(Alyssa’s POV)
The ledger sat heavy on the table between Ethan and me, its presence a tangible reminder of the storm we were caught in. The faded leather cover almost seemed to breathe with the weight of the secrets it contained, and I couldn’t stop staring at it, as if the answers to all my questions were written somewhere in the ink-stained pages.
“We can’t keep this,” I muttered, breaking the tense silence.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, his arm resting protectively over his bandaged side. “And what’s your brilliant plan? Burn it and hope the world magically fixes itself?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I shot back, pacing the length of the room. “But we’re sitting on a time bomb, Ethan. Every second we have it, we’re putting a bigger target on our backs.”
“That’s exactly why we need it,” he countered. “This isn’t just about us. This is about exposing the entire network-Xavier, your father, everyone connected to them. Without this, they win.”
“And we die trying,” I snapped, spinning to face him. “Do you think I haven’t thought about that? About what happens when they come for us?”
He leaned back, his expression dark. “So what’s your move, Alyssa? Because running isn’t an option anymore.”
I stopped pacing, my breath catching in my throat. There was only one move left, and we both knew it.
“I’ll call the FBI,” I said finally, my voice quieter now. “Let them handle it.”
Ethan laughed, the sound bitter and humorless. “You think the FBI is going to swoop in and save the day? Come on, Alyssa. You’re smarter than that.”
“They have to,” I argued, though doubt crept into my voice. “This is their jurisdiction. They’ll take this, and-”
“And what?” he interrupted, his eyes narrowing. “Pretend they don’t have people on the inside feeding Xavier and your father information? Half of them are probably on the payroll already.”
“Not all of them,” I said firmly, though his words unsettled me. “There are good agents, ones who want justice.”
“And you’re willing to bet your life on that?”
I didn’t answer, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. Ethan’s skepticism grated on me, but he wasn’t entirely wrong. The web of corruption that ledger exposed was far-reaching, its threads woven deep into the system.
“I don’t have a choice,” I said finally, meeting his gaze. “If we hold onto this, we’re dead. If we run, we’re dead. The only chance we have is to put this in the right hands.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he gestured toward my phone. “Fine. Make the call. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the keypad. The weight of what I was about to do pressed down on me, my heart pounding in my chest. Finally, I dialed the number for the FBI contact I’d been given months ago, back when this nightmare first began.
The line rang twice before a smooth, professional voice answered. “Agent Marshall speaking.”
“Agent Marshall, this is Alyssa Morgan,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady.
There was a brief pause on the other end, and I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. “Ms. Morgan. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. What can I do for you?”
“I have something you need to see,” I said carefully. “A ledger. It’s… explosive, to say the least. Names, transactions, everything connecting Xavier Pierce and his partners. I think it’s enough to bring them down.”
Another pause, longer this time. “That’s a bold claim. Are you sure it’s legitimate?”
“Positive,” I replied. “But I can’t keep it. It’s not safe.”
“I understand,” he said, though his tone was strangely measured. “Where are you now? We can arrange to meet and take it off your hands.”
I glanced at Ethan, who was watching me with a look of grim resignation. “Somewhere safe,” I said vaguely. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to hand it over.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Agent Marshall said quickly. “We can come to you. Just give me your location, and I’ll handle the rest.”
Something about his eagerness set off alarm bells in my head.
“I’ll call you back,” I said abruptly, ending the call before he could respond.
“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked, sitting up straighter.
“Something’s off,” I admitted, pacing again. “He sounded… hesitant. Almost too eager to get his hands on the ledger.”
“I told you,” Ethan said, his voice hard. “You can’t trust them.”
“I have to,” I insisted, though my resolve was weakening. “This is the only way.”
Before Ethan could respond, my phone buzzed again. I glanced at the screen, my stomach sinking as I read the message.
Anonymous: Agent Marshall works for your father. He’s stalling until they can destroy the ledger. Run.
I froze, the words blurring as panic set in.
“Alyssa,” Ethan said sharply, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. “What is it?”
I handed him the phone, my hands trembling. His eyes scanned the message, his expression darkening.
“Well, that confirms it,” he said grimly. “Your father’s already making his move.”
I sank into the nearest chair, my mind racing. Agent Marshall was compromised. The FBI wasn’t an option anymore.
“What do we do?” I whispered, the question hanging heavy in the air.
Ethan didn’t answer right away, his gaze fixed on the ledger. Finally, he looked at me, his jaw set with determination.
“We fight,” he said simply.
“And how exactly do we do that?” I asked, my voice tinged with desperation. “We’re two people against an entire empire.”
“Not just any two people,” he said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips despite the seriousness of the situation. “We’ve got the ledger. That’s our leverage. And if we play this right, we can use it to turn the tables.”
I wanted to believe him, to share in his confidence, but the odds felt insurmountable. Still, what choice did we have?
“All right,” I said, my voice steadying. “Let’s do it.”
Ethan nodded, his eyes glinting with determination. “First things first. We need to disappear. Lay low until we figure out our next move.”
“And then?”
“And then,” he said, a dark smile spreading across his face, “we bring the whole damn thing crashing down.”
As we started gathering what little supplies we had, a new resolve settled over me. The path ahead was dangerous, but it was the only one left.
But even as we prepared to run, a nagging thought lingered in the back of my mind: How far was I willing to go to bring them down? And at what cost?
I didn’t have an answer. Not yet.
And as we stepped out into the night, the ledger clutched tightly in my hands, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were walking straight into the lion’s den.