"Why is Ethan Carter's wife calling me?" Alexander Blackwood's deep voice carried a sharp edge of amusement over the line.

"No wonder Blackwood Group can never quite beat Walker Group," I said, leaning my spine against the cold marble wall of the hallway. "A massive scandal just hit the national news, and you are completely in the dark."

I gripped the phone tighter, my knuckles turning white. "And I am not his wife anymore. My name is Catherine Walker."

"Catherine Walker," Alexander repeated. The amusement vanished from his tone, replaced by a low, calculating hum. "I am listening."

"Turn on any major news channel or open a browser," I told him, keeping my voice dangerously level. "My husband and my younger sister just broadcasted their sex life to the entire country. The live stream is trending everywhere."

A faint tapping sounded on his end—a keyboard clicking. A long silence followed, then a quiet exhale. "Well. That is quite the performance. But why call me? I am your husband's biggest commercial rival."

"Because I want to destroy him," I said. "And I want to join Blackwood Group."

"You run Walker Group," Alexander pointed out, a hint of skepticism coloring his words. "Why would the CEO of my biggest competitor hand over her playbook?"

"I manage it," I corrected. "My father, Richard Walker, built that company from the ground up. But my mother, Evelyn, holds the controlling shares. She just informed me she is handing the entire inheritance to Sophia. I am nothing but a glorified employee to them. They want me to clean up their public relations mess, smile for the cameras, and step aside."

"So you want to jump ship," Alexander said. "You want to team up with me to crush your own family."

"I want to take back what belongs to me. I know your supply chain weaknesses, Alexander. I know exactly where Ethan plans to outbid you next quarter. Bring me on, and I will hand Walker Group to you on a silver platter."

"That is a decent plan," Alexander murmured. "But I have a much bolder one."

"I am not interested in playing games. I need resources."

"Neither am I. Marry me."

I froze. The marble wall suddenly felt like ice against my back. I pulled the phone away from my ear, checked the screen to make sure I was actually talking to the CEO of Blackwood Group, and brought it back. "Excuse me?"

"Marry me," he repeated, his voice entirely serious, lacking any trace of a joke. "If we become husband and wife, I will write fifty percent of Blackwood Group's shares into our prenuptial agreement."

"Is this a joke?" I demanded. "Because I do not have the patience for corporate humor right now."

"I never joke about mergers, Catherine. You get half my shares."

"You would hand over half your empire to a woman you barely know?"

"I know your profit margins," Alexander said smoothly. "I know you ruthlessly cut the European division to save the company from bankruptcy three years ago. I know exactly who you are. You are the only reason Walker Group has stayed afloat. You are ruthless, efficient, and currently out for blood."

A chair squeaked on his end. "With you on my board legitimately as my wife, we can engineer a hostile takeover of Walker Group within a year. You get your father's legacy back. I get to absorb my biggest competitor."

I swallowed hard, staring at the crystal chandelier hanging above the staircase. The logic was flawless, yet utterly insane.

"A marriage of convenience," I said.

"A highly profitable partnership," he countered. "I majored in law, Catherine. My best friend, Daniel Brooks, is the top divorce attorney in the state. He will draft every single document to ensure you are protected."

"Ethan will not sign a divorce agreement easily. He thinks he can keep me chained to his messes."

"He will not have a choice," Alexander said. "My secretary, Lucas Bennett, will deliver the termination papers to Ethan by eight o'clock tonight. I will handle the rest of the legal fallout. You just need to show up."

"Show up where?"

"I will text you the address."

The line went dead.

I lowered the phone just as the master bedroom door swung open.

Ethan stepped out, his tie hanging loose around his neck, his shirt only half-buttoned. He held the glossy photos of his illegal wire transfers in one hand, his face pale and furious. Sophia followed close behind him, wearing my favorite red silk robe. She clutched a thick manila folder to her chest.

"Who were you talking to?" Ethan demanded, waving the photos at me. "And what the hell is this, Catherine? You hired a private investigator to track my offshore accounts?"

"Someone who actually knows how to conduct business," I replied, ignoring his panic. "And yes, Ethan. I like to know where my money goes."

Sophia pushed past him, a sickeningly sweet smile plastered across her face. She tossed the folder onto the glass coffee table in the center of the hallway.

"Do not bother trying to threaten him, Catherine," Sophia sneered. "I already had these prepared."

I glanced down. The bold letters across the top page read: Divorce Settlement Agreement.

"You brought divorce papers to an affair?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I brought them because Mom already made her decision," Sophia said, stepping forward. She ran a hand over the lapel of the red robe. "She called me right after she hung up on you. She is transferring the entire company to me. You have no leverage anymore. No title, no power, no husband. Sign them."

Ethan adjusted his cuffs, refusing to meet my eyes. He tossed the photos onto the table next to the folder. "Catherine, look at this rationally. The photos you found do not mean anything now. The board will back whoever holds the most shares. And that is going to be Sophia. You are out."

"So I should just surrender?" I asked.

"It is for the best," Ethan insisted. "You keep the house, I keep my shares. We walk away clean. We can issue a joint statement saying we grew apart."

"Clean?" I let out a sharp laugh. "You just fucked my sister on a live stream, and you think you are walking away clean?"

"Just sign the damn papers!" Sophia snapped, shoving a gold-plated pen toward me. "You lost. Accept it."

I picked up the pen. The metal felt heavy and cool against my skin. I looked at Ethan's cowardly posture. He wanted my money, my silence, and my sister. Then I looked at Sophia's victorious smirk. She wanted my life.

They really thought they had won. They were rushing headfirst toward a cliff, entirely blind to the drop waiting for them at the bottom.

"Gladly," I said.

I flipped to the last page and scribbled my name on the dotted line. I did not even bother reading the terms. It did not matter what ridiculous demands Sophia had typed up. Daniel Brooks would rip this amateur document to shreds by tomorrow morning.

I dropped the pen on top of the signed contract.

"Enjoy your prize, Sophia," I told her, turning on my heel. "I am sure he will be just as loyal to you as he was to me."

"Where are you going?" Ethan called out, his voice tinged with sudden uncertainty. "We need to coordinate the press release!"

I did not answer. I grabbed my purse from the console table and walked out the front door, letting it slam shut behind me.

The cool evening air hit my face as I stepped onto the driveway. My phone buzzed in my hand. A text message flashed on the screen from an unknown number, displaying a single address downtown.

My fingers flew across the screen, typing out my reply.

See you at the civil affairs bureau.

Twenty-four hours after walking out of my own home, I stood in the sterile lobby of the civil affairs bureau.

"You beat my legal team to the punch."

Alexander Blackwood strode through the glass doors, a sharp smirk cutting across his face. He wore a tailored charcoal suit that commanded the room, but his eyes locked entirely on the stamped document in my hand.

I held up the freshly printed divorce certificate.

"I just received the termination files Daniel drafted," Alexander said, stopping inches from me. "I expected Ethan to put up a fight. Men like him usually cling to their meal tickets."

"He thought he was winning," I replied, sliding the booklet into my purse. "He believes Sophia controls the board now. There was no point in wasting time."

Alexander raised a dark eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over my calm expression.

"Did you bring your identification?" I asked, checking my wristwatch. "We should finalize the marriage certificate while we are here."

He let out a low laugh, a sound entirely out of place in a government building. He snapped his fingers over his shoulder.

His secretary, Lucas, hurried forward. The young man produced a thick stack of documents from a leather briefcase, his eyes wide as he looked between us.

Alexander handed me a silver pen. "The prenuptial agreement. Half of Blackwood Group, just as I promised."

I took the pen. I flipped straight to the final page and signed my name on the bottom line. I did not bother reading a single clause.

Alexander caught my wrist before I could hand the paperwork back. His grip was firm, his thumb resting over my racing pulse.

"You are signing away your future without reading the terms," he noted, his gaze turning calculating. "Aren't you afraid I might deceive you?"

A hollow chuckle escaped my throat.

"I have nothing left to be tricked out of," I said, pulling my hand back. "Let us get this done."

By eight o'clock that evening, I stood in the center of Alexander's penthouse.

The space was massive, all sleek lines and dark marble, overlooking the glittering city skyline. I stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the headlights blur into rivers of gold below.

"I should head back to the estate tomorrow to pack my wardrobe," I said, breaking the quiet.

"No."

Alexander walked into the living room, loosening his silk tie. He tossed his suit jacket over a nearby armchair, rolling up his sleeves.

"Can you guarantee Sophia never touched those garments?" he asked, his tone flat.

My stomach twisted. The image of my sister wearing my red silk robe flashed in my mind. A wave of absolute revulsion washed over me.

"Leave it all," Alexander instructed, crossing the room to stand beside me. "Tell me what you need. I will purchase everything brand new."

I looked away from the window, meeting his gaze.

"The only thing I want," I said, my voice dropping to a harsh whisper, "is for Ethan and Sophia to get their retribution. Quickly."

Alexander smiled, a sharp, dangerous expression that transformed his handsome face into something lethal. He pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked the screen.

"Then you will enjoy this," he said, handing the device to me.

I took the phone. The screen displayed the top trending entertainment news.

The live stream from my bedroom had exploded. It was no longer just a scandal; it was a national spectacle. The comment sections were filled with thousands of voices tearing Ethan and Sophia apart.

*Catherine Walker built that company, and her sister repays her by stealing her husband?*

*Look at the mistress acting like a victim. Trash. Both of them.*

*Boycott Walker Group. If the CEO cheats on his own wife, he will cheat his investors.*

"Look at the financial index," Alexander suggested, pointing to a tab at the bottom of the screen.

I tapped the icon. Walker Group's stock chart looked like a cliff edge. The line plunged straight down in a sea of red, wiping out millions in market value in a single afternoon.

"The market hates instability," Alexander murmured, stepping closer. "Your sudden departure triggered a massive panic sell-off. Investors know you were the brains behind the operation."

Before I could respond, my own phone shattered the silence.

It vibrated aggressively against the marble kitchen island. The caller ID flashed my mother's name.

Alexander gestured toward it. "Showtime."

I walked over, picked up the phone, and swiped to accept the call. I did not bother with a greeting.

"Catherine!" Evelyn screamed, her voice shrill enough to echo through the expansive room. "What have you done?"

"I filed for divorce," I answered smoothly. "Just as you wanted."

"The board is threatening a vote of no confidence!" Evelyn shrieked. "The stock is in freefall! Sophia has been crying for hours. She cannot even leave the house because reporters are swarming the gates!"

I leaned against the cool marble counter, completely unfazed by her hysteria.

"That sounds like a management issue," I said. "Sophia is the boss now. Let her handle the press."

"You need to fix this!" my mother demanded, her breath hitching over the speaker. "Issue a statement immediately. Tell the press you and Ethan separated months ago. Protect your sister!"

"I am not targeting my sister, Mother," I replied, tracing a finger along the edge of the counter. "I am targeting the mistress who fucked my ex-husband."

Evelyn gasped, the sound sharp and ragged. "You are destroying Walker Group!"

"That company belongs to Sophia now," I reminded her, my tone completely devoid of warmth. "Why are you all panicking?"

"Catherine, if you do not fix this right now, I will ensure you never work in this city again!"

"The real show is just starting," I interrupted.

I pressed the red button to end the call, dropping the phone onto the glass table.

Alexander slid a freshly printed hostile takeover bid across the marble counter, his finger tapping the dotted line.