POV: Jake
The moment I hung up the phone, I knew I'd pushed her too far.
I stared at the dead screen in my hand, my jaw tight, trying to suppress the frustration building inside me. Emily wasn't ready to hear the truth. Not yet. But she would have to. Sooner or later, she would have no choice.
I leaned back in the leather chair in my office, my gaze drifting out to the city skyline, the neon lights reflecting off the windows. Below, people rushed about their lives, completely unaware of the storm brewing above their heads.
She thinks this is still about business. About winning.
She doesn't see the whole game yet.
The truth was, if Emily knew the full scope of what was coming, she wouldn't have slept for weeks. The players behind the scenes weren't just after her company,they were after her. And I had married her to stop them from getting too close.
Protect her.
It was the one thing I hadn't expected to want so fiercely. But here I was, trying to keep her safe from an enemy she didn't even know existed. And the worst part was, she didn't trust me. Not yet.
That was on me. I had spent years being the villain in her story. To her, I was nothing more than the man who ruined deals and sabotaged her every move. I couldn't blame her for that. But things had changed. This wasn't the game I wanted to play anymore.
Emily Carson.
I could still hear the sharpness in her voice, the fire in her eyes when she stood up to me. That fire had always been there. From the moment we met, I knew she wasn't like the others. She didn't cower or try to appease me. She fought back. And damn if it didn't make me want her even more.
But now? Now, things were different.
It wasn't just about wanting her. It was about needing her. I couldn't explain why or how it happened, but somewhere along the line, my feelings had shifted. No longer just rival or business partner, Emily had become the one person I couldn't afford to lose.
And that scared me more than anything else.
A soft knock on the office door pulled me from my thoughts. Without waiting for a response, Carter my right hand man walked in, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"What is it?" I asked, sitting up straighter, pulling my focus back to the here and now.
"The situation with Carson Enterprises is escalating," Carter said, handing me a stack of reports. "Our sources have confirmed that certain parties are moving in on her. They're positioning themselves for something big. We need to act fast."
I skimmed the top page of the report, my eyes narrowing as I took in the information. They're getting too close.
If Emily wasn't careful, she would end up a pawn in a much larger game, one she didn't even know she was playing. And they wouldn't hesitate to destroy her.
I tossed the report onto my desk and stood, my mind racing. "Keep an eye on them. I'll handle Emily."
Carter raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure she's going to cooperate?"
I clenched my jaw, my hands tightening into fists at my sides. "She'll have to. Whether she likes it or not, we're in this together now."
An Hour Later – Emily's Apartment
I didn't know what I expected when I knocked on her door. Maybe for her to slam it in my face. Maybe for her to let me in just so she could throw something at me.
But when the door swung open, and I saw her standing there, wearing that same fire in her eyes that I'd come to admire, I felt something tighten in my chest.
God, she was beautiful. Even when she was angry. Especially when she was angry.
"Jake, I thought I told you..." she started, but I cut her off, stepping into the apartment before she could finish.
"We don't have time for this, Emily," I said, keeping my voice low, calm. "You need to hear me out."
She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing. "I've already heard enough. You're keeping secrets, Jake. And I'm not about to put my trust in a man who can't even tell me the whole truth."
She was right. I couldn't tell her everything. Not yet. But I could give her enough to keep her safe.
I took a deep breath, stepping closer to her, lowering my voice. "Listen to me. There are people coming for you,people who won't hesitate to destroy everything you've worked for. And they'll use you to get what they want. They don't care about the company, Emily. They care about control. And right now, you're the key to that control."
Her eyes flickered with fear, maybe. But just as quickly, it was replaced by defiance.
"Why should I believe you?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. "How do I know this isn't just another one of your manipulations?"
I stepped closer, so close I could feel the heat coming off her, could smell the faint scent of jasmine .
"You don't have to believe me," I said softly, my gaze locking onto hers. "But you need to trust that I'm the only one who can stop them. And I can't do that if we're constantly fighting each other."
For a moment, she didn't say anything, just stared at me, her brows furrowed, her lips pressed into a tight line. I could see the gears turning in her head, could feel the war inside her. She wanted to fight me, wanted to push me away, but at the same time, there was something else there something softer, more vulnerable.
"Why are you doing this?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why do you care?"
I could've lied. Could've told her it was all about business, about keeping her company out of the wrong hands. But that wasn't the truth anymore. Not entirely.
"Because you matter," I said quietly, my voice raw. "Because whether you want to admit it or not, we're in this together. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Her eyes widened slightly, and for the first time, I saw something crack in her defenses.
But just as quickly, she steeled herself again.
"Fine," she said, stepping back and folding her arms tighter around herself. "I'll hear you out. But you'd better start giving me more than vague warnings, Jake. If we're really in this together, I need the truth."
I nodded, relief washing over me. "You'll get it. Just not all at once."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Because that would be too easy."
Despite the tension between us, I couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
"You wouldn't like me if I made things easy."
Her lips twitched, and for a brief moment, I thought she might smile back. But then she caught herself, the walls going back up.
"I'm serious, Jake," she said, her voice firm. "I need to know who's coming for me. And why."
I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair. This wasn't going to be easy, but if there was one thing I'd learned about Emily, it was that she wasn't someone you kept in the dark.
She deserved answers. And if I wanted her to trust me, even just a little I'd have to start giving them.
"There's a group," I began, stepping back and leaning against the counter. "Powerful people who operate behind the scenes, controlling more than you'd ever imagine. They've been targeting Carson Enterprises for years, waiting for the right moment to strike. When they realized you weren't going to give them what they wanted, they started making moves. Dangerous moves."
Her expression darkened. "And you know about this… how?"
I hesitated, debating how much to tell her. "Because I used to work with them. I broke away, and now they're after me too. But you're their priority now. You and your company are the missing pieces to their plan."
She stared at me, her face pale but her eyes sharp. "So, let me get this straight. You married me to protect me from a group of shadowy power players who want to take over my company? And now I'm supposed to believe you've switched sides? Just like that?"
I didn't flinch. "Believe it or not, Emily, I've been working against them for a while. Marrying you was my way of buying time. But if we're going to win this, I need you to stop seeing me as the enemy. We're on the same side now."
She didn't respond for a long moment, her eyes searching mine, looking for cracks in my story.
But there weren't any. Not anymore.
Finally, she exhaled, the tension in her shoulders easing just a little.