Chapter five
She turned away from the window, her gaze landing on the contract sitting on the coffee table. Cassius's signature stood bold and sharp next to hers, a silent reminder that she had willingly walked into this storm.
"The kind that requires me to bend the rules," she said finally.
The line went silent for a beat before the man spoke again, his tone laced with amusement.
"You never did like playing by the rules, did you?"
She didn't answer. She didn't need to.
Because they both knew she had just taken the first step into something dangerous.
Across the City
Cassius sat in the back of his Rolls-Royce, one hand resting on the leather seat, the other swirling a glass of whiskey. The golden liquid caught the dim light inside the car, but his mind was elsewhere.
Leila.
Her defiance. Her sharp tongue. The way she had met his gaze tonight without an ounce of fear.
Most people either obeyed him or feared him.
Leila was neither.
She was playing a game, whether she realized it or not. And Cassius never lost.
His phone vibrated against the seat beside him. A single text. Unknown number.
You're not the only one watching her.
His grip on the glass tightened. A slow burn crawled up his spine.
There were few things Cassius hated more than being blindsided. And the idea that someone else had their eyes on Leila?
Unacceptable.
He took a slow sip of whiskey, his mind already moving through possibilities. There was only one thing he knew for sure.
Leila was no longer just a business arrangement.
She had just become a liability—or a weakness.
And Cassius Beaumont didn't do weaknesses.
Leila sat on the edge of her bed, her phone pressed tightly against her ear. The silence on the other end was heavy, expectant.
"I wouldn't have called if I had another choice," she admitted, hating how raw her voice sounded.
A slow, measured breath came through the line. "That's not what I asked, Leila."
Her fingers curled into the sheets. She had spent years ensuring she never had to rely on anyone again. And yet, here she was—reaching into the past for a lifeline.
"I need information," she finally said.
A low chuckle. "Ah. So, you are in trouble."
Leila exhaled sharply. "Can you help me or not?"
A pause. A long one. Then—
"Meet me at our old spot. Midnight."
The line went dead.
Leila stared at her phone, her pulse drumming in her ears. This was reckless. But she was done pretending Cassius Beaumont didn't hold all the power right now. If she wanted to get ahead of him, she needed leverage.
And there was only one person who could give it to her.
Across the City – Cassius's Penthouse
Cassius stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, the city lights flickering below him like dying embers. His reflection stared back at him—controlled, unreadable.
Leila was testing him.
And he had no patience for games.
His phone vibrated on the glass table beside him. Another unknown number. Another warning.
You're losing control of her.
His grip tightened around the glass of whiskey in his hand. Control?
No.
Leila belonged to him now, whether she accepted it or not.
He turned toward the man seated across from him, his most trusted enforcer—Dante.
"Find out who she's meeting tonight." His voice was quiet, but the command was absolute.
Dante raised an eyebrow. "She's making moves?"
Cassius smirked, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "She's trying."
Dante leaned back. "Want me to step in?"
Cassius took a slow sip before setting the glass down with a soft clink. "Not yet."
His voice dipped, almost amused. Almost.
"But she's about to learn—no one walks away from me unscathed."
Leila pulled the hood of her coat lower over her face as she stepped into the dimly lit café. The place was nearly empty, just a few scattered customers hunched over their drinks, lost in their own worlds.
She spotted him instantly. Jaxon Carter.
He was seated in the farthest booth, fingers lazily tapping against his coffee cup. He looked the same—broad shoulders, sharp eyes, the kind of man who could disappear into a crowd when he wanted to.
"Leila." His lips curled into a smirk as she slid into the seat across from him. "Still beautiful. Still reckless."
She ignored the comment. "Do you have what I asked for?"
Jaxon leaned back, studying her. "You really got yourself tangled up with Cassius Beaumont, huh?"
Leila's jaw tightened. "Just give me the information."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "See, that's the thing, sweetheart. Information comes at a price. And I'm wondering…" He leaned in, voice dropping. "Are you willing to pay?"
Before she could answer, a cold gust of air swept through the café as the door opened.
Leila stiffened.
A slow, deliberate set of footsteps echoed against the tiled floor.