Ella's heart pounded in her chest as she walked down the narrow hallway of the lavish penthouse. Every step she took felt heavier than the last, the weight of her decisions pressing down on her. She had met with Viktor again, but this time, things felt different. The air between them was charged with something unspoken—a pull she couldn't ignore. It was a dangerous game, and she knew the consequences of losing.
But she was already in too deep to turn back.
As she entered the private office, Marco was standing by the window, his back to her. The dim light from the streetlights outside cast shadows on his broad shoulders. He didn't turn around as he spoke.
"I trust everything went well with Ivanov?"
Ella froze. She had hoped Marco wouldn't ask about the meeting so directly, but there was no escaping it. He was always watching. Always calculating.
She walked into the room, closing the door behind her. "It went fine," she said, her voice steady despite the nerves that ran through her. "He's... cautious. But I'm making progress."
Marco turned to face her then, his dark eyes piercing, as if he could see right through her. His gaze didn't soften. "Progress, huh?" He took a step closer, his presence filling the room, suffocating in its intensity. "You know, Miss Grant, I don't like surprises. I don't like to be kept in the dark. So, if there's anything you're not telling me—"
"I'm not hiding anything from you," Ella interrupted, her tone firm. "I told you what you wanted to know. I'm doing what I can to get closer to Viktor. I'm playing the game."
Marco studied her for a long moment. Then he took another step toward her, his expression unreadable. "Good," he said, his voice low. "But remember something, Ella. In this world, loyalty is everything. And if you're not loyal to me—if you so much as think of betraying me—you'll regret it."
His words were a threat, unspoken but clear. The weight of them hung in the air, heavy and cold.
Ella's pulse quickened. She had always known that Marco was dangerous. But this felt different. His words, his proximity—it was all designed to remind her of the power he held over her. And, despite herself, she felt the pull of that power. There was no escaping it.
"I haven't betrayed you," she said, her voice quieter now. "I'm not going to. But I need more time."
Marco's lips curled into a slow smile, though his eyes remained cold. "Time? You have all the time you need, Miss Grant. But remember, time runs out eventually."
Ella's stomach twisted. Time. It was something she didn't have much of, and she knew it. The clock was ticking, not just on her mission, but on her relationship with Marco—and with Viktor. Her world was becoming a game of survival, and she wasn't sure she was playing it right.
---
**The Next Day**
Ella sat at the sleek, black table of her apartment, reviewing the latest information she had gathered on Viktor. She had learned a lot in the past few days—his likes, his weaknesses, the people he trusted, and the people he didn't. But there was one thing that kept haunting her thoughts: the strange attraction she felt toward him.
Viktor was cold, calculating, and dangerous. She shouldn't want him. She shouldn't even consider it. But the pull between them, the way he looked at her with those icy eyes that seemed to see straight into her soul—she couldn't ignore it.
Her phone buzzed, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced at the screen. It was a text from Marco.
**"Meet me at the warehouse. 8 PM. We need to talk."**
Ella sighed, rubbing her temples. She hadn't expected Marco to let her off the hook so easily. He was always watching, always expecting more from her.
And the tension between them was growing. The closer she got to Viktor, the further Marco seemed to pull away, not just emotionally but physically as well. It was as though he was testing her, waiting for her to slip up so he could strike.
She had no choice but to play his game for now. But the longer she stayed in this world, the more dangerous it became. And she was starting to wonder just how long she could keep her balance before it all came crashing down.
---
**8 PM – The Warehouse**
Ella arrived at the warehouse, the familiar smell of oil and metal filling the air. The place had always been a stark reminder of the world Marco inhabited—a world where loyalty was traded for power, and trust was a currency you could never afford to lose.
Marco stood near the back of the warehouse, his hands in his pockets as he surveyed the space. He was waiting for her, but there was something different in the way he looked at her now. Something colder.
"You wanted to talk?" Ella asked, stepping toward him.
Marco turned, his gaze locking onto hers. "I've been patient with you, Ella. But patience has its limits."
She swallowed, feeling the tension in the air. "What do you want from me?"
He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "I want you to prove your loyalty. I want to know that you're with me, not with Ivanov."
Ella hesitated, her mind racing. She couldn't give Marco an answer right away. Not when everything was so complicated. But Marco wasn't known for giving people time to think.
"I've been doing what you asked," she said carefully, "but you can't expect me to make a choice so quickly."
"I don't have time for hesitation," Marco said, his voice dangerously low. "You either prove you're with me, or you prove you're with him. And if you choose wrong—if you choose the wrong side—there will be consequences."
Ella's heart pounded in her chest. This was the moment she had been dreading. The moment when everything she had built in Marco's world would come crashing down. She had a choice to make.
And it wouldn't be easy.