The morning after their return from London, Aria Thorne was back in her office, focused and sharp. She had two worlds to manage, the huge financial company and the new, high-end fashion house.
She arrived at the Vanguard Designs headquarters exactly at 8:00 AM. She took off her coat and immediately asked for her Personal Assistant.
Tina, quick, reliable, and always prepared, appeared instantly. Tina was the kind of assistant who always knew what Aria needed next.
"Good morning, Ms. Thorne. Your schedule is clear until the Vance Global meeting at one. The press list is ready, and the final lookbook files are here for your check," Tina said, placing a thin, secure tablet on Aria's desk.
Aria sat down, looking at the digital file. This was the pre-launch hype, the plan to create buzz before the clothing was available. It was all about strategy, shown through marketing pictures and videos.
"How is the plan to get press involved?" Aria asked, picking up the tablet.
"Tier One, the top editors and stylists, got the secret preview videos an hour ago. We are focused on articles, not social media posts. The main idea is 'Strong Design Meets Feminine Power,'" Tina reported. "We are highlighting the Valkyrie Collection's new, strong way it's built."
Aria nodded. She was avoiding the fast, fleeting attention of social media stars. Vanguard Designs was meant to feel expensive and important.
Aria's Thought: We must build a wall of importance. The less everyone sees, the more exclusive it will seem to the right people. The Valkyrie Collection is my symbol of control. But first, I have to make sure the face of the company is perfect.
She scrolled through the Lookbook/Campaign images. These were the high-quality photos and short, artistic videos of the new line. The models looked serious and powerful, showing off the look of "hidden armor."
Aria looked closely at every detail, every line of stitching, every expression. This was her vision, the perfect disguise for a woman who lived her secret life.
"The Obsidian Cloak photograph," Aria said, pointing to a picture where a model stood against a harsh, concrete wall. "The light is too strong on the shoulder seam. The hidden support inside shouldn't be easy to see. Send it back for digital softening. I want the strength to be felt, not seen."
Tina quickly made a note. "Right away, Ms. Thorne. And the video campaign, the one using the part of the Aether song?"
Aria paused, a slow, faint smile touching her lips. Jax Ryland had given her the right to use an unreleased, instrumental part of a new Aether track, a fast, intense beat that sounded like a soldier's heartbeat during a mission. It was a strong, quiet show of support.
"That campaign is perfect. The music is the final piece of the hype. It suggests that something powerful is about to happen. Release it to the business news outlets at noon. Let the financial world know we are making a big move," Aria ordered.
While Aria focused on strategy, a very different kind of aircraft landed nearby in Manhattan.
Soverkis Volkov, CEO of the Volkov Group, landed at a private airport north of the city. She had flown immediately from London, fueled by being tired, deeply in love, and intensely jealous.
Soverkis was a striking woman whose fashionable looks were only less powerful than her ruthless ambition. She saw people as things to be bought or problems to be crushed. And the man she was obsessed with, Jax Ryland, was proving to be a difficult problem.
She was met by her security team and driven straight to her secured hotel suite at the St. Regis. As she changed out of her travel clothes, she ignored the beautiful view of Central Park, focusing instead on the map of Manhattan spread across her table.
Soverkis's Thought: Jax is the man I want, the man I love, and Aria Thorne is simply the woman who is distracting him. She thinks she has control, but Jax is a prize meant for someone like me, who understands real passion.
She looked at the secret files her team had put together on Vanguard Designs.
"A security and defense fashion firm?" she sneered aloud. "It's just fancy clothes for rich, fearful people. But the launch party is the key."
She knew Aria's plan: the Launch Event was a private unveiling for important people, the ones who control the media and money. This meant the guest list was small, and therefore, easier to control.
Soverkis picked up her phone, calling her New York lawyer. "I need a way into the Vanguard Designs private event next week. I won't wait for an invitation. Find someone important on that guest list who is having financial trouble, and make sure they bring me as their guest. I need to be in the room when Jax Ryland performs for Aria Thorne."
She smiled, a cold, shark-like expression.
Soverkis's Thought: I will not let Jax be wasted on a corporate shareholder. If I cannot have him fully, I will make sure he is too busy fighting for his career to even look at her.
Her phone rang. It was Chloe Thorne, Aria's jealous step-step-sister.
"Chloe, darling. Did you see the news? Aria is using a snippet of Aether's music to promote her little party," Soverkis said sweetly, starting her plan. "I thought you were supposed to be keeping a low profile? Maybe it's time to remind everyone why Thorne Design is the truly important brand."
Soverkis didn't need to attack yet. She needed to create noise. She was planting ideas of chaos, knowing that romantic jealousy and rivalry were better weapons than any direct attack.
At 1:00 PM, Aria arrived at the Vance Global headquarters for the required board meeting with Elias. The tension from the trip now filled the executive conference room.
Elias, surrounded by his legal and financial teams, was all business, cold, organized, and professional.
The meeting was about the legal fallout from the "small correction" that Jax had made to the large media company's finances. They were planning the corporate defense strategy against any legal threats.
"The media company's debt issue is getting fixed," Elias reported, leaning forward. "However, their chairman is aggressively looking for who leaked the information. He will try to sue us. It's unlikely to work, but we must protect Vance Global completely."
Aria nodded. She was impressed by how smart Jax's move had been, it was a financial ghost attack, but now the legal work had to start.
"We need to build a four-layered legal defense, Elias. I want it to be clear that the Vanguard Designs assets and strategy were completely separate from the Vance Global decisions," Aria instructed, drawing a complex chart on the whiteboard. This was the soldier in her, planning defensive lines. "The key is to have a good excuse. The smart idea came from me, but the action was done by an outside partner, a necessary move to avoid being accused of illegal insider trading."
Elias narrowed his eyes. "That outside partner being Jax Ryland, whose business partnership with you was just sealed with a private concert."
The tension in the room grew instantly. The teams fell silent, recognizing the personal fight.
Elias's Thought: She sees him as a smart equal. I see him as a huge problem who has found a way into the most protected part of our lives: her trust. I need a personal plan, not a corporate one. I must find his weakness.
"Very well, Aria," Elias agreed smoothly. "We will build the legal defense. But I am adding an independent security expert to the Vanguard Designs launch next week. It's necessary because of the important people on the guest list. No one can argue against better security."
Aria knew this was Elias trying to plant a spy, but she had to accept it. "Agreed. If they pass the security checks set by Tony William, they are welcome. But they work for Tony, not for you."
The meeting ended, leaving a trail of tense executives and a clear point: Aria held the power in business, but Elias was now using security as his way to fight back.
Aria returned to her headquarters, the corporate fight having made her feel sharper and more focused. She moved immediately to her CEO office and entered her private tailoring room.
She needed the quiet, repetitive focus of her craft.
The Nighthawk Gown stood on the dress form, now fully complete. The complex inner boning was perfectly hidden, making the dark, shimmering silk look incredibly soft and flowing.
Aria ran her fingers over the fabric, tracing the lines of the subtly armored fibers.
Aria's Thought: This is the armor I wear when I let myself be seen. The Valkyrie Collection is the shield for the company; the Nighthawk is the truth of me.
She thought of her scars, the silver lines Jax had touched so respectfully. That acceptance was now woven into the lining of the gown. She was no longer just preparing a dress; she was preparing herself to face the world, and Elias, while standing next to Jax Ryland.
She sat down at the drafting table, shifting her focus to the Launch Event preparations.
She opened a digital folder marked "Presentation".
Aria was not planning a simple fashion show. Her plan was a sophisticated, intimate, static presentation. The few special guests would be guided through rooms where models, carefully chosen Runway Models and Photo Models, would stand on lighted platforms, wearing the Valkyrie Collection. The guests could walk around and see the detail, the movement, and the subtle protection built into the clothes, making them feel like they were part of something very exclusive.
She checked the model profiles. They had to be clean, and their movements had to be precise. This intimate unveiling was structured with absolute control, ensuring every detail and fiber of the collection was viewed under the best possible conditions.
She then reviewed the website strategy.
The moment the unveiling ended, the high-quality photographs, detailed descriptions, and high prices would instantly appear on the Vanguard Designs website. This was the Media Outreach plan: the guests would provide the immediate, high-end buzz, and the website would provide the platform for fulfilling orders. The exclusivity was maintained by the high cost and the powerful story, not by limiting the sales platform.
Aria looked up at the window. The New York evening was setting in. She was ready. The pre-launch hype was building up, her corporate defenses were in place, and the Nighthawk Gown was finished.
Now, all that remained was the arrival of the main people: the powerful audience, the security threat from Elias, and the man who held her deepest secrets.