ACE Consortium,

The air in Damien's office was thick with anticipation. Lianna Black — formerly Lily Carrington - still stood in the doorway, her black hawk-feathered gown swaying behind her like the wings of a fallen angel. Her emerald eyes gleamed like a predator’s, sharp and unyielding. 

She no longer looked like the fragile Lily Carrington New York City once knew. She was something else now, something darker.

Damien, now standing behind his sleek mahogany desk, continued to size her. His black eye mask only added to the enigma of his already intense presence. The moment she crossed the threshold, his eyes flickered over her, acknowledging her transformation.

 

“Lianna,” Damien said in that low, controlled voice. "Not a bad name, my dearest."

He let the name hang in the air, a subtle reminder of how things had changed.

Lianna met his gaze with a cool, measured look. 

“Not Lily anymore,” she jibed softly, her voice like velvet. “I’m here for business, Damien. Nothing more, nothing less.”

His lips twitched. 

A silent acknowledgment of the new game they were playing.

Before either of them could say another word, a low chuckle broke through the tension. 

Xander Cortez, Damien’s closest confidante and the brooding strategist of the group, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. His sharp brown eyes never left Lianna. He had been watching her the entire time, sizing her up with that calculating look of his.

“You don’t waste any time, do you?” Xander’s voice was deep, almost amused. 

He looked between Lianna and Damien, sensing the volatile mix of unspoken words between them. 

Lianna stood tall and unflinching, holding his gaze. 

“I don’t need time. I already know what I want.”

Sebastian “Seb” Blake — Damien’s charming rebel, with a smile that could either charm or infuriate—flashed a grin from his spot by the window. His hazel eyes gleamed with curiosity, his arms casually resting on the back of a chair.

“Well, well, looks like someone’s been busy,” Seb quipped, his voice dripping with sarcastic amusement. “I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting this.” He tilted his head, giving Lianna’s gown an exaggerated once-over. 

“You’re certainly... memorable.”

Lianna’s gaze flicked to him, her lips barely twitching. 

“Good,” she said coolly. “I prefer not to be forgotten.”

Dante Montgomery, the silent enforcer, sat quietly at the far end of the room. His dark eyes were sharp as knives, his posture stiff. 

He didn’t speak, but his presence alone made it clear that he was a man of few words and fewer chances. He had no patience for games. And he was watching Lianna intently. The warning in his gaze was unmistakable.

“Let me guess,” Seb continued, his eyes sparkling with mischief, “You think you can waltz in here with dark vibes and suddenly steal Damien's show? I’m dying to know how that works out for you.”

Lianna stepped closer, the feathers of her gown brushing against the floor like a whisper. She stared right at Seb, unfazed by his teasing. 

“I didn’t come here for your approval, Seb. I came here for one thing: revenge.”

Damien’s eyes darkened, a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. He didn’t like that she’d said it so bluntly, so unapologetically. But at the same time, he couldn’t deny that she had his attention. 

“Revenge?” Xander mused, his voice low. “Vengeance is something we all chase, but few of us are prepared to handle it.”

Lianna locked eyes with him. 

“Then I guess I’m not like most people.”

Seb smirked, stepping forward. “And here I thought you were just a pretty face in a pretty gown. Guess I was wrong.”

Damien’s gaze flickered to Seb, a silent warning flashing in his eyes.

“Enough, Seb,” Damien said, his tone sharp. “You’re testing her patience.”

Seb raised both hands in mock surrender, flashing a charming grin.

 

“Alright, alright. Still trying to figure out who’s in charge here.”

Damien exhaled sharply, his eyes returning to Lianna. There was something about her that unsettled him. Something he couldn’t quite place. 

But the longer she stood there, challenging him with her gaze, the more he realized she wasn’t intimidated by him or his friends. 

She was playing a different game, one that he wasn’t sure he was ready for.

Before the tension could snap, the door to the office opened with a soft click. PA Jin, Damien’s loyal assistant, entered again, his expression unreadable.

“Mr. Hawke,” Jin reminded him, his voice quiet but urgent. “The board’s waiting for you in the meeting room.”

Damien nodded, his eyes still on Lianna. His lips curled into a tight smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“I’ll be there in a moment.”

Jin hesitated but didn’t press. He gave a brief nod to Lianna before turning to leave. But before the door closed behind him, Lianna’s voice cut through the room.

“Are you going to send me away, Damien?” Her tone was laced with challenge, the fire in her voice unmistakable.

Damien stood still for a moment, his expression unreadable. He could send her away, but something told him that wouldn’t be the smart move. He had enough on his plate without dealing with her unpredictability. Still, there was a thrill in her defiance that he couldn’t shake.

“I think you’re capable of making your own decisions,” he replied, his voice and full of quiet threat. “Just remember - there are consequences to every choice.”

Lianna’s lips curled into a faint smile, one that sent a chill down Seb’s spine. 

“I know the game, Mr. Hawke. And I’m not afraid to play it.”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked towards the lounge chair in Damien's parlour in his second room. As she passed by Xander, Seb, and Dante, she didn’t even acknowledge them. They watched her go, each man sizing her up, trying to determine how much of a threat she really was. 

Xander’s voice was the first to break the silence as Lianna disappeared from view. “She’s different.”

“Different’s an understatement,” Seb muttered, his smirk fading into something far more thoughtful.

Dante didn’t speak. His gaze was fixed on the door, as though he could still feel Lianna’s presence lingering in the room.

Damien stood still, his mind racing. He had underestimated her, but that wasn’t a mistake he planned to make again.

His voice was steady when he spoke, his words aimed at his friends. 

“We’re going to have to keep a very close eye on her.”

Lianna’s defiant words echoed in Damien’s mind long after she left. As the door clicked shut, Damien could feel the power shift in the room. The stakes had just gotten higher - and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could get it together. 

Seb’s voice broke through his thoughts, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. 

“Looks like someone’s finally met their match.”

Damien didn’t respond. He just walked to the door, his mask obscuring his unreadable expression, his mind already calculating the next move.

The game was on, and it was no longer just about revenge.