Marco's voice sliced through the tense air, sharp and deliberate. "We've got a problem."
I froze, hidden just beyond the cracked door of Dominic's office. My pulse quickened. Why was Marco here? And why did he sound so... unnerved?
Dominic's response was cool, almost bored. "What now?"
Marco stepped closer. I heard the rustle of papers being dropped onto Dominic's desk. "There's a mole." His words carried weight, each syllable deliberate. "Inside the organization."
A chair creaked—Dominic's, I guessed—and then his low chuckle filled the room. "Of course there is. You don't think I've known?"
"You knew?" Marco's voice rose slightly, disbelief laced in his tone.
Dominic remained calm. "This isn't my first game, Marco. I've been waiting for them to slip. People like that always do."
"And when they do?" Marco pressed.
"They'll wish they hadn't," Dominic replied, his tone dark and final.
I held my breath, the weight of their conversation settling like lead in my chest. A mole. In Dominic's organization. It felt like my every nerve was on edge as I pieced together the implications. If Dominic had known about the mole, then...
No. Could I be the bait?
My thoughts spiraled. It made sense. Dominic's unpredictable moves, his refusal to let me go, even when I was more trouble than I was worth. Was I part of some larger plot?
I shifted my weight slightly, and the door creaked.
"Who's there?" Dominic's voice cut through the air like a knife.
Panic gripped me. I tried to back away quietly, but it was too late. The door swung open with a force that made me stumble back into the hallway. Dominic's towering frame filled the doorway, his sharp eyes locking onto mine. Marco stood behind him, his expression unreadable.
"Scarlett." Dominic said my name slowly, deliberately, each syllable dripping with suspicion. "Eavesdropping? Really?"
I straightened, forcing defiance into my posture. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I was passing by."
His lips curved into a cold, humorless smile. "Passing by?"
"Yes." I kept my voice steady, even as my heart raced. "Not that it's any of your business."
Marco's eyes flicked between us, tension radiating from him. "Dominic, this isn't the time."
Dominic raised a hand, silencing Marco without a word. His gaze never left mine. "It's funny, Scarlett. You have a knack for showing up where you shouldn't be."
"Maybe you should consider locking your doors," I shot back, my tone sharper than I intended.
His eyes darkened, and he stepped closer. "Or maybe you should consider staying out of things that don't concern you."
Anger flared in me, momentarily overriding my fear. "Don't concern me? Everything you do concerns me. You've made sure of that."
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might explode. Instead, he leaned in, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Careful, Scarlett. You don't want to test me tonight."
I met his gaze, refusing to back down. "What are you going to do? Lock me up again? Threaten me some more? Go ahead, Dominic. I'm not scared of you."
His hand shot out, gripping my chin with just enough force to make me wince. "You should be."
Marco stepped forward. "Dominic, enough. She's not the enemy."
Dominic's grip loosened slightly, but his eyes stayed on mine, a storm of anger and something else swirling in them. He let go abruptly, as if touching me had burned him.
"Get out," he said, his voice cold.
I hesitated, my pride warring with my survival instincts.
"Now, Scarlett," he barked, and the force in his tone sent me stumbling backward.
I turned and fled down the hallway, my mind racing. Every interaction with Dominic left me feeling like I was drowning, like he was pulling me under just to watch me struggle. But this time was different. His words, the conversation with Marco, it all pointed to something bigger, something dangerous. And I was caught in the middle of it.
But Dominic wasn't the only one who could play games.
As I rounded the corner, I glanced back to make sure I wasn't being followed. The hall was empty, but my nerves were far from settled. Whatever Dominic was hiding, I would find out. And if he thought he could control me, he was in for a surprise.
Because I wasn't just going to survive his world.
I was going to beat him at his own game.
Dominic's low voice echoed behind me. "You can run, Scarlett. But you'll never escape me."