CHAPTER 86

CHAPTER 86

ETHAN’S POV

The car ride to the office was quiet, almost painfully so. Ariana wasn’t beside me, and that silence hit harder than I expected. I’d told myself I didn’t need her around, that her presence was nothing more than a temporary distraction. But as the city blurred past the tinted glass, that lie didn’t hold up so well.

“No,” I muttered under my breath, shaking the thought off. I refused to believe her absence could feel this heavy. I’d been fine before she came into my life, and I would be fine again. Vulnerability was a weakness I couldn’t afford. Letting her know how much I’d grown used to her would only hand her control. And that wasn’t happening.

The car stopped in front of the casino. I adjusted my jacket and stepped out, pushing every thought of her aside. I needed focus. My world was already spinning out of control, and I couldn’t afford to let emotion cloud my judgment.

“Right on time,” Michael said as I entered through the glass doors. He’d been waiting for me, his phone in one hand and a grim look on his face. “You must’ve broken the speed limit getting here.”

“Status?” I asked, skipping the small talk. My patience for conversation was long gone. “Where are we with the search for Phil?”

Michael sighed. “Still moving like a ghost. He’s been traced to three different cities in the past week. Every time we close in, he’s already gone.”

“The bastard knows we’re after him,” I muttered, jaw tight. “He’s always been good at running. But I want him found. I want to know why he’s targeting us and what his connection to Dale is.”

Michael followed me into my office, still talking. “If I had to guess, I’d say they’re using our casino funds to prop up Dale’s operation. The guy’s trying to rebuild his failing empire on your dime.”

I dropped into the couch, leaning back. “That’s too simple. They’re not stupid. Dale’s never been about quick money. There’s something bigger happening here.”

Michael sat behind the desk, tapping at his keyboard. “We’re still tracing the transfers. It’s going to take time to untangle where the money’s going. But when we do, it’ll expose everything.”

“Good.” I rubbed my temples. “Do it fast. I’m done being two steps behind these people.”

My phone buzzed. I pulled it out, and my pulse jumped when I saw the caller ID. Ariana Holt.

I hesitated for a second before answering. “Hello.”

“Ethan…” Her voice trembled. “I think I’m in trouble.”

I sat up straight. “What happened?”

There was a pause. “I met with Sabela. It… didn’t go well.”

My gut twisted. “Define didn’t go well.”

“I brought up your name,” she said quickly, guilt dripping from every word. “I thought it would soften her, maybe get her to listen, but she completely lost it.”

“You what?” My voice rose. I stood up, pacing. “You brought me up to her? Ariana, that’s the one thing I told you never to do.”

“I know. I wasn’t thinking. I just—she wasn’t listening, and I panicked.”

“Panicked?” I laughed bitterly. “Sabela doesn’t respond to panic. You just gave her ammunition.”

“I said I’m sorry,” she snapped, her voice shaking. “I didn’t mean to make things worse.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to rein in my temper. “You don’t understand what you’ve done. Sabela doesn’t forgive, and she sure as hell doesn’t forget. That woman lives off revenge.”

There was silence on the line, broken only by her quiet breathing. Then, softly, “So what do I do now?”

“Nothing,” I said.

“Nothing? That’s your solution?”

“Yes. Leave her alone. If you reach out, she’ll tear you apart publicly. Trust me, I know her better than anyone.”

“Alright,” she murmured after a pause. “I’ll stay quiet.”

The call ended, leaving me staring at the phone. I exhaled slowly, sinking back into the couch. For a moment, I almost felt bad for her. Almost.

But then my phone buzzed again, this time with a text message. Unknown number.

I opened it.

At first, I thought it was another report from Michael. But when I saw the first few words, my breath caught.

“You should have kept her away from Sabela. Now it’s too late.”

My blood ran cold. I scrolled down. There was a photo attached—grainy, taken from a distance. Ariana, standing outside Sabela’s office building. A man in a dark coat behind her, watching.

“What the hell…” I muttered, my pulse thudding in my ears.

“Something wrong?” Michael asked, glancing up from the desk.

I showed him the screen. “Who sent this?”

He frowned. “No idea. The number’s unlisted. But whoever it is… they’re watching her.”

I gritted my teeth, thinking fast. “Get my driver to bring the car around. And find out who owns this number. I want a name within the hour.”

Michael hesitated. “You think she’s in danger?”

“I don’t think,” I said. “I know.”

As I stood, I felt that strange mix of anger and worry crawl through me again. Ariana had stepped into something much bigger than she understood. And as much as I wanted to stay out of it, the thought of something happening to her made my chest tighten.

I walked out of the office, the phone still clutched in my hand. The message replayed in my head on a loop.

Now it’s too late.

Not yet, I thought. Not if I get there first.

The elevator doors closed in front of me, and my reflection stared back. Cold. Determined.

I’d spent years building an empire out of nothing. I wasn’t about to watch it, or her, fall apart because of someone else’s vendetta.

Whoever sent that message had just made a mistake.

They’d made me care.