Scene One: Stephanie's Room – Late Night
The moonlight seeped through the sheer curtains, casting silver streaks across Stephanie's bedsheets. She sat upright, knees drawn to her chest, her fingers gripping the hem of her nightgown as if anchoring herself to reality.
She hadn't slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, the memory returned.
Nathan's face, so close to hers. The way his breath had mingled with hers. The way his walls had dropped—just for a second—and his eyes had softened, no longer the guarded steel she had grown used to.
Her heart thumped harder at the recollection of how close they had been to kissing.
God. What was she thinking?
She rubbed her palms down her face and whispered to herself. "He's the man I'm supposed to outsmart. Not the one I'm supposed to feel anything for."
And yet…
There was something terrifyingly magnetic about Nathan Voss. Something broken in him that resonated with her own scars. The way his voice cracked when he talked about trust. The way his anger wasn't just cruelty—but pain he couldn't name.
Stephanie shook her head, sighing. "Don't be stupid."
But even as she lay back against the pillows, she couldn't forget the warmth of his hand near hers. The look in his eyes when she had turned away, breathless.
Scene Two: Nathan's Penthouse – Same Time
Nathan stood by the balcony, his tie loosened, sleeves rolled up, the city stretching far beneath him like a glittering sea. He hadn't poured himself a drink—he didn't trust himself to dull the edges tonight.
He could still feel her presence. Stephanie Quinn. The woman who'd entered his life like a force of nature and shaken the carefully controlled cage he'd built around his heart.
They'd almost kissed.
His jaw tightened at the memory.
He didn't let people in. Not anymore. Not since that night, not since the betrayal that shattered his family. And yet, when she looked at him—not with pity, but with fierce defiance—he felt seen in a way that terrified him.
"I can't afford to want her," he muttered under his breath. "She's part of the deal. Nothing more."
But even as he said it, he knew he was lying.
Scene Three: Damien's Apartment – Early Morning
Damien paced his office like a man possessed, his silk robe hanging open over a pristine white shirt. His jaw was clenched, and his fingers drummed an erratic rhythm against the mahogany desk. Across from him sat Victor Voss—his father. Nathan's uncle. The puppeteer of so many of their tragedies.
Victor swirled the amber liquid in his glass with calm precision. "You're slipping."
Damien's eyes flared. "I am not."
"You let him rattle you at dinner. You let your little girlfriend play games with your emotions. And worse…" Victor leaned forward, voice low and laced with ice. "You let Nathan see you sweat."
Damien exhaled sharply. "He's getting bolder."
"He knows something," Victor said, swirling his drink again. "That little comment he made about his 28th birthday wasn't a bluff. He's not going to wait until the board hands him the throne. He's planning something."
Damien kicked at a chair leg. "Then we take him out before he does."
Victor's eyes glittered dangerously. "No. Not yet. We need to dismantle him piece by piece. Publicly. Legally. Emotionally."
Damien turned to face him. "How?"
Victor stood, walking to the glass window overlooking the city. "We use her."
"…Stephanie?"
Victor smiled darkly. "She's his weakness. I saw the way he looked at her at the gallery. He's interested. But he doesn't trust it. If we make her appear compromised—like she's been spying for us—he'll spiral. He'll destroy the deal. Destroy her. And himself."
Damien flinched. "She's not working for us."
"She doesn't need to be." Victor chuckled. "We just need to make it look like she is."
There was a pause.
Damien's fists clenched. "I'm not sure she'll break that easily."
Victor turned, his eyes cold and sharp. "Then you make her break."
Scene Four: Stephanie's Work Desk – Afternoon
Stephanie sat in Vosstech's innovation wing, scrolling through plans for the project Nathan had assigned her. But her focus kept slipping.
Every message notification made her jump.
Her chest still tightened every time she thought of him.
Of what almost happened.
The worst part wasn't that she nearly kissed him. It was that a part of her had wanted to.
She rubbed her temples, overwhelmed. For years, she'd protected herself. From Nora. From her past. From the world that underestimated her.
Even at home, she had never known safety. Her adoptive mother's cold words. Elena's constant sabotage. She'd learned to shield herself behind wit and ambition.
So why… why did she feel like Nathan Voss was the only person who ever saw past it?
And why did that terrify her more than anything else?
Scene Five: Damien's Apartment – Nightfall
Damien stood alone in the darkened living room, staring down at a printed document.
It was Stephanie's personnel file.
He'd had her investigated.
He knew where she lived. Where she'd gone to school. Who her friends were.
He should have felt triumphant. But instead… his chest ached.
He remembered the brush of her hand. The way her eyes softened when she let her guard down.
They had almost kissed, too.
Damien slammed the file shut.
"She's a distraction," he growled to himself.
But he couldn't deny it.
He wanted her.
Not just to ruin her.
But to have her.
To own the part of her Nathan was starting to claim.
Scene Six: Stephanie's Apartment – Midnight
There was a soft knock at her door.
Stephanie tensed. She hadn't expected visitors. Heart hammering, she walked to the door slowly, unsure whether to feel alarmed or curious.
When she opened it, her breath caught.
Nathan stood there, dressed in black, his tie gone, the first two buttons of his shirt undone.
He looked like a man fighting himself.
"Couldn't sleep," he said simply.
Stephanie blinked. "And you thought I could?"
He didn't smile. But he stepped inside.
For a long moment, they just stared at each other.
He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"I should stay away from you," he murmured.
"Then go," she whispered, even as her body leaned toward him.
He didn't.
Their faces inched closer again, breath mingling.
Their lips almost met.
Almost.
But Nathan pulled back, jaw tight. "Not yet."
Stephanie's breath trembled. "Why?"
"Because if I kiss you now," he said, voice husky, "I won't stop."
She closed her eyes, a flicker of longing flashing across her face.
But she didn't ask him to leave.
And neither did he.