The Woman They Feared
CHAPTER ONE
The sound of heels against marble echoed through the twenty seventh floor of Benedict Cosmetics headquarters.
Sharp.
Slow.
Controlled.
Every employee standing near the corridor immediately straightened the moment Volga Benedict appeared.
Fear had a scent.
And in this building, it smelled like expensive perfume and power.
Volga walked through the hallway without sparing anyone a glance, her black heels clicking against the polished floor with dangerous precision. The silk blazer hugging her body probably cost more than most people’s yearly salary, but nothing about her beauty softened the coldness in her expression.
Her assistant hurried behind her nervously, struggling to keep up.
“The investors from Milan arrived fifteen minutes ago,” Amelia said quickly. “The campaign team is waiting in Conference Hall A and the launch reports are already on your desk.”
Volga hummed in response, stepping into the private elevator.
The doors closed.
Silence.
Finally.
She leaned against the mirrored wall for exactly three seconds before straightening again.
Weakness had no place in her world.
Not anymore.
By the age of thirty, Volga Benedict had become one of the most powerful women in the country. Benedict Cosmetics ruled the beauty industry with terrifying dominance while her luxury designer brand, Maison Benedict, had become a symbol of wealth and status.
People called her elegant.
Sophisticated.
Untouchable.
But nobody built an empire by being kind.
The elevator doors slid open directly into her office suite overlooking the city skyline.
Floor to ceiling glass.
Black marble interiors.
Gold accents.
Cold luxury.
Just the way she liked it.
Her phone buzzed the second she entered.
Amelia paled after reading the notification on her tablet.
Volga noticed instantly.
“What?”
Amelia hesitated.
“There’s… news.”
Volga slowly placed her handbag on the desk.
“What kind of news?”
“The Williams Corporation officially announced their expansion into the country this morning.”
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Amelia swallowed nervously before continuing.
“The press conference started twenty minutes ago.”
Volga’s expression did not change.
But the air in the room did.
Williams Corporation.
Of course she knew the name.
Everyone did.
A cosmetic empire spreading across countries with terrifying speed. Luxury campaigns. Billion dollar acquisitions. Ruthless business tactics.
And behind all of it stood one man.
Kane Williams.
Volga had seen photographs before.
Tall.
Sharp jaw.
Dark eyes.
The kind of face magazines worshipped.
A beautiful devil wrapped in expensive suits.
But beauty never impressed her.
Power did.
And Kane Williams had too much of it.
“Cancel my noon meeting,” Volga said calmly.
Amelia blinked. “Ma’am?”
“I want every file we have on Williams Corporation on my desk within an hour.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And Amelia?”
“Yes?”
“If they think they can enter my country and threaten my company, they’re either brave or stupid.”
Amelia gave a nervous nod before leaving the office.
The moment the door shut behind her, Volga picked up the remote and switched on the television mounted across the room.
A press conference filled the screen instantly.
Reporters crowded around cameras while flashes exploded across the stage.
Then he appeared.
Kane Williams.
The room itself seemed smaller the moment he stepped forward.
Six foot three.
Broad shoulders.
Black suit tailored perfectly against his body.
A luxury watch glinting beneath the lights.
And those eyes.
Cold.
Predatory.
Amused.
The reporters practically melted in front of him.
Volga hated that instantly.
“Mr. Williams!” one reporter called out. “What made you choose this country for your next expansion?”
Kane adjusted the cuff of his suit lazily before stepping toward the microphone.
His voice was deep enough to sound dangerous.
“I enjoy competition.”
A few reporters laughed nervously.
Another reporter spoke carefully.
“People are already comparing your company to Benedict Cosmetics. Do you see them as rivals?”
For the first time, Kane smiled.
It was not a pleasant smile.
It looked like the kind a man wore before destroying someone.
“I don’t compete,” he said smoothly.
The room fell silent.
Kane’s eyes darkened slightly.
“I dominate.”
Volga stared at the screen expressionlessly.
But her grip around the remote tightened.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because for the first time in years, someone had entered her world without fear.
And Volga Benedict had no idea whether she wanted to ruin Kane Williams...
or meet him.
A slow smile spread across Volga’s lips.
Not admiration.Definitely not attraction.Challenge.
That was what Kane Williams had just given her in front of the entire country.
Volga muted the television and walked toward the glass windows overlooking the city. The skyline glittered beneath the afternoon sun, powerful and untouchable.Just like her empire.Or at least it had been.
Until now.
Behind her, the office doors opened carefully.Amelia stepped inside carrying a thick black folder against her chest.
“The files on Williams Corporation,” she said nervously. “There’s... a lot.”
Volga returned to her desk and opened the folder silently.Acquisition reports. International expansion charts. Luxury campaign investments. Projected market takeover percentages.The deeper she flipped through the pages, the darker her expression became.
He was fast.Too fast.
No company should have expanded this aggressively within such a short time unless they had unlimited resources or absolutely no fear of destroying people in the process.
Volga suspected Kane Williams had both.“Do we know who funds him?” she asked calmly.
Amelia hesitated.“No official records. Most of the companies connected to him disappear after a few years.”
Interesting.Very interesting.
Volga closed the file slowly.“Dig deeper.”
“We already tried.”
"Try harder.”
Amelia nodded immediately.
Nobody argued with Volga when she used that tone.The silence inside the office stretched for a moment before Amelia spoke again carefully.
"There’s one more thing.”Volga looked up.
"The Royal Meridian Hotel invited both Benedict Cosmetics and Williams Corporation to the Luxora Gala next weekend.”
A humorless laugh escaped Volga.Of course they did.The media would love that.The country’s most powerful businesswoman standing beside the man threatening her empire.
A perfect scandal waiting to happen.
“Decline the invitation,” Volga said instantly.
Amelia looked surprised.“Ma’am, the entire press will be there.”“I’m aware.”“And if Williams Corporation attends alone, the media may assume Benedict Cosmetics is intimidated.”
Volga’s eyes narrowed slightly.That single sentence was enough.Intimidated.She slowly leaned back against her chair.Then smiled.
Coldly.“Send them my confirmation.”Amelia blinked.
“You’re attending?”“Yes.”Because if Kane Williams wanted war...Volga Benedict would give him one.
Miles away, inside the penthouse suite of the Blackthorne Hotel, Kane Williams loosened the cuffs of his black shirt while staring at the city below.
The country was beautiful.
Expensive.
Corrupt.
Perfect.
A man stepped into the room cautiously.“Sir.”
Kane did not turn around.
"What?”
"The market reaction is exactly as predicted. Benedict Cosmetics shares already dropped three percent after the press conference.”
Finally, Kane smiled slightly.Not because of the money.Money stopped impressing him years ago.
But power?Power was addictive.
And Volga Benedict sat at the top of this country like an untouchable queen.
Kane wanted to see her fall.Not because he needed her company.
But because people like Volga fascinated him.
Perfect people.
Controlled people.
People who looked cold while hiding secrets beneath their skin.
He picked up the tablet lying on the table beside him.Volga Benedict’s face filled the screen instantly.
Sharp eyes.
Dark hair.
Elegant posture.
Expression unreadable.
Beautiful.
But not soft.
No, Volga Benedict looked like the type of woman who could stab a man and still look graceful afterward.
Kane liked that.A little too much.
"What’s our next move?” the man asked carefully.
Kane’s gaze remained fixed on her photograph.“The Luxora Gala.”
"The press expects confrontation.”Kane’s eyes darkened with amusement.“Then let’s give them something unforgettable.”
For the first time in a very long time, Kane Williams felt interested.
And dangerous men became reckless when they were interested.
