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I stood at the front door of Xavier's office, my eyes locked on to him, trying to keep my breathing composed. The room felt suffocating, the lingering tension between us still thick enough to slice through a knife.
My gut instinct screamed at me to walk out of here.to put an end to this game I was playing, but I couldn't. Not when the stakes were too high. Not when I knew he was hiding many secrets just as I was.
"You still think I had something to do with the sniper attack?" I spoke, unable to stop the crack in my voice. It felt as if the anger bubbling inside me gave me power—gave me control over this situation.
Even though it was all nothing but an illusion.His eyes shifted to mine, his jaws clenched together, but it wasn't the irritation on his face that caught me off guard.
It was hunger in the way his eyes drooled all over me, taking me in like he couldn't stop himself, even though he hated much just as much as I hated him too.
"You're hiding something," Xavier shot back, his voice firm and commanding.I could feel the heat rising in my chest, a mix of darkness and frustration.
"You still don't trust me," I said, stepping closer, my voice colder than I intended. "But no matter what I say, you're never going to believe me anyway."
His face hardened, but I could see the hint of something else behind those eyes.the same thing I myself was trying to fight for weeks— the attraction between us.
The undeniable magnetism between us. It wasn't just sexually, it was a danger that followed it. Something more…Something deeper that scared the living hell out of me.
"You're making it harder for me to trust you," he growled, his voice growing thick, as if the words themselves struggled to come out from his mouth.
"Good," I shot back at him, stepping closer. The quietness between the both of us stretched like a fragile wire ready to snap.
"You're not supposed to trust me."
His hands immediately snapped out like a predator trying to claim its prey,his fingers wrapping around my wrists with a firm, strong grip.
The suddenness of it sent a shiver running down my spine,my breath stopping as he pulled me closer to him. His touch was electric ,creeping into my skin, and all I could feel was the raw power in his hold.
It was dominant, possessive,and completely intoxicating. His body radiated heat, and all I could feel was the rise and fall of his chest, his breath hot and unsteady against my skin. My heart pounded in my ears, every nerve in my body alive, aware of everything he was doing.
The space between us was unbearable, and yet I hated how much I wanted it, how much I wanted to close the distance entirely. I should have resisted,I should have pushed him away, told him to back off, to stop playing with me.
But I didn't, or rather I couldn't. My body betrayed me, my mind clouded by the intoxicating pull of his presence. He was a storm, and I was caught in the middle of it, powerless to escape.
"You're playing a dangerous game", he murmured, his voice low and deep, each word dripping with a warning, something darker… something that sent shivers running down my vein.
His eyes got locked onto mine, unstopping, as if he was seeing right through the facade I had carefully constructed.
A dangerous game. He was right. But what choice did I have? I could never let him see the truth—the woman hiding under this mask, the one swimming in a pool of lies, forced to play a role I never asked for.
And yet, as his grip tightened on me and his eyes held me captive, I couldn't help but wonder if he already knew who I truly was. If he could see the weakness I fought so hard to hide.
The thought terrified me, yet it thrilled me in ways u couldn't explain.
"You have no idea," I said softly, my lips just a breath away from his. The words laced with something I couldn't quite figure out.
Then the door slammed open immediately, destroying the moment that was about to happen between us. I jumped back without thinking, trying to know who it was.
I looked towards the doorway and saw her standing there, her eyes wide with shock.
Shit. It was Gabriella. She just had to ruin everything.
The atmosphere in the room immediately changed,thickening with the weight of unspoken words. Xavier immediately pulled away from me.
I could clearly see the frustration visible on his face as they shifted from me to Gabriella.He wasn't ready for this. Neither was I.
Gabriella's gaze looked between Xavier and I, her lips pressing into a tight line. The tension in the room was suffocating, but she didn't move an inch.
She was too smart for her own good. I had no idea how much she knew, but I could feel it—she suspected that something was going on between us.
"Am I interrupting something?" Gabriella's voice was tight, carrying an edge with it. She wasn't going to believe the bullshit we would tell her. Not for even a second.
I blink as I step away from Xavier, my face normal, trying to cover up everything that she just saw under it.
"No," I replied smoothly, keeping my voice calm, controlled. "We were just… discussing things."
It was all lies, thin fragile lies. But Gabriella didn't press further. Instead she just focused her attention on Xavier, the suspicion in her eyes too intense.
"So it seems," Gabriella replied, locked onto mine longer than I liked. She was very smart—I couldn't afford her catching onto my plan. Not now, not when everything I have been working for was almost falling apart.
She wasn't an idiot. She had to know something was going on between us. And I had no idea what kind of game she was playing.
I watched as she turned, stepping toward the door. "Elena, we need to talk for a moment", she said, her eyes looking back at me once more.
"Alone."
I knew exactly what that meant. She wanted answers. She wanted the truth, about whether anything was going on between Xavier and I. I couldn't let her know, Not yet.
Not until I was ready to admit it even to myself.
I forced myself to speak, my voice steady. "I'll be there shortly, Gabriella." allowing the words to slip from my lips like poison.
She looked at me for a long moment, the suspicion deepening intense in her gaze. Then, without another word, she turned, leaving the room as the door shut softly behind her.
I didn't move.
I stood there, watching the door, feeling the weight of what just happened. My heart was pounding like a drum, but it wasn't out of fear. No.
The game had changed sides, and now Gabriella was right in the middle of it. She has seen something.. it was about to make her a danger to me.
I didn't trust Xavier, neither did I trust Gabriella. But I could see it all now. The pieces of this game were falling into place.
Very soon, they would both find out who I really was.
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Gabriella's eyes burned with a fury she could barely hide, her lips curling into a sly smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"That was quite the little show back there," she sneered, her arms folded across her chest as she leaned against the door.
"Tell me, Elena, do you make it a habit of throwing yourself at men who don't belong to you?"
I didn't move, didn't blink either by what she said. I had faced more dangerous things than a bitter ex-lover.
"Funny," I shot back, moving my head to step closer to her, "I don't see your name written all over him."
Her eyes immediately darkened, her grip tightening where her nails dug into her arms."Xavier and I were a thing before you brought yourself here.
No matter how much you try to seduce him, he will always come back to me. Whatever this is…"it's temporary.
You're just a game he's playing to entertain himself."
I laughed, soft but edgy."Then why are you so worried?" I walked closer to her, closing the space between us.
"If you were so sure he would come back to you, you wouldn't be here, trying to convince me—or yourself.. that I don't matter."
Gabriella's expression changed, but I wasn't even done yet. "I loved the way he touched me," I continued, my voice dripping with venomous mockery.
"He wanted me so bad. He couldn't control himself." I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice. "And deep down, you know that's the truth."
She exhaled sharply, fury flashing across her face."You're nothing but a manipulative little snake."
"Take one to know one." I shot back at her, forming a devious smirk on my lips.
"You think you've won, don't you?" she hissed, her nostrils flaring in anger. "You think because Xavier is distracted by you now, that he loves you or something?"
She let out a bitter laugh. "He's a man, Elena. Men get bored. And when he eventually does, he will see you for who you really are, he will throw you away like the trash you are."
I couldn't let her get to me with her words, I couldn't let her win, this was my game and I will win by all means. "And yet, here you are, terrified that he will never get bored of me." I shot back at her, locking my eyes onto hers.
Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she hesitated for a second. That single second told me everything I needed to know.
"Face it, Gabriella. I continued,you have already lost him. And the worst part? It has nothing to do with me.you did it all by yourself."
Gabriella took a slow breath, her expression changing from anger to something..sinister…calculated..darker. And then, just like that, she smiled back to me, a slow, sly smile.
"Oh, Elena," she said, shaking her head. "You should never underestimate me, you know." Something about the way she said those words were pricking my instincts.
She leaned in closer to me, her voice almost a whisper. "You can pretend all you want, but I know who you really are."
"I don't know what you're talking about," I shot back, trying to defend myself from whatever the hell she was talking about.
Her smile widened. "Oh, but you do." She stepped back, fixing her dress as though she didn't just declare war to me.
"Very soon, Xavier will know who you really are."She reached for the door, then stopped for a moment, looking back at me.
"I hope you enjoyed your moment while it lasts now, Elena." She said, her voice dripping with wicked satisfaction.
"Soon you will never have those moments with him,Because he'll hate you for the rest of his life."
And then she walked away.
For the first time in my life, I stood there for a long time, feeling the walls closing in on me. My whole game was about to be destroyed by this woman.
But I would never let her win, I had to do something, quick and fast.