Chapter 42 42

Chapter 42 42
IRIS QUINN

“Your father believes you’re acting independently,” I said.

Caesar took another pull from the bottle without interrupting me, but the way his throat moved told me he was weighing every syllable I dropped.

“And from what we both know—” I gestured between us. “—Victor is not that dumb. He’s likely looking to flush out your allies by pretending he thinks you're acting alone.” I paused, studying the hard line of his jaw. “If you’re actually doing anything, that is.”

Caesar’s expression didn’t change by a flicker or even a twitch. Either he was a master at burying the lead, or I was chasing ghosts. I couldn’t tell which, and the uncertainty felt like a physical itch.

“Your turn,” I said, leaning back. “I’ve told you what I know.”

He cut a look at me, his eyes hooded with skepticism. “Did you?”

“Yes.”

“All of it?”

I held his gaze. “Enough.”

He set the bottle down with a muffled clink on the rubber mat and leaned his head back against the wall. The vulnerability from minutes ago was being paved over by something colder.

“Even if he suspects something, suspicion isn’t proof. He can’t remove me without a majority board vote.”

The way he said it calmly made something click. Victor was right to be paranoid.

“Why are you so confident?” I asked. “Especially since we both know the kind of man your father is.”

Caesar didn’t answer directly. Instead, he stared at the ceiling, his voice dropping into a low hum. “There’s a gala being held soon. The press, shareholders, investors and everyone who matters will be in one room.”

I waited, my heart starting to thud against my ribs.

A dangerously dark glint returned to his eyes. The “husband” I knew was back.

“Aren’t you angry?” he asked suddenly.

I frowned, the shift catching me off guard. “About what?”

“Aaron betrayed you. He’s positioning himself to step over your corpse.” He leaned toward me, the scent of whiskey and cold intent surrounding us. “Aren’t you angry enough to actually do something about it, Iris?”

I scratched the back of my neck, the skin stinging.

Was I angry? Yes. But I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do about it. I’d genuinely believed Aaron was an ally. Someone who understood what it felt like to be on the outside of the Laurent empire.

But Aaron wasn’t really my issue right now.

The real issue was sitting right in front of me.

Here I was, making an alliance with the man whose head I was supposed to present to Victor in order to save my own skin. How different was I from Aaron?

Aaron sold information. I was about to sell a man.

“What are you proposing?” I asked quietly.

Caesar sat up straighter, the haze in his eyes clearing. “We attend the gala together. Show unity. Play the perfect couple. Basically be what people expect us to be.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And then?”

“We corner Aaron. Subtly.”

“How?”

“If he’s positioning himself, let’s make him overplay his hand.”

I stared at him. “You want to bait him.”

“I want to expose him.”

“How exactly are we supposed to corner Aaron?” I challenged. “He’s not stupid. He’ll see it coming.”

“Leave it to me,” Caesar said.

“No.”

He blinked. “No?”

“I need to know what you’re planning,” I said. “I need to know what’s going on before I decide if I’m going to be a part of it.”

He glanced toward the heavy gym door, then back at me, his gaze traveling over my face as if calculating the exact risk of letting me behind his curtain. He was silent for so long I thought he was going to shut me out again.

Finally, he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I saw something a week ago,” he said slowly.

I waited, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“Word’s been traveling,” he said slowly. “Discreetly. Aaron’s been pressuring executives and promising positions.”

I frowned, the pieces clicking into a jagged new shape. “Positions?”

“To people who support him.” Caesar swirled the bottle. “He’s been talking about future leadership transitions.”

I stared at him, trying to piece it together. “Wait. Are you saying Aaron’s been the one trying to go against Victor?”

Caesar nodded.

“Not you?”

“Not just me,” he corrected, a flash of the old arrogance returning to his eyes. “Aaron’s been building his own base. Separately. While pretending to be my father’s golden boy.”

I sat back, processing this. “So he’s playing both of you.”

“He’s playing everyone.” Caesar said flatly. “He’s loyal to opportunity, not my father.”

“Jesus,” I muttered.

“So when I say we corner him at the gala,” Caesar continued, “I mean we force him to show his hand. Make him choose between my father and his own ambition.”

“And what do I get out of this?” I asked, leaning in. “What’s my stake?”

Caesar looked at me directly. “If we take down Aaron, father loses his ‘golden boy’. Which means he has to keep me. And if he has to keep me—” He paused. “—I can protect you from whatever deal you made with him.”

I went still. “How do you know about that?”

“Because I’m not stupid, Iris. My father doesn’t offer help without strings. And you’ve been too desperate lately.” He tilted his head. “What did he ask for?”

I didn’t answer immediately. The truth felt like confession.

Then I said, “Information. On you.”

Caesar shook his head with disappointment. “Of course he did.”

“I haven’t given him anything,” I said quickly.

“Yet.”

“Yet,” I admitted, the honesty stinging more than the whiskey.

We stared at each other.

Then Caesar said, “So here’s the deal. You help me bury Aaron. And I’ll make sure you don’t have to give my father anything.”

“And if we fail?”

“Then we both lose everything.” He picked up the bottle again. “But at least we’ll go down swinging.”

I looked at him—at the blood still drying on his face and at the exhaustion and determination warring in his eyes.

I held out my hand to a man I might have to betray. “Deal.”

Caesar looked at my hand for a heartbeat, as if weighing the soul he was about to sign over. Then he reached out and took it.

“Don’t make me regret this,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine with a terrifying clarity.

I managed a slight, sharp smile. “Same to you, husband.”