move. She's going public. And the scandal she's about to release... It's worse than we thought."
The message was followed by a link.
Cambria clicked on it, her hands trembling as the screen loaded.
The headline was glaring in bold, black letters: "Cambria Vale: The Billionaire Heiress Who Built Her Empire on Lies".
The first line of the article made her blood run cold.
"Exclusive: Cambria Vale's empire may be built on a scandalous secret that could bring her to her knees."
And under the headline, there was a picture. One she had never seen before. It was of her… with someone she never expected to see again.