Cassie stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of Julian's penthouse, her reflection barely visible in the cold glass. The city lights glittered like shattered promises. In her hand, her phone vibrated once—an anonymous message.
Midnight. Come alone. Or everything goes public.
No name. No details. But she didn't need either. She knew.
Her stomach twisted, not from fear—but fury. Nathan.
Behind her, the suite was quiet. Julian had retreated to his office for a late-night call, one of many. The hum of his voice was faint, distant. The perfect cover.
Cassie looked down at her stomach, placing a palm over the slight curve. "This isn't just about me anymore," she whispered. "But I can't keep running."
She moved quickly, pulling on dark jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers. In her coat pocket, she tucked a slim audio recorder and pepper spray. One borrowed from Julian's security team. The other, her own. She slipped her phone into airplane mode and erased her ride history—paranoia, or survival instinct?
As she exited through the staff elevator, she couldn't shake the image of Julian asleep on the couch hours ago, his arm draped protectively over her waist. Safe. Warm. Real.
And now she was walking into a trap.
---
At 11:46 PM, she slipped out of the building and into a waiting ride-share. The city blurred past. Neon lights flickered in the puddles along the road. The farther they drove, the more the skyline vanished behind her. They crossed into the industrial zone—a half-abandoned grid of warehouses and garages.
The car dropped her off two blocks from the pin. No cameras. No witnesses.
She walked the rest of the way, her footsteps echoing with every step.
The wind bit at her cheeks. Somewhere in the distance, a stray dog barked. The stillness felt unnatural, like the air itself was holding its breath.
Cassie paused at the entrance to the garage, staring at the shadows. She reminded herself she wasn't here to beg or plead. She was here to end this.
---
The underground garage loomed like the belly of a beast. Damp, echoing, and cold. Fluorescent lights buzzed above, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement. The air smelled of gasoline and mildew.
Cassie stepped cautiously into the gloom. Her pulse was a drumbeat against her ribs.
"You came," a voice echoed.
Nathan.
He stepped out from behind a pillar, looking polished as ever in his coat and scarf. Like he'd walked off a campaign poster and straight into a crime scene.
"Couldn't resist the invitation," she said dryly.
He smirked. "Still sharp. I always liked that about you."
"You said you had something. Let's get this over with."
He pulled a folder from his coat and tossed it at her feet. It slid to a stop near her boots.
"Everything you'd rather Julian never sees. Every file. Every whisper. Every deal. You think you're safe? That he'll protect you when the world sees what you're hiding?"
Cassie didn't look down.
"I have nothing to hide."
"No? You don't think it'll raise eyebrows when your name's connected to illegal shell companies? Or that some of those contracts you signed 'on behalf' of Julian weren't quite... authorized?"
Her blood chilled. "You forged my signature."
"Details." He shrugged. "You'll be the one answering questions."
"You'd ruin both of us just to make a point?"
He tilted his head. "Not both of us. I have a fallback plan. You? You're just a scandal away from being a headline casualty."
She crossed her arms. "What do you want?"
Nathan's smile returned, slower, crueler. "You. Away from him. With me."
"You're delusional."
"I'm a man who gets what he wants. Eventually."
Cassie's heart pounded. "You had me once. And you destroyed everything we had."
"I protected you."
"You erased me. Hid me like I was something shameful."
Nathan stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "And Julian? He parades you around like a trophy."
"He respects me."
"He controls you."
Cassie's voice cracked. "At least he never made me feel invisible."
Nathan stopped. For a moment, he looked human again.
Then—"You still don't know if it's mine."
Cassie reached into her coat and pulled out the recorder. Click. Off.
Nathan blinked. "You recorded me?"
"Everything." She held it up. "You threatened me. You admitted to falsifying documents."
His hand twitched. "Give me that."
"You'll have to shoot me first."
Bang!
A gunshot tore through the silence.
Cassie screamed and hit the floor. Sparks flew from the wall behind her.
Nathan ducked, swearing. "That wasn't me!"
Bang! Another shot. Closer.
Cassie crawled behind a parked SUV. Pain burned in her upper arm—grazed. She bit down a cry. Her heart thundered. She could barely see through the sting of sweat and fear.
She clutched the recorder like a lifeline. The evidence that could save her life—or cost it.
"CASSIE!"
Julian's voice roared through the darkness.
He stormed into the garage, gun raised, eyes blazing. His suit jacket flared behind him, wind catching it like a cape. His hair was slightly tousled, his jaw tight. Pure rage and worry.
"JULIAN!" she called.
He sprinted toward her. "Are you hurt?"
"Grazed! Someone's shooting from above!"
Julian scanned the upper levels. His eyes locked on something unseen.
"Stay low."
He pivoted to cover her—
—and a bullet tore into his side.
He dropped like stone.
"Julian!"
Cassie scrambled to him, dragging him behind the SUV with all her strength. Blood pooled beneath them. Her trembling hands tore off her hoodie and pressed it to the wound.
His breath was shallow. "You're… okay?"
"I'm fine. You're not."
Sirens wailed in the distance.
"Just stay with me," she begged. "Please, Julian. You can't leave me."
Julian coughed. "Is the baby…"
"We're safe."
His eyes fluttered. "Good… worth it."
He passed out.
Cassie's throat tightened. "Don't you dare die on me."
A black SUV screeched into the garage. Julian's agents stormed in. One tackled Nathan as he tried to flee.
Another agent wrapped Cassie's arm. "Ma'am, we need to move him now."
"I'm going with him."
She climbed into the van, never letting go of Julian's hand.
As the doors closed, she saw it—a figure in the upper level. Watching. A sniper. Hidden behind shadows and steel.
Not Nathan.
Someone worse.
The message had been bait. This was never about revenge. This was a setup.
Cassie's fingers curled into a fist. Julian had taken a bullet for her. The child inside her deserved more than this world of threats and blood.
"This is war," she whispered.
And this time, she'd fight back.