The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Jake POV:

You ever make a deal thinking you’re the smartest guy in the room—only to realize you just got played like a damn rookie?

Yeah. That’s what happened to me.

And the bitch responsible?

Ella Kingsley.

I’m not an idiot.

I’ve built Black Enterprises from the ground up. I’ve outsmarted sharks, crushed competition, and made sure no one—no one—got the upper hand on me.

Until her.

Until Ella freaking Kingsley waltzed into my office with that too-perfect business proposal, flashing her pretty little smirk like she wasn’t about to ruin my life.

She looked like any other rich heiress.

Beautiful. Elegant. Completely harmless.

I should’ve known better.

Because behind that perfect smile?

Was a monster in designer heels.

She came in with big ideas.

Partnership. Expansion. Mergers.

Said she had connections, power, and vision.

I figured, why not?

What harm could it do?

I’d get a talented partner, she’d get a little piece of the business, and we’d both make money.

Except...

I missed one small detail.

Her last name.

I assumed she was just some businesswoman who happened to share a last name with the Kingsleys.

I was dead wrong.

Because as it turned out?

She was the goddamn Kingsley heiress.

And by the time I realized it?

She already owned half my company.

The Blacks lost their minds.

The Kingsleys and the Blacks have been rivals for decades.

So the fact that I—Jake Black, CEO of Black Enterprises—just handed the Kingsley heiress a majority stake in my company?

Yeah. My family wanted my head on a platter.

I got calls. A hundred of them.

Board members screaming. Investors pissed. My father calling me an idiot.

And Ella?

She just sat back and smiled.

Like she’d won a goddamn game.

I don’t lose.

I don’t get played.

And I sure as hell don’t let anyone make a fool of me.

Ella might’ve won this round.

But this?

This was war.

And I was going to make her pay.

One way or another.

If Ella Kingsley thought she could just waltz into my company, outplay me, and walk away unscathed, then she had another thing coming.

Because if I couldn’t get back what she stole?

I’d burn her whole empire down.

Or at the very least—her reputation.

The media was eating up the story of our so-called partnership.

"Kingsley Heiress Becomes Largest Partner of Black Enterprises!""Ella Kingsley: A Business Prodigy?""The Future of the Corporate World: Black & Kingsley Alliance"

What a joke.

They were making her look like some genius businesswoman when all she really did was trap me in a deal I couldn’t get out of.

And that’s what pissed me off the most.

I knew how impossible it would be to get her shares back—the contract was airtight.

But Ella cared about her image.

She wanted to be seen as untouchable, brilliant, powerful.

So all I had to do?

Find something—anything—to taint that image.

Because if I couldn’t beat her in the boardroom...

I’d destroy her in the public eye.

Ella Kingsley thought she was untouchable.

She outmaneuvered me, humiliated me, and made me look like a fool in my own company.

But if she thought I was going to sit back and take it?

She had no idea who she was playing with.

Taking back my shares wasn’t an option—not legally, at least.

She had played her cards too well.

So instead of trying to beat her in business, I’d beat her in the one thing she couldn’t afford to lose—her reputation.

Ella Kingsley was a married woman.

To Jason King—a man who, despite everything, still had power and influence.

Their marriage was the perfect image of corporate unity.

A King and a Kingsley—the business world’s golden couple.

If something happened to taint that image...

If Ella Kingsley was caught cheating on her husband...

She’d lose everything.

Her reputation.Her credibility.Her position in Black Enterprises.

And when she was desperate to make the scandal disappear?

She’d sell me back my shares.

I started playing the role.

Sweet. Charming. Understanding.

A perfect gentleman.

Ella wasn’t stupid—she was a shark in business, just like her father.

But she was also a woman.

I could use that.

I could make her trust me.

Make her let her guard down.

And when the time was right?

I’d set the trap.

The idea was simple.

Get close to her. Gain her trust. Make her see me as an ally.Wait for the right moment. An event. A party. Somewhere private.Drug her drink. Just enough to make her lose control.Stage the scene. A private room. A hidden camera. Me—pretending to be the perfect gentleman taking care of her.Make it look like she cheated.

I wouldn’t even have to touch her.

The video footage would do all the work.

A drunk, vulnerable Ella.Me—close to her, holding her, whispering in her ear.Maybe a few strategic photos—her dress slipping, my hand on her waist.

And then?

I’d leak it. Or blackmail her with it.

Let the media do the rest.

Ella Kingsley—the brilliant, untouchable heiress—would become nothing more than a scandalous, unfaithful wife.

The Kingsleys wouldn’t stand for it.

Her father would be furious.

Jason King would be humiliated.

Her business partners would question her judgment.

She’d lose face.

And when she was desperate to save what was left of her reputation?

She’d sell me back my shares.

She’d beg me to take them.

She wouldn’t have a choice.

I smirked, swirling the whiskey in my glass.

This was checkmate, Kingsley.

You played your game well.

But now?

It’s my turn.

I stood in the grand ballroom of the Kingsley Charity Gala, holding a glass of champagne and a well-practiced smirk.

This event was exactly what I needed.

A place full of cameras, reporters, and high-profile business elites.

A place where a single rumor could turn into a headline within minutes.

And the best part?

Ella Kingsley was here.

I spotted her across the room, standing next to an older couple, laughing at something they said.

She looked stunning tonight—elegant, powerful, completely in her element.

But I wasn’t here to admire her.

I was here to bring her down.

Slowly. Carefully.

I couldn’t make a direct move yet.

If I pushed too hard, she’d see right through me.

No, I needed her to lower her guard.

To trust me.

To let me in.

I approached her at the perfect moment—just as the conversation with the older couple ended.

"Ella." I greeted smoothly, tilting my head slightly. "You look absolutely breathtaking tonight."

She turned, her expression neutral. "Jake. What a surprise."

I chuckled, pretending to be amused.

"Oh, come now. You didn’t think I’d miss an event as important as this, did you?"

She eyed me suspiciously.

Good. She should.

I leaned in just slightly, lowering my voice as if I was telling her a secret.

"Relax, Kingsley. I’m not here to start another war."

Her lips twitched, but she didn’t outright reject my presence.

Progress.

I made sure to stick close to her all evening.

Not in an obvious way.

Just close enough for people to notice.

The media loved a story.

And if they saw me—a man who was supposed to be her business partner—laughing with her, offering her drinks, leaning in just a little too close...

They’d start asking questions.

"Did you see Ella and Jake?"

"Why does it look like they’re flirting?"

I could already see the headlines forming.

"Secret Tension Between Ella Kingsley and Jake Black?"

"Business partners or Something More?"

"Jason King, Are You Watching?"

I smirked.

This was too easy.

I leaned closer to her at the bar, just enough for the cameras to catch it.

"Relax, Kingsley." I murmured smoothly. "Enjoy the night. You don’t have to keep looking over your shoulder for your husband."

She narrowed her eyes.

"My husband doesn’t control where I look."

"Does he even care?" I asked, watching her reaction.

Her jaw tightened.

Bingo.

Jason King had pissed her off.

I could use that.

"You’re too stunning to be ignored, Ella. If I were your husband, I wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off you."

Her lips parted slightly, caught between annoyance and intrigue.

I lifted my glass to hers.

"To a night without enemies," I said smoothly.

She hesitated, then clinked her glass with mine.

The flash of a camera caught my eye.

Perfect.

Let the rumors begin.