9 Chapter 9 - Return of the Siren 9 Chapter 9 - Return of the Siren The private jet touched down at JFK beneath a curtain of misty gray clouds. 1 Lina Hart adjusted her cufflinks, eyes cool behind oversized sunglasses. She descended the stairs not as a returning socialite, nor as a ghost of scandal-but as the headliner of Ardent Luxe, fashion's most enigmatic rising brand. Reporters waited by the terminal. She didn't pause. Bruce Chen, her assistant and logistics manager, met her at the curb. "Rutherford meeting confirmed," he said as he opened the car door. "Boardroom 17A. Skyline floor." "Thank you." Lina slid into the leather seat without glancing back. "Let's give them a show." Rutherford Tower stood just as she remembered-mirror glass reflecting ambition, arrogance, and nostalgia in equal measure. Inside, the lobby buzzed with renewed whispers: >"Is that her?" >"The one from the van?" > "Didn't she die?" She ignored them. Upstairs, the boardroom fell silent as she entered. Only one face faltered: Mason Rutherford's. He rose from his chair, hand gripping the edge of the table like it might steady him. "Caroline..." Lina placed a leather folder on the table and opened the presentation with a click. 10.12 412 < 9 Chapter 9 - Return of the Siren "Sustainability projections for Q4," she said evenly. "Based on our signature salvage-to-luxury pipeline, we expect a 21% increase in ROI if this line launches pre-Fashion Week." Her voice was ocean-smooth-measured, polished, impersonal. Mason sat slowly, but his eyes never left her. When she finished, she signed the final page of the pitch deck: **Lina Hart Creative Director - Ardent Luxe** "Questions?" she asked. None dared speak. After the meeting, Mason caught up to her in the mirrored corridor. His tie was loosened, jaw tight. "You're alive," he breathed. Lina kept walking. "Apparently." "Five years, Caroline-" "I go by Lina now." He stepped in front of her, blocking the elevator. "You faked your death." "No," she said, voice low but steady. "Your inaction made it official." He flinched. "I waited," he said. "I looked-" "You didn't even search the shoreline. Or check the hospitals. You buried me with a press release and an apology you barely meant." His voice cracked. "That's not true." 10:12 -2/5 < 9 Chapter 9 - Return of the Siren "Then tell me, Mason-what did you do after I disappeared? Other than take Iris to memorials and clink glasses for sympathy?" Silence. He reached for her arm. She pulled back. "Don't." "I thought you were gone." "You thought I was convenient," she said. "And when I stopped being convenient, you stopped caring." He stepped back like she'd slapped him. "I was wrong" he said quietly. "I see that now." Lina pressed the elevator button. "See it all you want. Doesn't change a thing" The doors opened. She stepped inside. "Mason?" she said just before they closed. He looked up. "Regret suits you," she said. Then the elevator swallowed her whole. - Back at her Manhattan studio, Bruce was arranging sample swatches when she returned. "Meeting go well?" he asked. Lina peeled off her blazer. "Exactly as planned" Bruce handed her a cup of chamomile tea. "You're trending. Again." She sipped slowly. "Let them speculate. Mystery sells." 10.12 315 < 9 Chapter 9 - Return of the Siren He hesitated. "And Mason?" Her silence was answer enough. Bruce set down the swatches. "He doesn't get to rewrite the ending." Lina met his eyes, surprised by the steel beneath his usual warmth. "No," she said. "He doesn't." That night, gossip blogs exploded: > **"Siren of Salvage Faces Her Ex-Fiancé in Boardroom Showdown."** > ***Caroline Monroe Alive-Now Going By Lina Hart."** > **"From Ruin to Runway: Ardent Luxe's Founder Revealed."** But Lina wasn't reading. She was busy cutting fabric. A deep teal chiffon, almost like the sea before a storm. She didn't need revenge. She had relevance. And that was louder than any apology. The next morning, Bruce met her in the lobby, coat in hand, umbrella tucked beneath his arm, "Forecast says drizzle," he said, handing her a protein bar. "You skipped breakfast again." "You're alarmingly efficient" "I aim to please." They shared a small smile. 10:17 415 < 9 Chapter 9 - Return of the Siren And for the first time in years, Lina felt something shift-something that had nothing to do with Mason. Something warmer. Something steady. "Bruce," she said softly, "tell me something real." He blinked. "Like?" "Something not about work." He thought for a moment, then said, "I think it's okay to start over without needing someone to rescue you." She stopped walking. He held her gaze. The storm inside her stilled just enough to let that truth in. Maybe, just maybe, this chapter would be hers alone. And maybe the next one would begin by choice. Not from survival. But from strength. Comment 0 Leave the first comment for this chapter. 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