Chapter 11: The Deal

The black sedan idled in front of the mansion long after the gala had finished. Rory sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her fingers holding the edges of her clutch as Max drove in tense silence. The city lights blurred past, but her thoughts were razor sharp, focused on Rossini’s vague warning: You’re playing a game you don’t fully understand.

The tension in the car was obvious, neither of them willing to break the silence. Max’s jaw was tight, his grip on the steering wheel strong. Rory knew he was furious—she’d seen the fire in his eyes when she mentioned her talk with Rossini—but he hadn’t said a word since they left.

Finally, Rory couldn’t take it anymore. “You can stop pretending you’re not angry,” she said, her voice cutting through the quiet. “Go ahead and say whatever’s on your mind.”

Max’s gaze flicked to her, his eyes icy. “You’re reckless,” he said sharply. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done by talking to him alone?”

Rory’s chest tightened, but she refused to back down. “I didn’t exactly have a choice, did I? Or were you planning on hovering over me the entire night?”

Max slammed the brakes as they reached the house, the car jerking to a stop. He turned to her, his eyes burning. “Rossini doesn’t approach people unless he has something to gain. Whatever he said to you, it wasn’t just empty conversation.”

Rory met his look headon. “Maybe I wanted to hear what he had to say. You’re not exactly open with answers, Max. Can you really blame me for trying to figure things out on my own?”

Max leaned closer, his voice low and dangerous. “If Rossini made you an offer, you’d better tell me right now.”

Rory paused, her heart pounding. She wanted to lash out, to throw his lies back in his face, but something about the intensity in his eyes stopped her. Instead, she pushed open the car door and stepped out, slamming it behind her.

“Goodnight, Max,” she said coldly, walking toward the house without looking back.

The tension didn’t lessen once Rory was inside. She paced the length of her room, her mind racing. Rossini’s words played over and over in her head. His charm had been unsettling, his insinuations calculated. But what he offered... that had left her shaken.

Rory had slipped away to the balcony at the gala for a moment of clarity. She hadn’t expected Rossini to follow. His approach had been deliberate, his smile disarming as he leaned against the fence beside her.

“Still finding your footing, I see,” he’d said casually, his voice smooth as silk.

“I’m doing just fine, thanks,” she’d answered, keeping her tone cool.

Rossini chuckled. “You’re stubborn. I respect that. But let’s not waste time saying you’re not out of your depth.”

Rory bristled. “If you came here to insult me, don’t bother. I’ve had enough of that for one night.”

“On the contrary,” Rossini said, his tone easing. “I came to help.”

“Help?” she repeated, her skepticism clear.

Rossini turned to face her fully, his dark eyes locked onto hers. “Max isn’t the hero you think he is. He’s playing his own game, and trust me, you’re not his priority.”

“I never said I thought he was a hero,” Rory shot back. “And you’re not exactly convincing me that you’re any better.”

Rossini smiled faintly, as though her resistance amused him. “Fair enough. But I can give you something Max can’t.”

“Like what?” she asked warily.

“Freedom,” Rossini said, his voice dropping. “I can restore the Dumont Empire to its former glory. Your family’s name, your legacy—it could all be yours again. All you have to do is help me.”

Rory’s stomach churned. “Help you how?”

Rossini stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “Max has something I need. Something he’s been hiding for years. You get it for me, and I’ll make sure the Dumont name is untouchable.”

Her pulse quickened, fear and anger warring within her. “And if I say no?”

Rossini’s smile didn’t falter, but his eyes darkened. “I wouldn’t recommend that.”

Back in her room, Rory replayed the experience, trying to make sense of it. The promise of recovering her family’s name was tempting, but the price was steep. Betraying Max—whatever that meant—felt like crossing a line she wasn’t sure she could come back from.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, pulling her from her thoughts. She picked it up and saw a text from an unknown number:

Think it over, Aurélien. I’ll be in touch.

Her chest tensed as she stared at the message. Rossini wasn’t going to let this go, and she knew he’d find a way to keep the heat on. But what was Max hiding that Rossini wanted so badly?

A knock at her door made her jump. She quickly shoved her phone into her pocket and called out, “Come in.”

Max stepped inside, his face unreadable. He closed the door behind him, his presence filling the room.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“About what?” Rory asked, keeping her tone guarded.

Max’s eyes narrowed. “You know what. Rossini didn’t corner you on that balcony for small talk. What did he say?”

Rory hesitated, weighing her choices. She didn’t trust Max, but hiding the truth felt dangerous. “He made me an offer,” she admitted finally. “He said he could restore my family’s empire if I helped him.”

Max’s face darkened, his jaw clenching. “And what did you say?”

“I didn’t agree to anything,” Rory said quickly. “But he’s not going to stop, is he?”

“No,” Max said sadly. “He won’t. Rossini doesn’t take no for an answer.”

Rory crossed her arms, her anger bubbling over. “Then maybe you should tell me what this is all about. What does Rossini want from you?”

Max paused, his gaze flickering to the floor. For a moment, she thought he might actually tell her, but then he shook his head. “It’s better if you don’t know.”

“Don’t start that again,” Rory snapped. “I’m already involved, whether you like it or not. You can either let me help you or watch me make my own choices. Your choice.”

Max stared at her, his face unreadable. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and stressed. “If Rossini gets what he wants, it won’t just ruin me—it’ll destroy everything. Including you.”

Rory’s stomach twisted, but she refused to back down. “Then give me a reason not to take his deal.”

Max stepped closer, his eyes boring into hers. “Because once you’re in his world, there’s no way out.”

The weight of his words hung between them, heavy and smothering. Rory’s chest tightened as she realized the choice before her wasn’t just about her family—it was about her own life.

But as she met Max’s gaze, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t telling her everything. And until she knew the full truth, she couldn’t make her choice.

“Goodnight, Max,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her.

Max paused, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer before he turned and left the room. As the door clicked shut, Rory sank onto the edge of her bed, her mind running.

Rossini’s offer was a lifeline—one that could save her family and recover everything they’d lost. But at what cost?

And as much as she wanted to believe Max’s warnings, a nagging question remained. What if he was the real danger?

As she stared at her image in the mirror, her jaw tightened with resolve. One way or another, she’d find the truth. And when she did, she’d decide whose side she was really on.

The night stretched on, and Rory couldn’t shake the feeling that the clock was ticking. The game was in motion, and every move counted. But as the clouds deepened, one thought consumed her:

What if believing either of them was a mistake?