Lexy sat across from James in the dim glow of his apartment, her mind racing. The air between them was thick, charged with tension, fury, and something darker.
Michael thought he had them cornered.
He was wrong.
James exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "We play along, for now. Buy time."
Lexy nodded, but her voice was sharp. "And while we do, we find something on him. Something worse."
James leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Michael has skeletons. We just need to dig deep enough to find them."
Lexy met his gaze. Determined. Unyielding. "Then let's start digging."
The First Weakness
James made a call. A trusted contact someone who owed him a favor. Within hours, they had the first crack in Michael's armor.
Fraud.
Small discrepancies in company finances. Nothing that screamed guilty, but enough to suggest he'd been dipping his hand where it didn't belong.
Lexy smirked. Everyone has secrets.
And Michael's were about to cost him.
The Next Threat
Michael's next message came that night.
Unknown: We should meet. Just you and me, sweetheart.
Lexy's stomach twisted. She knew exactly what he wanted.
James read over her shoulder, his jaw locking. "He's pushing."
Lexy's grip on her phone tightened. "Let's push back."
She typed a response.
Lexy: I choose when and where.
Unknown: I like when you play hard to get. But don't forget who's in charge.
She stared at the screen, a slow, dangerous smirk curling her lips.
Not for long.