Chapter 33 THE COUNTERATTACK
POV: Selena
Adrian was still talking when my phone started vibrating again.
I stood in the middle of his penthouse living room, shoes still on, bag sliding off my shoulder, my body running on whatever was left after adrenaline burned out. I wanted quiet. Five minutes of it. Instead, the room felt tighter with every word he said, with every alert lighting up my screen.
“Selena,” he said, slower now. “Look at me.”
I did.
His concern sat right on the surface. Not panic. Not control. Something closer to awe, mixed with fear he was trying to hide.
“You walked into their house,” he said. “Alone.”
“I didn’t go alone,” I replied. “I went prepared.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
I dropped my bag on the couch and finally let myself breathe. My hands were shaking again, but this time I didn’t fight it.
“I wasn’t reckless,” I said. “I was done being quiet.”
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing once before stopping in front of me. “Do you know what you did to their timeline?”
“Yes,” I said. “I ruined it.”
A corner of his mouth lifted despite himself. “You scared them.”
“I scared myself too,” I admitted.
That surprised him. I could see it in his eyes.
“I didn’t feel brave in there,” I said. “I felt angry. And tired. And very clear about what I wouldn’t accept anymore.”
He stepped closer, not touching me yet. “That clarity is dangerous in this family.”
“I know.”
My phone buzzed again. This time I looked.
Bella: It’s moving. Slowly. But it’s moving.
“What does that mean?” Adrian asked.
“It means they didn’t expect us to answer back,” I said.
We didn’t waste time celebrating. Marcus joined us on speaker within minutes, his voice clipped and focused.
“Public sentiment is shifting,” he said. “Not dramatically. But enough. People don’t like seeing power punch down.”
“And Diana?” Adrian asked.
“She’s quiet,” Marcus replied. “Which tells me she’s being advised.”
I sat on the arm of the couch, listening, my pulse steadying as information replaced fear.
“We need to release something,” Marcus continued. “Not defensive. Clean. Unified.”
Adrian looked at me. “Are you ready for that?”
I hesitated. Not because I didn’t want to stand with him, but because I knew what standing publicly meant. No more hiding behind my job title. No more pretending this was temporary.
“Yes,” I said. “But it has to be honest.”
Marcus exhaled. “Good. Because that’s all that works long term.”
The statement went out an hour later. Short. Clear. No drama. Adrian acknowledged the relationship. Condemned the use of intimidation and manipulation. Stated that no proposal had been coerced and no silence purchased.
My name was in it.
Not intern. Not assistant.
Selena Alvarez.
When it went live, I turned my phone face down.
“I don’t want to watch it,” I said.
Adrian nodded. “Neither do I.”
We sat side by side, not touching, listening to the city hum outside the windows. For a moment, it felt almost normal. Almost peaceful.
Then his phone rang.
He answered without looking away from me. “Yes.”
I watched his expression change. The way his jaw set. The way his shoulders squared.
“When?” he asked.
A pause.
“Yes,” he said. “We’ll be there.”
He ended the call slowly.
“What is it?” I asked, though my chest already felt tight.
“My father called an emergency meeting,” he said. “Family only.”
“And me?”
He met my eyes. “You.”
I stood. “Then let’s go.”
The De Luca estate looked different at night. Less ceremonial. More guarded.
As we walked inside, I noticed things I hadn’t before. Doors closed that were usually open. Voices lowered when we passed.
Victoria stood near the fireplace, arms crossed. Bella hovered close to her, eyes flicking to me with something like warning. Marcus was there too, standing apart, his attention sharp.
Then I saw the men near the wall.
Dark suits. Neutral faces. Hands resting near belts, not relaxed.
My steps slowed.
Adrian felt it immediately. “What’s wrong?”
Before I could answer, one of the men stepped forward.
“Miss Alvarez?”
“Yes,” I said.
He held up a badge. “FBI. We need to ask you a few questions regarding the leaked documents.”
The room went silent.
Victoria’s gaze cut to Adrian. His father stood near the table, expression unreadable.
“This is a misunderstanding,” Adrian said.
The agent remained calm. “We just need her cooperation.”
My heartbeat thudded in my ears. Not fear. Focus.
“I’ll answer,” I said.
Adrian turned to me sharply. “Selena.”
“I will,” I repeated. “But not alone.”
The agent nodded once. “That can be arranged.”
As they moved closer, I realized something with quiet certainty.
This wasn’t a warning.
It was a test.
And how I handled it would decide everything that came next.