Wicked Games

Caroline

Caroline Rivolta sat in her office, staring at the revised terms Leonardo had sent. The document was thorough, meticulously crafted to give just enough to make it seem like a win, but she could see the strings attached. He had agreed to her demands for more control over the integration process, but only under specific conditions—performance benchmarks that, if unmet, would revert control back to Silverstone.

She knew what this was: a trap. Leonardo was giving her just enough rope to hang herself. If her company faltered even slightly during the transition, he would swoop in and take control. It was a classic move, one designed to make her feel like she was in control while secretly tightening the noose around her neck.

Caroline's grip on the document tightened, her knuckles turning white. The audacity of it infuriated her, but she couldn't deny the brilliance of his strategy. Leonardo was playing a game of inches, giving just enough to keep her engaged but always with an eye toward the long game. He was relentless, calculating, and she couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for his cunning.

But she wasn't going to let him win.

She stood up, moving to the window that overlooked the city. The skyline was dotted with lights, a testament to the countless people working late into the night just like her. She had worked too hard, fought too many battles, to let someone like Leonardo Romero take what was hers. Silverstone might be a giant, but Caroline knew that even giants could fall if you hit them in the right place.

She turned back to her desk, her mind racing as she considered her next move. The performance benchmarks he had set were ambitious, but not impossible. If she could meet them—and she would—she could keep control of her company. But she needed more than that. She needed a way to turn the tables, to put Leonardo on the defensive for once.

Her phone buzzed, and she saw it was a message from Luna: Call me when you have a moment. I have some information you might find interesting.

Caroline immediately called her sister, her pulse quickening. Luna rarely involved herself in Caroline's business dealings, but when she did, it was usually for a good reason.

"Luna, what is it?" Caroline asked, her voice steady despite the tension coiling in her chest.

"I've been hearing things from some of my contacts in the tech industry," Luna began, her tone serious. "There's talk that Silverstone's latest acquisition—a tech firm—has been having major integration issues. It's causing a lot of unrest internally, and some of the top talent is thinking about jumping ship."

Caroline's heart skipped a beat. This was exactly the kind of information she needed. If Silverstone was struggling with its own integration issues, it could give her the leverage she needed to push back against Leonardo's demands.

"Do you have any specifics?" Caroline asked, her mind already spinning with possibilities.

"Not much yet, but I can dig deeper," Luna replied. "I thought you might want to know as soon as possible."

"You're right," Caroline said, a determined edge in her voice. "This could be the opening I've been looking for. If Leonardo's company is vulnerable, I can use that to my advantage. He's been pushing me, trying to back me into a corner, but this might be the way to turn the tables."

"Just be careful, Caroline," Luna cautioned. "Leonardo's not someone to underestimate. If you make a move, make sure it's the right one."

Caroline nodded, though Luna couldn't see it. "I will. Thanks, Luna. I owe you one."

After ending the call, Caroline sat back down at her desk, her mind racing. The information Luna had given her was a potential game-changer. If she could confirm the issues at Silverstone and use them to her advantage, she could negotiate from a position of strength, forcing Leonardo to back off or risk exposing his company's weaknesses.

But she had to be careful. Leonardo was a master strategist, and if he caught wind of what she was doing, he could turn it against her. She needed to move quickly and quietly, gathering as much information as possible before making her move.

Caroline reached for her phone again and called Claire. "I need you to start looking into Silverstone's recent acquisition—the tech firm they bought last year. I've heard there are issues with the integration, and I want to know everything: who's involved, what's going wrong, and how bad it is. And keep it quiet. We can't afford any leaks."

"On it," Claire responded immediately. "I'll have something for you by tomorrow."

Caroline hung up and leaned back in her chair, a sense of determination settling over her. She had been on the defensive for too long, reacting to Leonardo's moves instead of making her own. But now, she had a chance to turn the tide, to go on the offensive and take control of the situation.

Leonardo thought he had her figured out, that he could predict her every move. But he didn't know everything. He didn't know how far she was willing to go to protect her company, her legacy. And he certainly didn't know that she was about to strike back with everything she had.

As she prepared to dive back into the documents, Caroline couldn't help but feel a spark of anticipation. The stakes were higher than ever, but so was the thrill of the fight. She was standing on the edge, one wrong step away from disaster, but she wasn't afraid.

Because she knew that in this game, it wasn't just about surviving. It was about winning. And Caroline Rivolta had no intention of losing