TANGLED WITH MR BLACKWOOD

The dining table wasn't long tonight — just quiet.

Ethan sat with his parents in their Upper East Side penthouse, dressed down in a soft T-shirt and dark pants. The meal wasn't formal. Not really. But in the Blackwood household, even casual dinners carried an edge — like walking through a glass maze barefoot.

His father sipped wine, posture too straight for someone "relaxed." His mother swirled her glass slowly, as if buying time before launching into whatever monologue she had planned.

She finally set the crystal down with a clink. "Scarlet's back from Milan."

Ethan didn't even look up. "Since when?"

"Last week. Apparently, she's been invited to the Stonewell Foundation Gala." A pause. "Alongside several key investors."

His father folded his napkin with surgeon-like precision. "She's well-connected, and still unattached."

Ethan's jaw barely moved as he spoke. "That's not my business anymore."

His mother's fingers tightened around the glass stem. "She might stop by the office tomorrow. Wants to catch up."

He pushed his plate slightly away. Appetite gone. "She doesn't need an appointment to be ignored."

"You're not getting any younger, Ethan," she said, voice brittle with meaning. "Eventually, you'll need someone who belongs in your world."

He lifted his gaze to meet hers, cool and unwavering. "And what if I don't want your world?"

She blinked — once, slowly — like she hadn't heard him.

But she had.

She just didn't care.

Friday | Blackwood Signature Events 

The day started quiet. That should've been a warning.

Lexi had just stepped off the elevator, crisp and polished in a soft lavender blouse tucked into cream tailored pants. Her heels clicked softly as she crossed the sleek marble floors, dropping a project update with the receptionist before heading toward her desk.

She exhaled slowly, already reviewing the pitch notes in her hand.

Then — the elevator chimed again.

Scarlet Vale walked in like a headline.

Red sheath dress. Oversized sunglasses. Diamond studs that probably had security codes. Her perfume — expensive and commanding — reached the room before she did.

She didn't stop at reception. Didn't glance at anyone.

She walked directly to Ava's glass-walled office like she'd designed the building herself.

Heads turned like dominos. A few whispered. Maya squinted dramatically.

"Who ordered Cruella de Expensive?" she muttered.

Lexi blinked, her spine instinctively straightening as she watched the whirlwind of elegance and danger disappear behind Ava's door.

She had no idea that trouble — in lipstick — had just arrived.

Inside Ava's Office 

Scarlet shut the door behind her, lips already twisted in a knowing smile.

"I didn't expect the floor to look so… startup," she drawled, glancing around at the clean minimalism. "All this glass makes me feel exposed."

Ava didn't bother looking up from her monitor. "That's the point. Transparency. It's a thing here."

Scarlet smiled faintly, tossing her purse onto the edge of the desk like a declaration. "Relax. I'm not here to stir anything up."

"You don't need to stir," Ava replied flatly. "You just show up and assume everything still circles around you."

"Is that bitterness I hear?" Scarlet's voice dropped an octave. "Or admiration?"

"Neither," Ava said, meeting her gaze now. "It's fatigue."

Scarlet leaned forward slightly. "I've missed the city. The name. The attention. And him."

"If you're referring to Ethan—don't waste your gloss," Ava said sharply. "He's not the same man you used to twist around your little finger."

Scarlet's brows rose. "Everyone's twistable, Ava. You just have to use the right finger."

The silence that followed was ice-cold.

Ava rose from her seat, voice final. "This conversation is over."

Scarlet's smile didn't falter — but it hardened.

She stood and smoothed the front of her dress like she'd won anyway. "It's been cute."

And with that, she walked out — heels clicking like warning shots.

Outside Ava's Office – 

Scarlet emerged, sunglasses sliding back over her eyes like armor. She moved with the grace of someone who believed the world was her stage.

Halfway to the elevator, Camille intercepted her with a perfectly timed smile.

"Ms. Vale?"

Scarlet paused, glancing at her lazily. "Yes?"

"I'm Camille. Head of PR Concepts." Her voice was warm but strategically low. "We've never met officially, but I've admired your work for years. You're... unforgettable."

Scarlet studied her, lips curling. "Flattery suits you."

Camille took a step closer. "I just thought you might want a little… internal update."

Scarlet tilted her head slightly.

"There's been a lot of attention on one of our junior staff lately," Camille said casually. "Ethan's been… unusually invested in her."

Scarlet's lashes didn't move. "Go on."

"Lexi Thompson. She's new. Fresh-faced. Talented — and quite visible lately."

Scarlet turned her head slightly toward the desks behind the glass.

"Interesting," she said.

Camille's smile was tight and perfect. "Thought you'd like the update."

Scarlet didn't respond.

But the chill in the air deepened.

Lexi's Desk – 

Lexi was reviewing event mockups when she felt a shadow cast over her desk.

She looked up.

Scarlet Vale stood there, one hand on her hip, sunglasses reflecting Lexi's stunned expression.

"So… you're Lexi."

Lexi slowly removed her earbuds, heart stuttering. "Yes?"

Scarlet tilted her head. "Pretty. Ambitious. You've got that whole working-class-heroine thing going for you. I can see why he's… amused."

Lexi blinked, thrown off. "Excuse me?"

Scarlet leaned in, voice lowered to a razor's edge. "Ethan Blackwood isn't your class, sweetheart. Don't mistake his attention for something it's not."

The office went still.

A tension you could cut with a butter knife.

Then—

Maya stood, eyes narrowed.

"Okay, who invited a Disney villain to our floor?" she said loudly.

Scarlet turned her head — slowly.

Maya folded her arms. "You don't get to waltz in here and throw shade like this is The Real Housewives of Wall Street. Take your power trip somewhere else."

Lexi sat frozen. All eyes on them.

Scarlet's smile faltered for half a second.

Then — Ava's door opened.

"Scarlet," Ava said, voice calm but absolute. "I asked you to leave once. Let's not make it twice."

Scarlet flicked her hair, turned on her heels — but not before casting one last look at Lexi.

Not hatred.

A warning.

Like the first rumble of thunder before a storm.

Blackwood Tower – 38th Floor 

Miranda, Ethan's assistant — sleek in a navy dress and sharper than a scalpel — looked up as Scarlet swept into view.

"I need to speak with Ethan," Scarlet said.

Miranda rose without missing a beat. "He's in a meeting. I'll be happy to schedule something."

Scarlet stepped closer. "Tell him it's Scarlet."

"I still need to—"

She moved past the desk slightly, heels clicking hard against marble. "This is important."

Miranda shifted to block Ethan's door, polite but firm. "Ms. Vale—he has a full calendar. If you'd like to leave a message—"

Then her earpiece crackled.

> "Let her in."

Miranda's eyes flicked toward the door. She stepped aside without another word, jaw tight.

Scarlet walked in like she still owned the air he breathed.

Inside Ethan's Office

He stood by the tall window, city behind him like a kingdom he barely noticed. No tie. Just a black Henley stretched over lean muscle, sleeves pushed to his elbows, veins visible beneath his skin. A man carved from restraint.

Scarlet paused. "Still broody. Still beautiful."

He didn't smile. "What do you want, Scarlet?"

She stepped further in. "To remind you what we had."

"You mean what I walked away from."

Her heels clicked across the floor. "You were happy with me once."

"I was distracted," Ethan said. "It's not the same thing."

She brushed her hand along his desk edge. "We worked, Ethan. Admit it."

He turned to face her fully. "You worked for you. And I let you."

"You're afraid," she said, voice lowering to silk. "Afraid of wanting me again."

Ethan crossed the room, opened the office door, then looked back — eyes glinting with steel.

"No. I'm not afraid of anything anymore."

Scarlet stared at him.

But he didn't blink.

Didn't flinch.

Didn't want her.

And that was the most brutal truth of all.

Scarlet finally walked out, heels quieter this time.

All she left behind was silence and expensive perfume.