Alyssa’s POV
The silence in the room was suffocating. My hands hovered over the burner phone, the only link to the trap I had spent days meticulously setting up. One call, and Xavier and Ethan would walk right into it. One call, and I could finally get the upper hand.
But then my real phone buzzed. The vibration rattled against the edge of the table, slicing through the quiet like a knife.
Unknown Number: We have your girl.
I stared at the message, my stomach twisting into knots.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. My fingers flew across the screen, dialing Isabella’s number. It went straight to voicemail.
[Chat Exchange: Alyssa & Unknown Number]
Alyssa: What do you want?
Unknown Number: Ethan wants to talk. Come alone, or she dies.
Alyssa: If you hurt her-
Unknown Number: Tick tock, sweetheart. You have one hour.
I threw the phone down, my chest heaving. My carefully laid plans were unraveling before my eyes. I’d set the pieces on the board, but now someone else was moving them.
“You okay?” a familiar voice asked.
I turned to see one of my father’s men, Mason, leaning against the doorframe. He was supposed to be my backup, but right now, he felt more like a leash my father had tied around my neck.
“Do I look okay?” I snapped, pacing the room.
“What’s going on?”
“Ethan’s men have Isabella,” I said, my voice tight.
Mason’s expression didn’t change. “So? She knew the risks.”
I froze, glaring at him. “She’s my friend.”
“And this plan is bigger than her. You’re playing with fire, Alyssa. If you abandon your position now, you’ll lose everything. Your father won’t forgive a mistake like this.”
[Chat Exchange: Alyssa & Mason]
Alyssa: “Do you even hear yourself? She’s a person, not a pawn!”
Mason: “And that’s exactly why you’re in over your head. People like Ethan and Xavier don’t care about loyalty or friendship. Sacrifice her, stick to the plan, and end this.”
Alyssa: “No.”
Mason: “No?”
Alyssa: “I’m not sacrificing her. Not for this, and definitely not for him.”
Mason sighed, shaking his head. “Then you better have a damn good backup plan, because this is going to blow up in your face.”
I didn’t have time for his lectures. Grabbing my gear, I headed for the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Mason asked, blocking my path.
“To fix this,” I said, pushing past him.
“Your father won’t like it,” he warned.
I paused, my hand on the doorknob. “Then maybe it’s time he learned I’m not his puppet.”
The drive to the meeting point was a blur. My mind raced with scenarios, each one worse than the last. Ethan was unpredictable, dangerous. And if he had Isabella, it meant he was desperate-or worse, he was baiting me into a trap.
The warehouse loomed in the distance, its shadow stretching across the empty lot like a predator waiting to pounce. I parked the car and checked my weapons.
As I stepped inside, the cold air hit me like a slap. The faint hum of fluorescent lights echoed in the silence, and the metallic tang of oil and rust filled my nose.
“Right on time,” Ethan’s voice drawled from the shadows.
[Chat Exchange: Alyssa & Ethan]
Ethan: “I was beginning to think you’d abandoned her.”
Alyssa: “Where is she?”
Ethan: “Safe. For now.”
He stepped into the light, his signature smirk firmly in place. Behind him, two of his men held Isabella, her hands bound and her face pale but defiant.
Alyssa: “Let her go, Ethan. This isn’t her fight.”
Ethan: “Oh, but it is. She’s the one digging into my accounts, isn’t she? She’s been quite the little nuisance.”
Alyssa: “She’s just following orders. If you have a problem, take it up with me.”
Ethan: “Oh, I plan to. But first, I need to know where your loyalties lie, Alyssa. Are you with me, or are you still playing Daddy’s little spy?”
I clenched my fists, my mind racing for a way out. Ethan wanted to test me, to push me to the breaking point. But I couldn’t let him win.
“Let her go, and I’ll give you something better,” I said, keeping my voice steady.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”
“I have a list of Xavier’s hidden assets. Accounts, properties, everything. It’s yours, if you let her go.”
Ethan’s smirk widened. “Tempting. But how do I know you’re not bluffing?”
I pulled out a flash drive from my pocket, holding it up. “You’ll just have to trust me.”
The room fell silent as Ethan studied me, his eyes narrowing. I could feel Isabella’s gaze on me, silently pleading for me not to do this. But what choice did I have?
“Fine,” Ethan said finally. “Hand it over, and she’s free.”
I hesitated, every instinct screaming at me not to trust him. But before I could move, the door behind me slammed open, and a dozen armed men poured in.
“Looks like we’ve got company,” Ethan said, his smirk fading.
The room erupted into chaos as gunfire rang out. I dove for cover, dragging Isabella with me as Ethan’s men clashed with the newcomers.
“Who the hell are they?” Isabella shouted over the noise.
“Xavier’s men,” I said grimly. “This was a setup.”
Ethan’s voice cut through the chaos. “Alyssa, get that drive out of here!”
I glanced at him, surprised by the urgency in his tone. For once, he looked… desperate.
“No way,” I muttered, pulling Isabella to her feet. “We’re leaving. Now.”
We darted through the chaos, dodging bullets and bodies as we made our way to the exit. But just as we reached the door, a familiar figure stepped into our path.
Xavier.
“Going somewhere?” he asked, his smile cold and cruel.
I froze, my heart pounding as Xavier’s men closed in around us. Trapped between Ethan and Xavier, with Isabella’s life hanging by a thread, I realized too late that I’d played right into their hands.
And this time, there was no way out.