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My mind's a racetrack, thoughts careening at breakneck speeds. With every file and photo, the invisible noose around Brandon Prescott's neck tightens, the slipknot of Dexter Whitmore's schemes drawing closed.
I rub at my temples, the pressure there building with each damning discovery. It's as if I'm standing on the precipice of a bottomless chasm, one that threatens to devour Kristine and Asher entirely if I don't take action.
The idea of them caught in this shitshow of corruption, used as pawns in a power play—they don't deserve this. Asher with his wide-eyed innocence, Kristine with her unwavering strength—they should be far from these vultures.
Tension crawls beneath my skin, a serpent coiled and ready to strike. My jaw clenches as I recall Kristine's strained smile, the way her laughter never quite reaches her eyes these days. And that little boy... his laughter should be ringing clear and free, not muffled by the sins of his father.
My hands hover over the keyboard again, an instinctive move to delve deeper into this cesspool of deception. But I pause, my fingers trembling.
Brandon and Dexter are playing god without consequence. Without regard to the innocent lives left in their wake.
The walls of my office feel closer, the air thinner.What do I do next?
A thumb drive—such an innocuous thing to look at—yet it pulses with potential energy like a bomb awaiting its countdown.
A low breath escapes me as I consider Chloe's part in all this. Her motives are a mystery still, but her determination is clear as crystal—she wants them taken down.
But at what cost? What does she stand to gain from their ruin? It doesn't matter now. Her reasons can wait when the lives of those I care about are on the line.
My grip on the mouse tightens until my knuckles turn white. There’s no turning back from this point. I've seen too much.
I have to act—and swiftly—before they know what I have against them.
But how? When every choice carries a cost, every action a potential backlash that could hit closer to home than any of us are prepared for?
The screen before me blurs momentarily as my focus shifts inward. Strategy—we need strategy and allies. My partners are solid. They're more than partners or friends. They're my brothers.
They'll do whatever it takes to help me protect Kristine and Asher. They'll fold Kristine and Asher within the security of these walls and the unit we've built over the years.
They'll protect my family.
But this evidence means I'm asking for war against Brandon and Dexter. And no war is without casualties.
I stand up abruptly, sending my chair rolling back with a thud against the wall. The sudden movement feels good—releasing some of the energy that's been building within me since Chloe walked through that door.
It's time for a meeting—a gathering of minds to plot out our counterattack. This thumb drive is our weapon, and I'll be damned if we don't wield it with precision.
My phone feels heavy in my hand as I text Jackson, Damien, Landon, and Andres.Emergency meeting. Now.No other words are needed. They'll understand the urgency.
As I wait for them to arrive, I turn off the monitor—can’t risk prying eyes—and walk over to the window overlooking our kingdom below—a reminder of what’s at stake.
Kristine... Asher... their faces flash before me once more—their future uncertain but worth every ounce of fight we've got in us.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
KRISTINE
“You can't do this.I won't let you do it.”
Ethan is standing in front of me. He wears a dark shirt and pants. His hair is slicked back, and his muscular arms are crossed.
To me, he looks both rapturous and unattainable, but I know that perspective doesn't apply to me. He is everything to me but unattainable.
Crossing the room, I approach him. My eyes brim with tears that beg to spill, and nervousness displays easily in the trembling of my hands.
“Kristine, sweetheart, we have to. This is how we'll end Brandon's blackmail and bring Asher home.” His hands settle gently against my cheeks. He lovingly wipes away one of the tears running down my face.
I close my eyes, trying to breathe in, trying to calm down a little, but I can't.
