Isla barely slept The name Alexander Cole burned in her mind like a brand an echo of a buried truth waiting to be uncovered She had spent half the night scouring old archives digging through financial records corporate reports and whispered rumors
And she had found something
A single lead
An offshore account one that had been dormant for years but recently showed signs of activity The account was tied to a shell company that once belonged to Cole
Someone was still moving money Someone was still pulling strings in the shadows
Her instincts screamed that this was connected to her family downfall To Blackwood Enterprises And to Damien
A sharp knock at her door startled her
She glanced at the clock Six thirty in the morning Too early for Mia
Her pulse spiked as she approached hesitating for only a second before opening it
No one was there
But at her feet a single envelope lay on the ground
Her breath hitched
Slowly she picked it up fingers trembling as she unfolded the note inside
Some questions should stay buried
No name No signature Just a warning
Her stomach tightened but she shoved the fear down Someone wanted to scare her Someone wanted her to stop
She was not stopping
A Fractured Trust
By the time Isla arrived at Blackwood Enterprises a storm was brewing inside her
The moment she stepped into Damien office she felt it The tension crackled like a live wire
He was behind his desk sleeves rolled up looking through a report but the second she entered his gaze locked onto her
You are early he said coolly
You knew I would come she shot back striding toward him I found something
His expression darkened Isla
An offshore account It was dormant for years but now it is active It is tied to Alexander Cole
Damien went still A muscle in his jaw ticked You need to stop
No Her voice was steady but inside her pulse pounded Someone left a note at my door this morning A warning
His hands clenched into fists Who
I do not know
Damien exhaled sharply running a hand through his hair Damn it Isla
Tell me the truth She stepped closer her frustration boiling over You know more than you are saying What the hell happened with Cole What did he do
Damien met her gaze something unreadable in his eyes You are not ready for the truth
Her breath caught Then make me ready
Silence A thick unbearable silence
Then he moved
One second he was behind the desk the next he was inches from her his presence suffocating his energy electric
You do not get it do you His voice was low dangerous The more you dig the more you put yourself in danger If Cole name is resurfacing it means someone is making moves And you Isla are standing right in their path
She refused to back down So what I am supposed to just walk away
Yes
No
Frustration flickered across his face You are going to get yourself hurt
Then protect me she challenged fire in her voice
Something snapped
Damien hand shot out gripping her wrist not harshly but firmly enough that she felt the heat of his skin His gaze bore into hers unreadable filled with something raw and dangerous
I cannot always protect you he said voice strained
She swallowed Then let me protect myself
The air between them grew thick charged with something neither of them wanted to name His grip on her wrist loosened fingers grazing her skin as if torn between pushing her away and pulling her closer
For a second Isla thought he might close the distance
But then he let go
And just like that the moment shattered
The Shadow That Follows
Later that night Isla took a cab back to her apartment exhaustion weighing on her
She hated how Damien had shut her out Hated how he made her feel reckless for wanting the truth
But she would not stop
As the cab neared her building a strange sensation crept up her spine like she was being watched
She turned her head slightly eyes scanning the street
A black car parked at the corner its engine idling
Her heart skipped
It could be nothing
Or it could be something
Isla forced herself to breathe as the cab pulled up to her apartment She stepped out stealing another glance at the car
The windows were tinted No movement inside
Still she hurried up the steps unlocking her door with shaky fingers
As soon as she was inside she locked it behind her
Her phone buzzed
She yanked it out expecting Mia
But it was not Mia
It was a blocked number
And the message made her blood run cold
You are asking the wrong questions Stop now
Her fingers tightened around the phone
She was being watched
And she was no longer just searching for the truth
She was caught in the middle of it
The Warning
The next morning Damien was waiting for her when she arrived at Blackwood Enterprises
His expression was unreadable but his stance was tense rigid
Before she could speak he grabbed her wrist pulling her into his office and shutting the door
Damien what
He held up his phone
A screenshot of the message she had received
Her stomach dropped
How did you
I told you Damien said voice low and furious You are in the middle of something dangerous And now they know you are looking
She swallowed hard So what do we do
For a moment he just looked at her
Then he exhaled jaw tight
We find out who is behind this
His eyes burned into hers
And this time you do not do it alone