SORAYA

The casting building looked exactly the same as I remembered – all glass and steel. This time, I wasn't the broken girl who'd missed her shot. This time, I was here to take back what was mine.

My heels clicked confidently on the marble floor as I headed toward the audition area. I had changed into my best dress, fixed my makeup, and for the first time in months, I actually looked like myself again.

The hallway was mostly empty – just a few other actresses waiting their turn, looking nervous.

That's when I heard it. Low sounds coming from one of the side rooms. Moaning.

I almost kept walking – none of my business what people did in their private time. But something made me pause. The door was cracked open just enough to see inside, and what I saw made my blood freeze.

Reid, who was supposed to be at work right now. He was pressed against the wall with someone wrapped around him, and that someone was definitely not me.

It was Marissa.

Again.

I should have been shocked, but I wasn't. I'd already lived through discovering their affair once. What I hadn't expected was to witness it here, at this time.

"God, yes," Marissa gasped, her legs wrapped around his waist. "Zayne..."

Reid stopped moving so suddenly that Marissa's eyes flew open.

"What did you just say?" His voice was dangerous.

Marissa looked confused for a second, then laughed breathlessly. "What? I didn't say anything."

"You said his name." Reid's grip on her got tighter. "Zayne Kings."

"I did not."

"Don't lie to me, Marissa."

She rolled her eyes, but I could see the calculation behind them. "Fine, maybe I did. So what? You're not exactly the only man in the world."

"Stay away from him," Reid warned, his voice deadly serious. "Zayne Kings goes through women like he goes through cars – fast then moves on to the next model."

Marissa laughed, running her fingers through Reid's hair. "Jealous?"

"Protective. There's a difference."

"Of what? Your investment?" She smirked. "Relax, baby. I like men I can control. Like you."

Reid's jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it.

"Besides," Marissa continued, "we need you to focus on the prize. Three months, Reid. Three months until you marry my boring little cousin, and then everything she inherited from Uncle Frank belongs to us."

My hands clenched into fists. Uncle Frank. That's what she'd always called my father, even though he wasn't her uncle – just her mother's brother-in-law. But she'd said it like they were close, like she had any right to his legacy.

"Three months feels like forever," Reid groaned, pressing his face against her neck.

"It'll fly by. And Soraya's so trusting, she'll never suspect her perfect fiancé is really mine."

"What about after? The plan?"

Marissa's smile turned cold. "After the wedding, we wait a decent amount of time. Maybe six months. Then we arranged a little accident. Something tragic but believable. And as her devoted husband, you inherit everything."

The same plan. Exactly the same plan they'd used in my previous life.

"She's been getting stronger lately," Reid said.

"Don't worry about it. I'll handle Soraya."

"How?"

"The same way I always have. She's weak, Reid. Always has been. A few tears, a sob story about how much I need her, and she'll do whatever I want."

Reid started moving again, and I forced myself to step back from the door. I'd heard enough. More than enough.

I walked quietly down the hall until I was far enough away that they wouldn't hear my footsteps, then made noise walking back – humming a little, my heels clicking normally on the marble.

When I turned the corner, they were just stepping out of the side room, both of them looking flushed and trying to act casual.

"Soraya!" Marissa's voice was bright and fake. "What are you doing here?"

"My audition," I said simply, smiling like nothing had happened. "The one I was supposed to have today."

Reid looked uncomfortable. "I thought you were supposed to rest today. Dr. Chen said-"

"Dr. Chen doesn't work for me anymore," I interrupted cheerfully. "I fired him this morning. And Patricia too."

Marissa's smile faltered slightly. "Why would you do that? They were helping you."

"Were they? Because Patricia told me you'd given them specific instructions to keep me in bed. Something about managing my condition?"

The silence stretched between us. Reid shifted his weight, and Marissa's eyes got that calculating look again.

"I was worried about you," she said finally. "After Uncle Frank died, you were so fragile. I just wanted to make sure you were getting proper care."

"How thoughtful," I said, "But I feel better than I have in years. Clear-headed, energetic. I'm even thinking about making some changes."

"What kind of changes?" Reid asked, and I could hear the tension in his voice.

"Oh, you know. Updating my will, setting up some trusts, maybe putting some protections in place in case of accidents." I watched their faces carefully. "It's amazing how much clearer your priorities become when you stop taking unnecessary medications."

Both of them went very still.

"That's... very responsible of you," Marissa said slowly.

"I thought so too." I stepped closer to her and held out my hand. "Well, may the best woman win today."

Marissa took my hand automatically, and I squeezed just hard enough to make her wince. Her fake smile slipped for just a second, and I saw something like fear flicker in her eyes.

Good.

Marissa watched me a little before speaking. "You seem... different today."

"Do I? I feel like myself for the first time in months."

"That's great," she said, but her voice was flat. "I should go get ready for my audition too."

"Of course. See you in there."

She walked away, but I could feel her looking back at me. Let her wonder what had changed.

I made my way to the waiting area, but before I could sit my name was called sooner than I expected. I smoothing my dress, and headed toward the audition room.

I was almost there when someone slammed into me from the side. My purse went flying, spilling everything across the floor.

"Shit, I'm sorry," a deep voice said. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's fine," I started to say, then looked up.

The man kneeling beside me was gorgeous in the most dangerous way that made you want to do stupid things. Dark hair, sharp jawline, expensive suit that fit him like it was made specifically for his body.

But it was his eyes that made me pause. Dark, intense, like he could see right through you and was deciding whether you were worth his time.

Our fingers brushed as we both reached for my phone at the same time, and I felt something electric shoot up my arm.

"Zayne Kings," he said, and my heart skipped.

This was him. The man Marissa had moaned about while Reid was inside her. The man Reid was so worried about.

"Soraya Levin" I said, taking his offered hand to help me stand.

His grip lingered longer than necessary, and his eyes traveled over my face like he was memorizing it.

"If you were a scene in a film," he said slowly, "I'd watch it on repeat."

I couldn't help but laugh – not the fake laugh I'd been using with Marissa and Reid, but a real one. "Careful. I might make you the star instead."

His smile was slow and dangerous. "Tempting but I'm hard to resist, and you look like danger I'd enjoy diving into."

There was something about the way he said it – not cheesy, but confident. Like he knew exactly what effect he had on women and wasn't apologetic about it.

"You have no idea," I said, tilting my head to look at him better.

For a moment, we just stood there. I could see other women staring at him, but his attention was completely focused on me.

"Break a leg in there," he said finally, but his eyes lingered on my face as he started to walk away.

"Thank you."

He disappeared around the corner, leaving me standing in the hallway with my heart racing and my mind spinning.

Zayne Kings. The man who could change everything.

I walked into the audition room with a new plan forming in my mind.

Reid and Marissa thought they could use me, but this time, I was going to use every weapon at my disposal – including the one man who could destroy them both.

The casting director looked up as I entered. "Soraya Levin?"

"That's me," I said, and my voice was strong and clear.

Let the games begin.

ZAYNE

I was halfway to the casting building entrance when my phone buzzed. The caller ID made me stop dead – Marcus, my grandfather's chief security officer. Marcus didn't call unless something was seriously wrong.

"Sir," his voice was tight with urgency. "We have a problem with the East Pier development."

"What kind of problem?" I kept walking, but slower now.

"Someone tried to sabotage the site last night. Cut the fuel lines on different equipment. If the night  watchman hadn't caught it during his rounds, the whole place could've gone up in flames."

My jaw clenched. The East Pier project was worth two hundred million dollars, and we were already behind schedule. "Accident or deliberate?"

"Deliberate. But that's not all – I've been tracking some rumors spreading around. Someone's been spreading stories that your company's projects cause health problems, environmental damage. They want you distracted, sir."

I stopped walking entirely. "Find them."

"Sir?"

"Find whoever's behind this. I don't care what it costs. If they want to play games with my business, I'll show them what a real game looks like."

"Understood. What about the East Pier security?"

"Triple it. And Marcus? When you find these people, I want to know everything about them. Their finances, their weaknesses, who they care about. If they want a fight, I'll give them one."

I ended the call, someone thought they could come after my empire and walk away clean. They were about to learn how wrong they were.

That's when I heard voices coming from around the corner – familiar voices that made me pause.

"Stay away from Zayne Kings, Marissa." Reid's voice was low, possessive.

Marissa laughed, and the sound got on my nerves. "Relax, baby. I like men I can control. Like you."

I frowned. Reid was engaged – the whole social circle had been buzzing about his upcoming wedding to some wealthy heiress. What the hell was he doing with Marissa?

"You courted my boring cousin for me," Marissa continued, her voice turning sharp. "Played the perfect fiancé while being mine in secret. Soon, when you marry Soraya, everything she inherited will be ours."

My blood went cold. This wasn't just cheating – this was fraud. Theft. And if I was hearing this right, they were targeting Soraya, Frank Levin's daughter. I'd known Frank – good man, built his empire from nothing.

"The wedding's only three months away," Reid warned. "We need to be careful."

"She'll never suspect," Marissa replied with chilling confidence. " And once we arrange that little accident after the wedding..."

I went completely still. They were planning murder.

"She's probably at home right now, taking those supplements you've been giving her," Marissa added with a laugh. "Keeping her weak and easy to control."

Jesus Christ. They were drugging her too.

A bright, friendly voice cut through their conversation: "Hey, you two!"

I stayed hidden, curiosity getting the best of me. I wanted to see the Soraya they'd been talking about.

The woman who appeared was nothing like what I'd expected. Beautiful, yes, but there was something sharp in her eyes, something calculating in the way she moved. This wasn't some helpless little rich girl.

"What are you doing here?" she asked them sweetly.

Reid looked like he'd swallowed his tongue. "Soraya! I thought you were resting today."

"I fired my medical team this morning," she said casually, and I saw both Reid and Marissa tense. "They were being disrespectful. Patricia actually told me you'd given them instructions to keep me in bed, Mari. Isn't that strange?"

Marissa's smile looked painted on. "I was just worried about your health after Uncle Frank-"

"How thoughtful," Soraya interrupted, but there was steel under the sweetness. "I feel better than I have in months. I'm even thinking about making some changes – updating my will, setting up trusts, maybe putting some protections in place in case of accidents."

The silence that followed was deafening. Reid and Marissa looked like they'd been struck by lightning.

I had to bite back a smile. This woman wasn't running scared – she was playing her own game, and doing it well.

After some more pleasantries that had, Soraya walked away, leaving her would-be killers looking rattled.

I waited a bit, then stepped out like I'd just arrived.

"Reid," I called out pleasantly. "Fancy seeing you here."

He jumped like I'd shot him. "Zayne! What are you doing here?"

"Business meeting. You?"

"Just... supporting Marissa at her audition."

Marissa had gone pale when she saw me. Good. Let them both sweat.

"Well, good luck," I said, clapping Reid on the shoulder just hard enough to make him wince. "May the best person win."

I walked toward the audition area, my mind spinning. Reid thought he could steal from and murder an innocent woman. He was about to learn that some games had deadlier players than he'd bargained for.

I was almost at the waiting area when someone slammed into me. Her purse went flying, and all the contents scattered across the floor.

"Shit, I'm sorry," I said automatically, then looked up.

It was her. Soraya. And up close, she was even more beautiful.

Our hands brushed as we both reached for her phone, and I felt something between us.

"Zayne Kings," I said, helping her to her feet.

"Soraya Levin."

"If you were a scene in a film," I found myself saying, "I'd watch it on repeat."

She laughed – not some fake, simpering giggle, but a real laugh that did things to my pulse. "Careful. I might make you the star instead."

"I'm hard to resist," I said, moving closer, "and you look like danger I would enjoy diving into."

Her smile was dangerous. "You have no idea."

We stood there for a moment, before I forced myself to step back.

"Break a leg in there," I said.

As I walked away, I pulled out my phone and dialed my assistant.

"James, I need you to find out everything about Soraya Levin. Background, finances, legal history, family connections. Be discreet."

"Understood. How soon do you need this?"

"Today."

--

Three hours later, James sent me the report. Soraya had left the audition and gone to Meridian, an upscale bar downtown. Without really thinking about it, I found myself driving there.

The place was dimly lit, sophisticated. I spotted her immediately- sitting at the bar, still in that blue dress, looking like she owned the place.

I ordered a scotch and took the seat next to her. "Well, this is a coincidence."

She turned, and her smile was knowing. "Is it?"

"You think I followed you here?"

"Didn't you?"

I laughed despite myself. "Maybe. Buy you a drink?"

"I'm already drinking." She held up her wine glass. "But you can buy the next one."

The conversation flowed easier than it should have. She was smart, funny, with opinions on everything from architecture to politics. Nothing like the naive victim Reid and Marissa thought they were playing.

"So what's your story, Zayne Kings?" she asked after her second glass of wine.

"Boring rich guy stuff. You?"

"Boring rich girl stuff." But her eyes were anything but boring.

When she excused herself to go to the washroom, I found myself following.

She was washing her hands when I walked in, locking the door behind me.

"This is the women's room," she said, but she didn't sound surprised.

"I noticed."

She turned to face me, leaning back against the marble counter. "Something you need?"

I moved closer, close enough to smell her perfume, to see the pulse jumping in her throat.

"You're not what they think you are," I said.

"Who's 'they'?"

"Reid. Marissa. Your loving family."

Her eyes flashed, but she didn't deny it. "And what do you think I am?"

"Dangerous."

She reached up and grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me closer. "You have no idea."

When our lips met, it felt divine more than I could imagine. She tasted like wine, her mouth hot and demanding against mine. My hands found her waist, pulling her against me as she backed into the wall.

Her fingers tangled in my hair, her body arching against mine as I pressed her against the wall.

I lifted her onto the counter, stepping between her legs as she wrapped them around my waist. Her dress had ridden up, and my hands found bare skin that made her gasp into my mouth.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she breathed against my lips.

"Probably not."

But neither of us stopped. Her hands were working at my belt, mine sliding up her thighs, the air thick with heat and desire.

The smart thing would be to walk away. To keep this simple, professional.

But looking into her eyes, feeling the way she responded to my touch, I realized that was the last thing that would happen.

SORAYA

My legs were still a little unsteady when I stepped out of the bathroom.

Why?

ZAYNE HAPPENED.

His scent: dark, expensive, addictive. It still clung to my skin.

My lips tingled like he was still kissing me.

We almost had sex. He'd stopped.

And that said a lot, more than an actual make-out session ever could.

Men like him don't pull back unless they're thinking, calculating, wanting.

I pushed through the bar crowd, sucked in the cold night air and let it cool down the fog of heat he left behind.

I needed to focus.

Zayne was a distraction.

Though I feel he might be a good distraction for me in the nearest future.

A very attractive and dangerous one at that.Don't know how, but I'll figure that out later.

For now, I have enemies who were already ten steps ahead of me. I need to get my head back in the game.

My phone buzzed as I walked down the street toward the parking lot.

A message from Reid:

<b> Where are you?

Marissa said you disappeared after the audition.

We need to talk.

I laughed out loud.

People turned, but I didn't care.

He needed to talk because he was scared.

Good.

I reached the car, leaned against it and scanned the street.

Cars pulled up; people were leaving already.

Then, Reid's familiar SUV rolled into the parking lot.

He hadn't seen me yet.

I stayed in the shadows.

Marissa was in the passenger seat, legs crossed, hair perfectly curled, smiling at Reid in a way that looked sweet to strangers... But I knew better.

That smile was a leash.

Reid said something.

Marissa's smile tightened, and then he flinched.

Hmmm... Still the same dynamic.

Marissa is pulling the strings.

Reid tripping over himself just to please her.

I must commend Merissa for being too good at this manipulating stuff.

Their car idled for a moment.

Marissa adjusted her mirror.

Her eyes flicked toward where I stood.

And for the first time ever, I didn't look away.

I held her gaze, calm and unblinking.

Her smile faltered by a millimetre, but I saw it.

"Good!" I whispered to myself and smirked.

She nudged Reid. He looked too. Then, his face tightened.

Even better.

That single look told me everything;

They might not know what I remembered.

But they know for sure that something changed in me.

I stepped out of the shadows and walked toward the bar entrance, passing their SUV.

Not close enough to speak to them but close enough to make them feel unsettled.

I walked slowly, in such a way that I could still see them with the side of my eye.

A paper slipped from my purse and floated to the ground, completely intentionally.

Reid noticed immediately.

He always noticed things that made him paranoid.

Then Marissa stepped out of the car and picked it up.

Her eyes scanned the single, scribbled line:

"We should recheck my dad's will. What do you think?"

Her fingers stiffened.

Reid reached for it.

She snatched the paper back again.

"Do you think she's suspecting things already?" he whispered.

"I-"

She cleared her throat.

"I don't know, but we need to be more careful now."

"But what if-"

"Reid," she hissed, "we just need to be careful. I doubt she suspects a thing."

No, sweetheart.

I know everything.

I didn't go back, didn't acknowledge them and didn't even glance back.

The best wounds are the ones made without touching.

---

"Interesting technique."

His voice slid into my ear like silk dipped in sin.

I didn't jump. I should have.

But Zayne already had that effect on me, showing up like shadows shifting into shape.

He stood near the wall, hands in his pockets, eyes following the SUV like he already knew exactly who they were and why I cared.

"You still haven't gone home," I said softly.

He tilted his head.

"Then I would have missed out on this drama."

His gaze dipped to my lips, slowly, deliberately.

Heat rushed through me.

I hated that he could do that with just a look. I mean, it hasn't been up to 24 hours since we met. How can he have such an effect on me??

"Forgot to ask, did you enjoy the audition?" he asked.

"Did you enjoy the bathroom?" I shot back.

His smirk sharpened, just a twitch.

"Very much," he said. "Which is why I'm curious what you're doing now."

I stepped closer, just enough.

"Making small moves," I whispered.

"And those two?" He jerked his chin slightly toward Reid and Marissa's SUV.

"Bigger moves," I said.

"So you have enemies."

It wasn't a question; it didn't sound like one. Sounded more like an observation.

I met his eyes fully.

"Don't you?"

For a moment, something dark flickered behind his gaze, not danger, but recognition.

Then he chuckled, low and soft.

"You're going to get yourself into trouble," he murmured.

I smiled.

"I already did."

-

After Zayne walked away, slipping into the night like a warning, I headed toward my car.

As I pulled the door open, a thin folder slid off the seat onto the ground.

Dr Chen's handwriting clipped across the top.

My breath caught. I picked it up and flipped it open.

Sedative dosages.

Dates.

Adjustments.

Side effects.

Instructions.

And then, one line circled twice:

"Monitor closely. Cardiac response expected."

My father's medication.

My medication.

My throat tightened, anger rising like heat behind my eyes.

I am not grieving anymore, nor am I depressed.

I've been given an opportunity to rewrite all wrongs from my past.

Time to make a plan.

A quiet erasure.

I closed the folder with trembling fingers and whispered:

"Not this time."

I put it in the passenger seat, started the engine, and stared at my reflection in the rearview mirror.

I looked younger.

But the woman in my eyes?

She isn't just a younger Soraya.

She is a reborn one.

Sharper, smarter and more dangerous than they ever expected.

Then I smiled, slowly, cold, promising.

"Let the games begin."