Alyssa’s POV
The room felt like a cage. The curtains were drawn tight, suffocating the dim light inside, but it was Ethan’s presence that was the real threat. He stood between me and the door, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes dark and unyielding.
“We’re alone now,” Ethan said, his voice low and cold. “No distractions, no excuses. It’s time for you to tell me the truth, Alyssa.”
I took a slow breath, trying to steady the storm raging in my chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied, but my voice wavered slightly.
His jaw tightened, and he took a single, deliberate step forward. “Don’t play dumb with me. I know about the alliance, Alyssa. I know about the third player. What I don’t know is why. Why would you do this to me?”
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “I didn’t do anything to you, Ethan. I’m trying to survive, same as you.”
“Bullshit!” he snapped, his voice echoing off the walls. “You think I haven’t been watching you? You’ve been making moves behind my back, working with people who want to destroy everything I’ve built. And now, you’re going to explain yourself, or so help me-”
“Or what?” I interrupted, my anger flaring despite the danger. “You’ll kill me? Turn me over to Xavier? Let’s not pretend you care about my survival, Ethan. You only care about control.”
He stared at me, his eyes blazing with a mix of fury and something deeper-hurt, maybe? But he buried it quickly, shaking his head.
“You’re wrong,” he said, his voice soft but no less menacing. “I cared about you, Alyssa. More than you realize. And that’s why this betrayal cuts so deep. You had a choice, and you chose them.”
I shook my head, my heart pounding in my chest. “You don’t understand-”
“Then make me understand!” he roared, slamming his hand against the wall.
The sound made me flinch, but I stood my ground. “You think this was easy for me? You think I wanted to get involved with the third player? I didn’t have a choice, Ethan. You and Xavier left me no choice!”
His eyes narrowed, his body tense. “Explain. Now.”
I hesitated, the weight of the truth pressing down on me. Could I trust him with it? Could I risk revealing my plan, knowing how unpredictable he could be?
“I didn’t choose them,” I said finally, my voice trembling but steady. “I chose survival. The third player…they offered me a way out. A way to protect myself from you, from Xavier, from all of this.”
“And what’s the plan?” he asked, his tone icy. “To take us both down? To burn everything to the ground?”
I hesitated, the lie forming on my tongue, but the look in his eyes stopped me. He wasn’t going to buy it. He was too smart for that.
“I don’t want to destroy you, Ethan,” I said softly. “But I need leverage. Against Xavier. Against everyone who thinks they can control me.”
He laughed, a bitter sound that sent chills down my spine. “Leverage? Is that what you call it? Because from where I’m standing, it looks a hell of a lot like betrayal.”
“I’m not betraying you,” I insisted, stepping closer to him. “I’m trying to protect myself. If you’d just listen-”
“Protect yourself?” he interrupted, his voice dripping with venom. “By working with the enemy? By making me your enemy?”
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. “You don’t understand what it’s like, Ethan. To be caught in the middle of this, with no power, no allies, no way out. I had to make a choice.”
“And you chose them,” he said, his voice quieter now, but no less dangerous.
“No,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze. “I chose me.”
For a moment, there was silence between us, the tension so thick it was suffocating. Then, slowly, Ethan stepped back, his expression unreadable.
“You think you’re so clever,” he said, his tone almost calm. “But you’re not as untouchable as you think, Alyssa. The third player might have promised you the world, but they can’t protect you from me. And they sure as hell can’t protect you from Xavier.”
I crossed my arms, my heart racing. “So what now? Are you going to turn me over to him? Or are you going to kill me yourself?”
He shook his head, a dark smile playing on his lips. “I’m giving you a choice.”
My stomach twisted at his words, but I kept my expression neutral. “What kind of choice?”
“Turn on the third player,” he said, his voice steady and cold. “Cut ties with them, and work with me instead. Help me take them down, and maybe-just maybe-I’ll let you walk away from this alive.”
“And if I say no?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
His smile faded, replaced by a look of pure menace. “Then I’ll turn you over to Xavier. And trust me, he’ll make what you’ve done look like child’s play.”
The air left my lungs in a rush, and I felt a wave of panic rise in my chest. This was it. The ultimatum I’d been dreading.
“I need time,” I said quickly, my mind racing. “To think, to figure this out-”
“You don’t have time,” he interrupted, his voice like a knife. “You make your choice now, Alyssa. Me or them.”
I stared at him, my heart pounding so loudly I could barely hear my own thoughts. I had no idea what to do.
Then, suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, my hands shaking, and saw the message on the screen:
We need to meet. Now. Xavier knows.
My blood ran cold.
Ethan saw the look on my face and stepped closer, his expression darkening. “Who is it?”
I hesitated, my mind racing. “No one,” I said quickly, but he didn’t believe me.
He grabbed the phone from my hand, his eyes scanning the screen. When he looked back at me, his expression was a mix of fury and triumph.
“Looks like your third player isn’t as invincible as you thought,” he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “So what’s it going to be, Alyssa? Me or them?”
I didn’t answer, my mind spinning with possibilities and consequences. No matter what I chose, there would be blood.
And as I looked into Ethan’s eyes, I realized that no matter what I did, I would never be free of him.
Ethan held my phone in his hand, his grip tight and unrelenting. “Tick-tock, Alyssa,” he said, his voice soft but deadly. “Your time’s running out.”