Collide Into Ruin

Henry leaned back in his chair, the dim light of his office casting elongated shadows across the sleek wooden desk. The weight of the day rested on his shoulders as he flipped through the pages of the file in front of him. Numbers, contracts, and legal jargon blurred together until his personal phone vibrated against the desk, breaking the monotony.

Glancing at the screen, his brow arched slightly. Scarlett Evans. He answered without hesitation. "Hello?"

"Henry," came her familiar voice, rich with amusement and just the faintest hint of warmth.

At the sound of her voice, an unspoken tension in his chest loosened. Relief washed over him. Levi had actually delivered the documents securely. "Scarlett. I was going to call you. I—"

"Oh, Henry, don't you dare apologize," she interrupted smoothly, her tone knowing. "I've known about his cheating ways for a long time. I was just in love. I wanted to believe he'd change."

Henry exhaled sharply, understanding that feeling all too well. The ghost of an old wound stirred deep in his memory. The first time he had caught Zoey cheating, it had been a gut punch, the kind of pain that left a man reeling. But he had believed her when she swore it was a mistake, that she'd never do it again. Love had made him a fool. He had clung to the hope that she could be different, that what they had was worth salvaging. But it had been a lie—one he had told himself to make the betrayal easier to bear. In the end, she had done it again, and again, until he had finally walked away, a little older, a little colder.

Scarlett sighed on the other end of the line. "But enough about my tragic love life. What I really want to talk about is yours."

Henry smirked, shaking off the dark memories. "Oh?"

"Yes, because I simply must meet the woman who turned Henry Kingsley into an absolute sap. A force to be reckoned with, clearly."

A chuckle rumbled in his chest. "I am not a sap."

"Henry, you just called me to make sure I was okay. And you referenced your fiancée like some kind of knight in shining armor. Please. The old Henry would've scoffed and hung up five minutes ago."

"I was never that bad."

Scarlett hummed in playful disagreement. "Debatable. But seriously, when do I get to meet her? I have to see for myself what kind of magic she's working on you."

Henry leaned back, a soft smile playing on his lips as he thought of Emilia. "Soon, Scarlett. Very soon."

Scarlett laughed lightly. "Good. I look forward to it. But now that we've established, you're officially whipped, tell me—what's next for you?"

Henry arched a brow. "I could ask you the same thing. What's your plan now?"

Scarlett sighed dramatically. "Oh, I'm divorcing that asshole for good. But I want to do it in style."

Henry's lips twitched. "Oh yeah? And how's that going to go?"

A mischievous lilt crept into her voice. "Don't worry, Henry, I promise I'll be careful. But I'm going to wait for the perfect moment. Let him think everything is fine and then—bam, I'll make sure he regrets ever underestimating me."

Henry shook his head, amused. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Scarlett let out a wicked little chuckle. "Smart man. And Henry—if I hear even the faintest whisper of that bitch trying to hurt your fiancée, I will personally make her life a living hell."

A slow, satisfied smirk spread across Henry's face. "Now that is something I'd pay to see."

"Oh, honey, it'll be free entertainment. Just wait and see."