Dominic

14

__________

The tension between us is razor-thin as we step into the penthouse. Every movement feels measured, like a delicate balance that could shatter at any moment. The confrontation with Mercer’s CFO was nothing but smoke and mirrors—cryptic remarks, evasions, and no actionable evidence. We’re chasing shadows, and time isn’t on our side.

I close the door behind us with more force than intended and lean heavily against it. Exhaustion pulls at me—not just from the lack of sleep but the relentless weight of holding everything together while the cracks in my world deepen.

“How far does this go?” Eva’s voice slices through the silence, sharp and demanding.

I glance at her. The determination in her expression is unwavering, but there’s an edge of accusation that cuts deeper than she probably realizes. “What are you asking?”

She crosses her arms, frustration rippling off her. “I’m asking how much of this you already knew.” Her voice is steady, but the question lands like a punch. “You keep pointing to Conrad, but what if this goes beyond him? What if there are others—people you trust—who are part of this?”

My jaw tightens instinctively. She doesn’t understand the terrain she’s stepping into, the tightrope I’ve been walking for years. “Trust is a luxury I can’t afford,” I say finally. The words come out clipped, harder than I intend. “And yes, there are cracks—ones I’ve seen and ignored because to fix them would mean tearing apart everything I’ve built.”

“You should have acted sooner, .” She steps closer, her eyes flashing with anger. “Instead, you let this fester. Now it’s not just your company on the line—it’s our lives.”

Her words hit their mark, but I refuse to let her see the impact. “You think I don’t know that?” My voice rises, sharp as steel. “Every decision I’ve made has been to protect what I’ve built. But you—” I pause, raking a hand through my hair. The frustration bubbles up, threatening to spill over. “You’ve made this personal. You’ve dragged yourself into something you don’t fully understand.”

Her eyes narrow, her anger matching mine. “Don’t you dare act like this is my fault. I wouldn’t even be here if you’d been honest from the start. But you’ve been so consumed with holding your cards close that even you don’t know who to trust anymore.”

Her words land, and for a split second, I feel the truth of them sinking in. I’ve built walls so high, so fortified, that no one—least of all Eva—can breach them. But those same walls are cracking, and I don’t have the luxury of ignoring it anymore.

Before I can respond, a shrill alarm pierces the air. The sound jolts me into action. I grab my phone, moving to the security console as Eva’s voice follows me.

“What’s happening?” There’s fear beneath her steady tone.

“Someone’s trying to breach the server,” I reply, my voice clipped. “The penthouse system is isolated, but if they get through, they could access everything.”

“Here?” she asks, her face pale. “They’re attacking us here?”

“Yes,” I mutter, my focus on the flashing alerts on the screen. Red blips signal intrusion attempts, each escalating in complexity. “They’re probing for weaknesses.”

Her presence beside me is a steadying force I don’t want to acknowledge. “What do we do?”

I work quickly, my fingers flying across the touchpad. A final command locks them out—for now. The alarms stop, the screen stabilizing to a steady green. “They won’t get in,” I say, my tone sharper than intended. “But this was only a test.”

Her face tightens. “And when they try again?”

“They won’t,” I snap, though the conviction feels thinner than it should. “I’ll make sure of it.”

She doesn’t look convinced, and I can’t blame her. Whoever is orchestrating this isn’t just one step ahead—they’re playing on an entirely different level.

The rest of the night is a blur of tension. I work on fortifying the penthouse systems, creating redundancies, layering firewalls, and closing potential vulnerabilities. It’s methodical work, a welcome distraction from the larger problem clawing at my focus. Eva stays nearby, watching but not pressing.

Dawn filters through the windows by the time I set my phone down. Exhaustion pulls at me, but there’s no relief. Only the gnawing certainty that this isn’t over.

“You should get some sleep,” Eva says, her voice softer now.

“So should you.” I offer a faint smile, though it doesn’t reach my eyes.

She nods, but her lingering hesitation tells me she’s as restless as I am. The thought of her unease only adds to my frustration. I want to shield her from this storm, but she refuses to step back. Part of me admires her stubbornness; the other part curses it.

I’m halfway to my room when I hear Eva’s phone buzz. The faint sound carries through the quiet, and I glance back to see her frowning at the screen. Her face pales, her fingers tightening around the device. My gut tightens.

“Everything okay?” I ask, stepping into the doorway.

She looks up, startled, and for a moment, I see something flicker in her expression—hesitation, maybe guilt. “Yeah,” she says, her tone too even. “Just tired.”

The lie is thin, but I let it pass. “Get some rest,” I say, my voice softer. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

“Right,” she replies, managing a small smile.

As I turn away, a prickle of unease settles in my chest. Something isn’t right, but I can’t press her now. Not when the weight of everything else looms over us.

When Adrian calls later, his report confirms my worst fears. “The breach wasn’t just a probe,” he says, his tone grim. “They planted a worm. If it had activated, it would’ve given them access to your entire network.”

“Who’s behind it?” I demand, my voice colder than I intend.

“Conrad’s signature is there, but it’s too clean. Too deliberate. Someone wants us to think it’s him.”

“Any leads?” I press.

“Not yet. But whoever’s behind this isn’t finished.”

By mid-afternoon, Eva’s actions confirm what I’ve been suspecting. She’s hiding something. Watching her step into the elevator without a word sends my already-frayed nerves into overdrive.

Sliding into my car, I track her phone’s location, following her to the Blue Horizon Café. Her silhouette against the windowpane sends an ache of frustration and something else—something deeper—through me.

As I watch the man approach her, his polished demeanor screams trouble. My instincts are rarely wrong, and they’re telling me this is no ordinary meeting.

I step into the café, crossing the threshold between distance and confrontation.

Her gaze locks on mine, surprise flickering before being replaced by frustration.

The man stands, offering a polished smile. “ Kane. I wasn’t expecting company.”

His calculated ease only heightens my resolve.

“What exactly are you delivering?” I ask, my voice cold and cutting.

The man gestures to the folder, his smirk slipping. “Answers.”

The storm brewing between us swells, the implications in that single word threatening to unravel everything. I won’t let it.

Not without a fight.

The air in the café thickens as Vincent walks away, leaving Eva and me at the small table near the window. The sound of his polished shoes clicking against the floor lingers in my ears like a clock ticking down to something inevitable.

I glance at Eva, her eyes still locked on the folder lying on the table. Her lips press together in a thin line, and her fingers twitch, as if she’s debating whether to reach for the answers—or the chaos—inside.

“Open it,” I say, my voice low and even.

She doesn’t flinch, but I can see the tension in her shoulders as she picks up the folder. The weight of it is metaphorical and literal, and I can feel the air shift between us as she hesitates.

“What if it’s a trap?” she asks, glancing at me, her voice unsteady.

“Then we’ll deal with it,” I reply firmly. “But we need to know what’s in there.”

With a deep breath, Eva flips open the folder, her eyes scanning the first page. Her expression hardens as she reads, her jaw tightening with each passing second.

“What is it?” I press, leaning closer.

“It’s a detailed list of accounts,” she says, flipping to the next page. “Transfers, investments, offshore holdings. All linked to Conrad—and Mercer.”

I reach for the folder, my pulse quickening as I scan the documents. The evidence is damning, a breadcrumb trail that leads directly to Kane Enterprises’ enemies. But it’s the final page that stops me cold.

My name is on it.

“Dammit,” I mutter, my grip tightening on the paper.

Eva leans over, her eyes darting across the page. “They’re tying you to this,” she says, her voice trembling with anger. “They’re making it look like you were funneling money through these accounts.”

The accusation stings, even though it’s false. “They’re building a narrative,” I say through gritted teeth. “One that ends with me taking the fall.”

“Not just you,” Eva whispers, flipping to the back of the folder. She pulls out a smaller slip of paper—a photo of us together, taken outside the penthouse.

My stomach drops.

“They’re watching us,” she says, her voice barely audible.

I meet her gaze, my chest tightening at the fear lurking behind her anger. I reach out, placing a hand over hers. “We’ll handle this,” I promise, though the weight of the situation makes my words feel hollow.

Eva pulls her hand away, standing abruptly. “We need to get out of here,” she says, her voice steadying. “If they’re watching, staying here makes us vulnerable.”

She’s right. I grab the folder and follow her toward the exit. As we step outside, the cold air bites against my skin, and I scan the street for anything out of place. My instincts are screaming, the paranoia I’ve spent years honing now a full-blown siren in my head.

“We’ll take my car,” I say, steering Eva toward the sleek black sedan parked a few spaces away.

She doesn’t argue, sliding into the passenger seat as I settle behind the wheel. I start the engine, the low hum grounding me as I pull out onto the street.

“Where are we going?” she asks after a few moments of tense silence.

“To the penthouse,” I reply. “It’s the safest place to regroup.”

She doesn’t argue, but I can feel her unease radiating off her. As the city blurs past, I can’t help but glance at her out of the corner of my eye. Her hands are clenched in her lap, her breathing shallow.

“This is more than you signed up for,” I say quietly, breaking the silence.

She snorts, though there’s no humor in it. “You keep saying that like it’s supposed to scare me off.”

“I’m not trying to scare you,” I admit. “But this isn’t just a story, Eva. It’s dangerous.”

“I know that,” she says, turning to look at me. “But I’m not walking away. I’ve spent too much of my life running from things that scared me. Not this time.”

Her words hit harder than I want to admit. There’s a strength in her that both frustrates and inspires me.

By the time we reach the penthouse, night has fallen, casting the city in a sea of lights. The tension between us hasn’t eased, but there’s a quiet understanding now—a shared determination to face whatever comes next.

I set the folder on the dining table and turn to Eva. “We need to go through this line by line,” I say. “If there’s a way to dismantle their narrative, we’ll find it here.”

She nods, already pulling out her laptop. “I’ll cross-reference the accounts with known shell companies. If we can find even one link to Mercer, it’ll be enough to cast doubt.”

I watch her work for a moment, her focus razor-sharp. It’s a side of her I’ve come to respect, even admire. But admiration won’t keep her safe.

“Eva,” I say, my tone softening. “About earlier—”

She cuts me off without looking up. “Save it, . We don’t have time for apologies.”

“I wasn’t going to apologize,” I say, a hint of a smirk tugging at my lips despite the tension. “I was going to say thank you.”

That gets her attention. She looks up, her brows furrowing in confusion. “For what?”

“For being stubborn,” I admit. “For not backing down, even when you should.”

Her lips twitch, but she quickly schools her expression. “Don’t get used to it,” she mutters, turning back to her laptop.

The hours tick by as we dig deeper into the folder’s contents. The more we uncover, the clearer the picture becomes: Conrad was the inside man, feeding Mercer information while setting me up to take the fall. But the scope of the operation is bigger than I anticipated.

“This isn’t just about Kane Enterprises,” Eva says, her voice cutting through my thoughts. “They’re targeting you personally. They want to dismantle everything you’ve built—and they don’t care who gets caught in the crossfire.”

I nod, my jaw tightening. “Then we make them care.”

She looks at me, her green eyes blazing with determination. “What’s the plan?”

I lean back in my chair, the wheels turning in my head. “We leak the truth,” I say after a moment. “Expose Conrad and Mercer for what they are before they can solidify their narrative.”

“And how do we do that without it blowing back on us?” she asks.

I meet her gaze, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “We’ll find a way.”

The first rays of dawn creep through the windows, casting a pale light over the penthouse. Eva is dozing on the couch, her laptop balanced precariously on her knees. I’ve spent the past hour refining our plan, the pieces slowly falling into place.

As I watch her sleep, a rare moment of quiet settles over me. For all her fire and stubbornness, Eva has a vulnerability she tries to hide. It’s that vulnerability that draws me to her, even as I try to push her away.

My phone buzzes, breaking the silence. I answer quickly, keeping my voice low. “Adrian.”

“We’ve got movement,” he says, his tone urgent. “Mercer’s setting up a press conference. Word is they’re about to drop something big.”

“Do we have eyes on it?” I ask.

“Not yet,” he admits. “But I’m working on it.”

“Keep me updated,” I say, ending the call.

Eva stirs, blinking groggily as she sits up. “What’s going on?”

“Mercer’s making their move,” I say. “We need to be ready.”

She nods, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Then let’s finish this.”

The determination in her voice sends a jolt of adrenaline through me. Whatever happens next, we’re in it together.

And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure we win.