POV: Emily
"So, this is the famous Emily Carson."
Dominic's words were smooth, almost amused, as if he knew more about me than I did about him. His gaze lingered on me for a moment, and I fought the urge to step back, keeping my expression cold and unreadable.
This man was dangerous. I could feel it in the way he watched us, in the calculated, almost predatory way he moved. He wasn't someone to trust, but right now, Jake and I didn't have the luxury of being picky about our allies.
"Let's keep this professional,"I said, my voice sharper than I intended. I couldn't afford to let Dominic see how unnerved I was. "We're here for a reason."
Dominic's smile widened, but it didn't reach his eyes. He gestured toward the empty chairs at the table. "Of course. Please, sit."
I glanced at Jake, but he was already moving toward the table, his expression as controlled as ever. He pulled out a chair for me, and I hesitated for a moment before sitting down. The tension in the room was thick, almost suffocating, as if the air itself was watching us.
Jake settled beside me, his gaze fixed on Dominic. "You owe me, Dominic. And I'm here to collect."
Dominic leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "You've always been direct, Jake. But this favor you're asking? It's more dangerous than you realize. Even for me."
"I'm not asking you to take the risk for free," Jake replied coolly. "You'll be compensated."
Dominic let out a low chuckle. "Compensation isn't the issue. It's whether or not I want to paint a target on my back."
I clenched my hands in my lap, trying to keep my frustration at bay. Every minute we spent negotiating with this man was a minute we didn't have. The Syndicate wasn't going to wait around for us to gather allies. We needed information, and we needed it fast.
"You know how this works, Dominic," Jake said, leaning forward slightly, his voice lowering. "The Syndicate won't let anyone stay neutral for long. Sooner or later, they'll come for you, too. And when they do, you'll wish you had people like us on your side."
Dominic's smile faltered for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he studied Jake. I could see the gears turning in his head, weighing the risks against the benefits, calculating his next move. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he exhaled sharply and nodded.
"Fine," he said, his tone resigned. "I'll help you. But this stays between us. If anyone finds out I'm involved..."
"No one will know," Jake interrupted, his voice firm. "This doesn't leave the room."
Dominic's gaze flicked to me, as if assessing whether I was trustworthy. I met his eyes without flinching, refusing to let him see how much this whole situation rattled me.
"Good," Dominic said finally. "Now, what do you need from me?"
Jake glanced at me briefly before turning back to Dominic. "We need names. Key players. The ones pulling the strings behind The Syndicate's operations. Specifically, the ones targeting Emily and Carson Enterprises."
Dominic leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the edge of the table. "That's a tall order. The Syndicate doesn't exactly keep a public roster."
"You know people," Jake replied, his voice steady. "People who can get us what we need. You've spent years making yourself indispensable to both sides. Now's the time to cash in those favors."
Dominic was silent for a moment, his eyes locked on Jake, as if weighing the full scope of what he was being asked. Then, slowly, he nodded. "There's one man you need to talk to. He's been moving in Syndicate circles for years, knows every deal they've ever brokered."
My breath hitched, anticipation curling in my stomach. "Who is he?"
Dominic's lips twisted into a grim smile. "His name is Victor Duval. He's been their chief negotiator for years, the one who does all their dirty work. If anyone can tell you who's gunning for you, it's him."
I frowned, my mind racing. "Where can we find him?"
Dominic's smile faded. "That's the tricky part. Victor doesn't stay in one place for long. He's a ghost, moves from city to city, always a step ahead. But… I might be able to track him down for you. It won't be easy, and it won't be cheap."
Jake didn't flinch. "Just do it. We need him."
Dominic studied Jake for another long moment before nodding slowly. "Alright. I'll make the call. But this is where my involvement ends. Once I get you to Victor, you're on your own. If The Syndicate finds out I helped you, I'm as good as dead."
I exhaled slowly, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly. We had a lead. It wasn't much, but it was something. And right now, something was better than nothing.
"Thank you,"I said, the words feeling strange on my tongue as I glanced at Dominic.
He waved a hand dismissively. "Don't thank me yet. If Victor doesn't want to talk, there's nothing I can do. He's not exactly known for his cooperation."
I nodded, my heart pounding as the reality of what we were about to do sank in. We were going after The Syndicate's chief negotiator, a man who could tear down everything if he wanted to. This wasn't just dangerous it was suicidal.
But I didn't have a choice.
Later -Jake's Apartment
The silence between us stretched thin as we walked into Jake's apartment, the weight of the meeting with Dominic still heavy in the air. I felt like I was walking on the edge of a knife, one wrong move and I'd fall, tumbling into a world I wasn't sure I could survive.
Jake closed the door behind us, the soft click breaking the tension in the room. He turned toward me, his expression unreadable.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice softer now, like he was trying to ease me into something.
I nodded, though I wasn't sure if I was lying to him or to myself. "I don't know. This is… a lot."
He walked over to me, his presence steady, grounding. "I know it is. But you're handling it. You're stronger than you think."
I met his eyes, and for a moment, I let myself believe him. Jake had seen this world before, had been entrenched in it longer than I could imagine. But I hadn't. Everything about this felt foreign, dangerous, like I was playing a game where I didn't know the rules.
And worse, the stakes were higher than they'd ever been. One wrong move, and I could lose everything, my company, my freedom, maybe even my life. But more than that, there was something else, something I wasn't ready to confront yet.
Jake stood there, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him, his eyes locked on mine, full of intensity and something else. Concern? It unsettled me.
I let out a shaky breath, trying to center myself, to remind myself why I was here.
"I don't feel strong," I admitted, my voice quieter than I intended. "I've spent years building Carson Enterprises, fighting every step of the way, but this? This is something else."
"You're right," Jake said, his voice low. "This is different. But that doesn't mean you can't handle it. I wouldn't have brought you into this if I didn't believe you could."
I scoffed, stepping back, crossing my arms over my chest to put some distance between us. "You didn't exactly give me a choice, Jake."
He nodded, his jaw tightening. "I know. And I'm sorry for that. But right now, we don't have the luxury of waiting around. The Syndicate won't stop, and we can't afford to waste time."
I looked away, my mind spinning. He was right. We couldn't afford to waste time, but that didn't make this any easier. It didn't make trusting him any easier.
I paced toward the window, staring out at the city, the lights twinkling far below us. The skyline, the world I thought I'd conquered, now felt like a battlefield I didn't even know existed.
"You're asking me to trust you," I said after a long pause, my back still turned to him. "But I've spent years seeing you as the enemy. Every time I tried to get ahead, you were there, pulling me back down. Why now? Why do you care what happens to me now?"
I heard him shift behind me, and a heavy silence followed before he spoke.
"Because it stopped being about business a long time ago."
I turned to face him, surprised by the rawness in his voice. His eyes were dark, shadowed by something I hadn't seen before,something real.
"Then what is this about, Jake?" I demanded. "What is this really about for you?"
He took a step closer, his expression unreadable, but there was a vulnerability there now, one he couldn't quite hide. I wasn't sure I'd ever seen Jake Anderson vulnerable.
"I'm not the same man you went to war with all those years ago," he said, his voice rough. "Back then, it was about power, about control. I didn't care who I hurt along the way."
"And now?" I asked, my heart pounding.
He held my gaze, and for a second, the weight of everything we'd been through, everything that still hung between us, settled into the space.
"Now, it's about something else," he said quietly. "It's about you."
My breath caught in my throat, the words sending a ripple through me that I wasn't ready for. I shook my head, trying to push it all down. This wasn't about emotions. This was about survival.
"I don't know if I can do this," I whispered, more to myself than to him. "I don't know if I can trust you."
"You don't have to trust me completely," he said, his voice soft, but firm. "You just have to trust that I want to keep you safe."
I met his gaze again, and this time, I saw it. The truth in his eyes. The connection we'd been trying to deny, the pull that had been simmering beneath the surface for so long.
But I couldn't afford to let myself feel it. Not now.
"I need to know we're not walking into a trap," I said, shaking my head. "We need to be sure Dominic's contact will actually help us."
Jake's expression hardened, the vulnerability slipping away as he nodded. "I'll make sure of it. Victor Duval is a dangerous man, but he's also predictable. If he thinks there's something in it for him, he'll play ball."
"And if he doesn't?"
Jake's jaw clenched. "Then we improvise."
The Next Day – The Meeting with Victor Duval
I arrived at the agreed location feeling the tension winding tighter with every step. Jake walked beside me, his presence steady but alert, as if he was ready for something to go wrong at any moment.
The restaurant we entered was upscale, just like the one where we'd met Dominic. But this place had a colder, more clinical feel, like it was a façade for something darker.
We were led to a private room in the back, the lights dim, the atmosphere heavy with the weight of expectation. My nerves buzzed as we stepped inside, and there he was.
Victor Duval.
He was younger than I had imagined, late thirties at most, with slicked back dark hair and sharp, calculating eyes that took us in the moment we walked through the door. There was something predatory about the way he moved, something dangerous lurking beneath the polished exterior.
Victor glanced at Jake first, a thin smile tugging at his lips, then turned his attention to me.
"Ah, so this is the infamous Emily Carson," Victor said, his voice smooth but laced with amusement. "I've heard a lot about you."
I kept my expression neutral, though my heart pounded in my chest. "I wish I could say the same about you."
Victor's smile widened, his eyes narrowing slightly as he gestured toward the table. "Please, sit. We have a lot to discuss."
I glanced at Jake, who nodded once, then took a seat at the table, every muscle in my body on edge. Jake sat beside me, his posture tense, his eyes never leaving Victor.
"So," Victor began, leaning back in his chair with an almost lazy grace. "Dominic tells me you're in a bit of a bind. The Syndicate breathing down your neck, wanting to take everything you've worked for."
My stomach twisted at the mention of The Syndicate, but I kept my voice steady. "That's one way to put it."
Victor chuckled, his gaze flicking to Jake. "And you think I'm the man to help you out of it?"
"You've been working with The Syndicate for years," Jake said, his voice calm but hard. "You know the players, the deals, the ones calling the shots."
Victor's smile faltered slightly, his eyes darkening. "I know a lot of things, Jake. But information like that doesn't come cheap. Especially when it involves The Syndicate."
"We're prepared to compensate you," Jake replied, his tone measured. "But we need names. We need to know who's targeting Emily and how we can stop them."
Victor was silent for a moment, his eyes locked on mine, as if he were trying to assess how far I was willing to go. Finally, he leaned forward, his expression serious.
"There are people in The Syndicate who see Carson Enterprises as more than just a business," Victor said, his voice low. "They see it as a gateway. A way to control key sectors, to influence industries in ways you can't even imagine."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. This was worse than I'd thought.
"So, who's pulling the strings?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Victor's eyes flicked between me and Jake before he spoke.
"There's one man you need to worry about. He's the one calling the shots when it comes to your company. His name is Marcus Hall."
My breath caught. Marcus Hall. I'd heard the name before, whispers in the corporate world of a man who had his hands in everything. But I'd never imagined he was involved in something like this.
Jake's jaw tightened. "Marcus Hall? He's the one coming for her?"
Victor nodded. "He's been after Carson Enterprises for years. And now, with your marriage, he's doubled down. He sees this as his chance to take it all."
I felt the room spin around me. Marcus Hall wasn't just a corporate player. He was ruthless, known for destroying anyone who got in his way. If he was involved, we were in more trouble than I thought.
"Can we stop him?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
Victor leaned back in his chair, a small, dangerous smile playing at his lips.
"That, my dear, is entirely up to you."