Chapter Eleven: Unmasked Rivalry
Kim Monroe paced the glossy tiles of her penthouse, her heels clicking like warning shots against the silence. The encounter earlier with Kelly still echoed in her mind. The way he'd challenged her—again—infuriated her beyond reason. Who did he think he was?
Zuri.
Kim clenched her jaw. The little girl had been watching when she yelled. She remembered the look in Zuri's eyes—hurt, confused. Kim wasn't used to feeling guilt, but that image haunted her more than she expected.
She grabbed her phone and dialed. "Caramel. Get here. Now."
Thirty minutes later, the elevator dinged, and Caramel stepped in like a breeze of calm elegance, a bottle of rosé in hand.
"That bad?" she asked, plopping onto the couch.
Kim poured herself a glass, hands trembling. "Worse. I lost it. In front of his kid."
Caramel raised a brow. "You screamed at the man? In public?"
But wait
Why was she in the office
Well she was sick so he brought her because there's no one to take care of her
So you shouted at him
Kim nodded stiffly. "In front of Zuri."
"Oof." Caramel winced. "What's going on with you, Kim? This isn't like you. You don't do emotions."
"He gets under my skin." Kim took a long sip. "And I hate it."
"Sounds like you like him."
"I don't." Kim said sharply. "He's stubborn, arrogant, and unpredictable. He brings his daughter everywhere like she's his shadow."
"That's... oddly sweet."
Kim scowled. "No. It's distracting. Today he brought some resource report that should've been useless, but the board liked it. It made me look—"
"Less than perfect?" Caramel finished with a smirk.
Kim glared. "I should've never let him in."
Caramel shrugged. "You did. And now you're spiraling. Want me to meet him?"
Kim hesitated. "He'll be in the office tomorrow. You can drop by. But don't tell him I talked about him."
Caramel grinned. "You know I won't."
Kim opened her phone again, scrolling aimlessly, trying to forget the uneasy weight in her stomach. Then her screen lit up with a new message:
UNKNOWN NUMBER: You're playing with fire, Monroe. Dig too deep, and you'll burn.
Caramel leaned over. "What's that?"
Kim tried to lock the phone, but Caramel snatched it first. Her eyes narrowed.
"You're getting threats now?"
Kim hesitated, then stood and walked to the window. "It's probably just someone trying to rattle me."
Caramel wasn't convinced. "That's a serious message, Kim. Who'd want to send that?"
Across town, in a sleek black office filled with luxury and shadows, Monika Harlow leaned back in her leather chair, a smirk dancing on her lips as she closed her burner phone. Her assistant entered, handing her a folder labeled Monroe Enterprises.
"Let's see how far the Ice Queen melts when the pressure rises," Monica whispered to herself.