Love Denied Ch 8

Chapter 8
The Breaking Point
Elena paced her office, her heels clicking against the
polished floor as she read the latest report from her legal
team. Daniel was in trouble. Ryan had struck faster than she
expected, and now, her most trusted ally was in the
crosshairs.
She glanced up as Daniel entered, his face set in a hard
expression.
“They are coming after me,” he said, tossing a file onto her
desk.
Elena flipped it open. Fabricated financial records,
anonymous whistleblower statements, and a so-called
investigation gaining traction in the media. Ryan had left no
room for doubt—he was escalating.
“I will handle this,” she said.
Daniel scoffed. “You do not need to handle it. You need to
destroy him before he does more damage.”
Elena met his eyes. “That is exactly what I intend to do.”
She picked up her phone and dialed Adrian Kane.
“We are moving forward,” she said the moment he answered.
Adrian chuckled. “I was wondering when you would say
that.”
“Ryan wants a war,” Elena said. “So let’s give him one.”
Ryan’s Next Move
Ryan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of his
penthouse, sipping his whiskey as he watched the city lights
flicker below.
Nathan entered, his expression unreadable.
“Elena is already countering,” he said. “Her legal team is
pushing back hard. Daniel is refusing to step down.”
Ryan smirked. “Good. That means we are making them
sweat.”
Nathan hesitated. “But there is something else. Adrian Kane
is involved.”
Ryan’s grip on his glass tightened.
“Adrian is dangerous,” Nathan continued. “If he is siding
with Elena, we might be underestimating how far she is
willing to go.”
Ryan turned slowly. “Then we need to push harder.”
Nathan exhaled. “There is only one way to break Elena
completely. Her personal life.”
Ryan’s smirk widened. “Exactly what I was thinking.”
He walked over to his desk and opened a file labeled CarterStone Family.
“If she wants to play dirty, let’s see how she handles losing
everything.”
The Family Weakness
Elena had spent years protecting her personal life from the
public eye. Her family, particularly her younger sister,
Isabelle, had always been off-limits. But Ryan Lancaster did
not believe in limits.
A new headline flashed across the news.
“Scandal in the Carter-Stone Family: Isabelle Carter Caught
in Secret Dealings”
Elena’s heart dropped.
She picked up her phone, her fingers shaking slightly as she
called Isabelle.
The moment her sister answered, Elena could hear the fear
in her voice.
“I did not do anything,” Isabelle whispered. “Elena, you have
to believe me.”
“I do,” Elena said immediately. “Tell me everything.”
Isabelle took a shaky breath. “Someone set me up. There
were documents—fake contracts with my name on them.
They are saying I took bribes, but I swear, I did not.”
Elena’s jaw clenched. She had no doubt Ryan was behind
this.
“You are going to be fine,” she assured her sister. “I will fix
this.”
Isabelle hesitated. “Elena… I am scared.”
Elena closed her eyes, forcing her voice to remain steady.
“You do not need to be. I am handling it.”
But deep down, she knew the truth.
Ryan had finally found a way to hit where it hurt the most.
And this time, it was personal.