The room feels smaller, suffocating under the weight of the truth. The folder labeled Project Phoenix sits open on my lap, each page more damning than the last.
My father, Ethan, and Xavier weren’t just business partners-they were architects of something dark, something dangerous.
They created Project Phoenix, a criminal alliance designed to seize control of Baltimore’s underworld.
My thoughts spiral as the pieces finally click together. Whatever went wrong in the past didn’t end this nightmare-it only delayed it. And now, someone wants to bring it back.
With me.
Isabella paces near the desk, chewing her thumbnail-her usual tell when things are worse than she wants to admit. “Alyssa, you need to listen to me,” she says.
“This isn’t just old history. Project Phoenix didn’t die with your father. It’s still alive. And whoever is running it now-they want you at the center.”
My blood turns to ice. “What do you mean, ‘alive’? How could something like this stay hidden for so long?”
She grabs the folder, flipping to a section I hadn’t noticed before-recent bank transactions, coded messages, and surveillance photos. My breath catches. They’ve been moving in the shadows all along, preparing to strike.
Isabella’s eyes narrow. “They’re rebuilding. Everything your father started-Ethan, Xavier, all of it-it’s happening again.
Only this time, they need someone to unite the factions.” She pauses, letting the next words hang like a noose. “That someone is you.”
“This is insane,” I whisper, running my hands through my hair. “Why me? Why not Xavier or Ethan?”
Isabella shrugs, frustration flashing in her eyes. “It’s not just about power. It’s about legacy. You’re your father’s daughter-his rightful heir.
They need you to make it legitimate, to bring the factions together under one banner. Without you, it all falls apart.”
A chill spreads through me. “You’re saying they’ll keep coming for me until I agree.”
Isabella’s expression darkens. “Yes. And if you don’t…”
She doesn’t need to finish the sentence. I know exactly what they’ll do if I refuse.
My phone buzzes on the desk, vibrating against the wood. I glance at the screen. Xavier.
I should ignore it. I know better than to trust anything he says. But I answer anyway.
“Alyssa,” his voice drips with smooth confidence, like a snake coiling around prey. “I assume you’ve found the truth by now.”
I grip the phone tighter. “You knew.” My voice is low, dangerous. “You were part of this the whole time.”
He chuckles, the sound dark and knowing. “I was born into it, darling. Just like you. The only difference is, I’ve embraced what I am. It’s time you did the same.”
“I’m nothing like you.” My voice shakes with barely restrained fury.
Xavier’s tone shifts, colder now. “You will be. Sooner or later, you’ll realize that this world only rewards those willing to take what they want. Join me, Alyssa. Together, we can finish what your father started.”
“I’d rather die.”
Xavier’s laugh is soft, but there’s steel underneath. “Don’t be dramatic. You won’t die. Not yet, anyway.” He pauses, letting the silence drag before delivering the killing blow.
“But Ethan? That’s another story. How do you think he’ll fare once Project Phoenix resurrects without him?”
My stomach churns. He’s baiting me, trying to use Ethan as leverage. But it works.
“You’re sick,” I hiss. “This isn’t about power-it’s about control.”
“Same thing, Alyssa.” Xavier’s voice drops to a whisper. “You’ll see. Soon enough.”
The line clicks dead, leaving me clutching the phone like it’s a lifeline.
“What did he say?” Isabella asks, her expression guarded.
“He knows everything.” My voice is hollow. “He thinks I’ll join him.”
Isabella’s jaw tightens. “He won’t stop until you do. None of them will.”
I pace the room, my mind racing. There has to be a way out-a way to destroy them both. But I can’t do it alone.
“We need to stop this before it starts,” I say, turning to Isabella. “We need to destroy Project Phoenix.”
She nods, but her expression is grim. “It won’t be easy. These people-they’re more dangerous than you realize. They’ve had years to plan this.”
“I don’t care.” My voice is sharp, fueled by the anger bubbling beneath the surface. “I’ll burn it all down if I have to.”
Isabella stares at me for a moment, as if weighing her options. “There might be a way.”
“What is it?” I ask, desperate for a lifeline.
She hesitates, then pulls out a piece of paper-a list of names.
“These are the key players,” she explains. “If we take them down, Project Phoenix will collapse.”
I scan the list, my heart sinking as I recognize some of the names. They’re powerful. Untouchable. And one wrong move could cost me everything.
“It’s risky,” Isabella admits. “But it’s the only way.”
I nod, determination hardening my resolve. “Then we do it. We take them all down.”
As I fold the list and slip it into my pocket, my phone buzzes again. This time, it’s a text.
I glance at the screen-and my heart stops.
It’s a message from an unknown number:
“You were always meant to lead, Alyssa. Project Phoenix is your birthright. Embrace it-or die fighting it.”
Before I can respond, a second message pops up:
“They’re already watching. You have less time than you think.”
I turn to Isabella, my pulse racing. “They know.”
Her face pales. “We need to move. Now.”
As we rush toward the door, a final thought takes root in my mind, chilling me to the bone:
Someone close to me has already chosen a side-and it’s not mine.