POV: Emily
My hands trembled as I let the folder slip shut. It felt like the world had tilted beneath me, like everything I thought I knew about Carson Enterprises and about my life was a lie. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what I'd just read.
I swallowed hard, refusing to let the fear rise to the surface. "This… this can't be real," I repeated, my voice a hoarse whisper. "These people, this level of control… it's insane."
Jake didn't respond. He didn't have to. The look on his face told me everything I needed to know,this wasn't some elaborate hoax or another one of his mind games. This was the truth.
And the truth was terrifying.
"How long have you known about this?" I asked, my voice shaking as I forced myself to meet his gaze.
Jake's expression darkened. "Long enough."
The air between us was thick with tension, the weight of everything he hadn't told me pressing down on my chest. I felt like I was suffocating, drowning under the enormity of the secrets that had been kept from me.
"You should've told me sooner," I said, my voice hard. "You should've warned me."
"I couldn't," he replied quietly, his gaze steady. "You weren't ready to hear it. You wouldn't have believed me."
I opened my mouth to argue, but I stopped myself. He was right. If he'd told me all of this before, I would've written him off, accused him of manipulating me. Hell, I'd barely believed him when he started dropping hints.
But now?
Now, I was standing on the edge of a precipice, staring down into the darkness. And I couldn't unsee it.
"Who are they?" I asked, my throat tight. "Who are these people?"
Jake hesitated for a moment, his jaw tightening before he finally spoke. "They call themselves The Syndicate."
The word sent a chill down my spine. The Syndicate. It sounded like something out of a bad crime novel, but the reality was much worse.
"They've been around for decades," Jake continued, his voice low, like he was afraid someone might overhear. "Operating in the shadows, pulling strings behind the scenes. They control governments, corporations, entire industries. And now, they want control of Carson Enterprises."
I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around it. "Why? Why us?"
"Because your company stands in the way of one of their major deals," Jake explained. "Carson Enterprises has a foothold in sectors they want control over technology, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals. Your refusal to sell off those assets has made you a target."
The room felt too small, too claustrophobic. I couldn't breathe.
"Why didn't they just come after me directly?"I asked, pacing to the window, trying to calm the storm in my head. "Why this long game with you? The marriage?"
Jake sighed, stepping closer but keeping his distance. "Because you're smart, Emily. You have too much power. If they came after you outright, it would raise too many questions. It would attract too much attention. But if they could manipulate things from the inside… if they could use me to weaken you first…"
My breath hitched as the reality of it sank in. They hadn't just been trying to take over my company. They had been trying to destroy me. Slowly. Quietly.
I turned to Jake, my eyes narrowing. "So, they used you to get to me. And you went along with it."
Jake's expression hardened. "I didn't have a choice. At first, I thought I could control them, play both sides. But the deeper I got, the more I realized they were using me just as much as they were targeting you. That's why I had to break away."
I stared at him, a mix of anger and disbelief roiling in my chest. "And marrying me was part of your plan to save yourself."
He shook his head, stepping closer. "No. Marrying you was the only way to protect you. I know you don't believe me, but it's the truth. They were getting too close. They wanted to eliminate you, take over everything, and leave no trace. This marriage bought us time."
Time. That's what it always came back to. Time Jake had stolen from me. Time I could've used to stop all of this if I had only known.
But now?
Now I had no choice but to rely on him. As much as I hated it, as much as every instinct told me to run, I knew that without Jake, I didn't stand a chance.
The Syndicate wasn't just powerful they were invisible. They had been weaving their web around me for years, and I hadn't even seen it.
"What do they want now?" I asked, my voice steadying as I turned back to him. "What's their next move?"
Jake exhaled slowly, his eyes darkening. "They'll come after you. Harder this time. Now that they know we're married, they'll shift their focus. They'll stop trying to take the company through subtle means. They'll go straight for you."
My heart pounded in my chest. "And what about you? Are they after you, too?"
He nodded, his expression grim. "I've burned too many bridges. They want me gone, but they won't move until they've secured control of Carson Enterprises. You're their priority. Once they have you… I won't matter."
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words crashing down on me.
"So what do we do?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Jake stepped closer, his hand reaching out to gently grip my arm, his touch warm, grounding. "We fight. We fight together. You'll have to trust me, Emily. I know that's asking a lot, but if we don't stand united, they'll destroy us both."
I stared up at him, my pulse racing. I didn't want to trust him. I didn't want to rely on him for anything. But I didn't have a choice. Not anymore.
"Fine," I said, the word heavy with reluctance. "I'll work with you. But if you betray me, Jake, I swear..."
"I won't,"he interrupted, his voice firm. "Not this time."
For a moment, we just stood there, the tension between us thick and electric. His hand was still on my arm, his touch steady, and I could feel the heat radiating from him, the unspoken connection simmering beneath the surface.
And then, before I could stop myself, I pulled away, putting distance between us. I couldn't afford to let my guard down not now. Not when everything was on the line.
"What's our next move?" I asked, clearing my throat as I tried to push down the confusing mix of emotions swirling inside me.
Jake's eyes lingered on mine for a second longer before he nodded, his expression shifting back into business mode. "We make contact with someone on the inside. Someone who can help us bring them down."
I raised an eyebrow. "You have a contact in The Syndicate?"
Jake's lips curled into a tight, humorless smile. "Not exactly. But I know someone who does. Someone who owes me a favor."
I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes at him. "And this person… can we trust them?"
Jake hesitated for a fraction of a second, just long enough for me to notice.
"As much as you can trust anyone in this world,"he said finally, his voice guarded. "But right now, they're our only chance."
I didn't like the sound of that. But then again, I didn't like any of this.
"When do we meet them?" I asked.
Jake glanced at his watch before meeting my gaze again. "Now. They're expecting us."
Later – The Meeting
The restaurant Jake had brought me to was upscale but discreet, the kind of place where power brokers held secret meetings and where no one asked questions. As we walked inside, I couldn't help but feel like I was stepping into another world, a darker, more dangerous one.
We were led to a private back room, the lights dim, the atmosphere thick with tension. As soon as we entered, I noticed the man sitting at the table, his sharp eyes narrowing as he took us in.
"Jake," the man said, his voice smooth, calculated. "It's been a long time."
Jake nodded, his expression unreadable. "Too long, Dominic."
I stood stiffly beside Jake, my senses on high alert as I sized up the man in front of us. Dominic had the kind of presence that set off warning bells in my head charismatic, dangerous, the type of man who knew more than he let on.
Dominic's gaze flicked to me, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "So, this is the famous Emily Carson.