Emily returned to the newsroom the next morning, her mind still tangled with thoughts of Julian Blackwood. The scent of stale coffee filled the air as reporters hustled to meet deadlines, but none of the noise could distract her from the message still unanswered on her phone.
Her source had gone silent.
"Earth to Emily," Mia called, dropping a fresh cup of coffee on her desk. "Did you find your mysterious billionaire last night?"
Emily sighed, taking a sip. "More like he found me."
Mia's eyes widened with interest. "And? Was he as terrifying as they say?"
"Worse," Emily muttered, pulling up her notes. "He's sharp, arrogant, and he knows I'm digging."
Mia plopped into the chair across from her, grinning. "Sounds like you've got his attention. Maybe that's a good thing."
Emily shook her head. "Not if he's trying to scare me off. There's something wrong at Blackwood Enterprises, Mia I can feel it. And I'm not stopping until I find out what."
Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she scoured financial reports and legal filings, searching for the crack in his empire. But Julian was careful. Every paper trail led to a dead end.
Until she found it.
A shell company Solstice Holdings linked to one of Blackwood's international subsidiaries. On the surface, it seemed legitimate. But something about the irregular cash flows felt off.
Emily leaned closer, heart pounding. This could be the break she needed.
"You're going down, Blackwood," she murmured under her breath.
But as her investigation deepened, she didn't notice the sleek black car pulling up outside the Manhattan Post building or the man inside watching her with cold calculation.
Julian Blackwood wasn't the kind of man to let anyone threaten what he'd built.
And if Emily Taylor wanted to play this game, he would make sure she understood the stakes.