Alyssa’s POV
I could feel the heat rising in my chest, my blood thick with fury and betrayal. Every word that man-my father’s old associate-spoke had been like a dagger in my heart, twisting deeper with every revelation. Xavier. I had always known there was something dark lurking behind his charming smile, something manipulative and cold.
But hearing it out loud, knowing that he had been the one to bring my father down… I could barely contain the storm brewing inside me.
I stood there, my fists clenched at my sides, trying to control the tremor in my hands. I could see the document in the associate’s hand, the one that would prove Xavier’s involvement in my father’s fall.
I felt as if the world around me had tilted, and for the first time, I could truly see what I had been a part of all along. The criminal underworld, the lies, the deceit-Xavier had used me, just as he had used my father before me.
“You’re telling me this now?” I asked, my voice dangerously low. I took a step closer to him, my gaze fixed on the paper in his hand. “After everything he’s done? After everything he’s taken from me?”
The man-David, that was his name-nodded, his face unreadable. “You deserve the truth, Alyssa. Your father was betrayed from within, and it was Xavier who did it. He orchestrated your father’s downfall, used him as a pawn in his game. And now, he controls everything you’ve inherited.”
I felt the weight of his words settle over me, suffocating. I had been so blind, so caught up in my own survival that I hadn’t seen the bigger picture.
But now I understood. Xavier was not just an enemy. He was a murderer, a liar, and he’d been playing me for years.
“I will help you take him down,” David continued, his voice steady. “You have the power to reclaim your father’s legacy, to destroy Xavier and Ethan both. You just need to make the right choice.”
I stared at him for a moment, torn. The man had his own motives, of course, but for the first time, someone was offering me a chance to take control, to dismantle the empire that had been built on my father’s blood and my own suffering.
“You want me to betray Ethan too?” I asked, my voice tight with the question I didn’t want to ask, but needed to.
David met my gaze without hesitation. “Ethan is a pawn, just like your father was. He’s a tool, manipulated by Xavier, just as you were.
He might have been useful for a time, but if you want to win, you’ll have to cut ties with him, Alyssa. This isn’t about loyalty to him. It’s about your own survival.”
I wanted to scream, to lash out, but I swallowed the impulse. I had been playing their game for far too long, wearing the mask of a dutiful partner, the perfect pawn. Now it was time to finally see it for what it was: a game, and I was no longer interested in being a player.
“I’ll do it,” I said, my voice cold and final. “But you better have a plan, because I’m not playing nice anymore. I want them both gone.”
David nodded, a glint of approval in his eyes. “We can make it happen. But first, we need to start dismantling Ethan’s empire. Once he’s out of the picture, we’ll turn our attention to Xavier.”
The weight of the decision settled on my shoulders, but I didn’t hesitate. This was the only way. The only way to put an end to all of this.
David handed me the document, his fingers brushing mine as he did. “The first move is yours. Make sure you’re ready.”
I nodded, my mind racing. I had a million things to plan, to consider. Every move from here on out would need to be precise. But for the first time in years, I felt like I had a choice, a way out.
I turned to leave, my resolve solidified. But as I stepped toward the door, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out, expecting to see a message from Isabella about the FBI’s progress, or maybe even a status update from my own team. Instead, it was a message from her, the words sharp and clear:
Ethan knows about your alliance with the third player. He’s coming for you. Be careful.
My heart skipped a beat, panic rising in my throat. How did he know? How could he possibly know? I’d been so careful, so secretive.
But then, my mind flashed back to every conversation I’d had with him, every time I’d slipped up, letting something unintentionally slip. Ethan was dangerous, ruthless, and now he was onto me.
I felt the walls closing in again, suffocating me. My mind raced as I processed the message. Ethan was coming. He was going to find me. But this wasn’t just about me anymore. This was about power, survival, and everything I had fought for.
I glanced back at David, who had been quietly watching me from across the room. He could see the tension in my face, the shift in my posture.
“You’re not alone in this,” he said, his voice low but firm. “We have the upper hand. Ethan doesn’t know everything, not yet. But we need to move quickly.”
I shook my head, my thoughts spinning. “No, I need to be prepared. If Ethan’s coming for me, I’ll need a plan. I’ll need allies who aren’t about to stab me in the back.”
David stepped forward, his expression darkening. “And that’s why you have to trust me, Alyssa. You don’t have time to play both sides anymore. You have to choose.”
I took a deep breath, the weight of my decision pressing down on me. I had chosen. I had chosen to take down both of them-Ethan and Xavier. I had chosen to take control.
But as I turned and walked out of the room, the feeling of being watched never left me. Ethan was coming. And if I wasn’t careful, he would be the one to take me down instead.
The door clicked shut behind me, the sound of my own footsteps echoing in the hallway. My phone buzzed again, but this time, I didn’t need to check it. I already knew. Ethan was coming. But was I ready for what came next? The game had changed, and I wasn’t sure I could trust anyone-not even myself.