Chapter 113 The Edge of Loyalty

The city bled light into the horizon, neon streaks cutting through the darkness like scars. Ethan stood in his office, his reflection in the glass merging with the skyline behind it. His grip tightened around his glass as he took a slow sip of whiskey, the burn steadying his thoughts.

Behind him, Alea paced, her movements sharp, controlled. “Andra’s in, but I don’t trust her.”

Ethan didn’t turn. His voice was smooth, unreadable. “Good. You’re not supposed to.”

Luca leaned against the bookshelf, arms crossed. “So we’re just keeping an enemy this close?”

Ethan smirked, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “An enemy kept close is an enemy under control.”

Alea stopped pacing, her gaze sharp. “And what if she’s playing us?”

Ethan turned then, placing his glass on the desk with a soft clink. He met her eyes, unwavering. “Then we play her first.”

The room fell into silence.

Andra had chosen to switch sides—but trust wasn’t given, it was tested. And Ethan had no intention of letting her make the first move.

The Meeting That Shouldn’t Happen

The rooftop was quiet, the hum of traffic below a distant murmur. Andra pulled her coat tighter, the wind slicing through the night air. Her phone buzzed. A message.

Diana: Five minutes.

She inhaled sharply. This was a mistake.

Footsteps. Steady, deliberate.

Diana emerged from the shadows, her lips curving into a knowing smirk. “I knew you’d come.”

Andra exhaled. “You shouldn’t have called.”

Diana tilted her head, her gaze assessing. “And yet, here you are.”

Andra’s jaw tensed. “Say what you need to say.”

Diana took a slow step forward, her heels clicking against the concrete. “You think Ethan trusts you? You think you can just waltz into his inner circle?” She laughed softly. “He’s already watching you.”

Andra’s fingers curled into fists. She knew that. But hearing it aloud dug deeper.

Diana’s eyes gleamed. “You don’t belong with them. You belong with me.”

Andra swallowed, the weight of the words pressing against her ribs.

Diana’s voice dropped lower. “Walk away. Before he destroys you.”

A gust of wind whipped around them. Andra stayed silent for a long moment.

Then—she turned and walked away.

Diana didn’t stop her.

Ethan’s Game of Chess

Back at Watson Tower, Ethan watched the security footage.

Andra on the rooftop. Diana appearing. Words exchanged. And then—Andra walking away.

He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. She didn’t take the bait.

Alea stood beside him, arms crossed. “You were right to test her.”

Ethan smirked slightly. “I always am.”

Luca, leaning against the doorframe, shook his head. “And if she had chosen Diana?”

Ethan’s expression darkened. “Then she wouldn’t be breathing right now.”

Alea studied him, the cold precision in his voice unwavering. She had seen Ethan ruthless before—but there was something different this time.

Something personal.

She didn’t ask.

She already knew the answer.

Diana’s Next Move

Diana’s fingers drummed against the armrest of her chair. The candlelight flickered across her sharp features as she poured herself a glass of wine. Across from her, her lawyer sat stiffly, waiting.

“Are we ready?” she asked, her voice smooth.

The lawyer cleared his throat. “The documents have been drafted. If we move forward with this, there’s no turning back.”

Diana smiled, swirling the wine in her glass. “There was never a way back to begin with.”

The lawyer hesitated. “And Ethan?”

Diana took a slow sip, her smirk growing.

“He’ll never see it coming.”

The Trap is Set

Ethan’s phone buzzed at exactly 9:00 AM the next morning.

Unknown number. Encrypted message.

His gaze sharpened as he read the text.

Diana is moving. Documents have been signed. Meet me at the warehouse. You need to see this for yourself.

Alea read over his shoulder. “It’s a trap.”

Ethan’s smirk was lethal. “Of course it is.”

Luca exhaled sharply. “Then we’re ignoring it?”

Ethan stood, grabbing his coat. “No.”

Alea blinked. “Ethan—”

He looked at her. “We’re walking straight into it.”

Alea swore under her breath but grabbed her coat. “If you get shot, I’m not dragging your body out.”

Ethan chuckled darkly. “Then I guess I better not get shot.”

The Warehouse Showdown

The air inside the warehouse was stale, the scent of old metal and dust thick in the air.

Ethan stepped forward, his presence swallowing the space. Alea was at his side, Luca flanking them.

A single table sat in the middle of the room.

Andra stood beside it. And across from her—Diana.

The tension was suffocating.

Ethan’s voice was low, dangerous. “You called me here. Talk.”

Diana smiled, too calm. “I thought you might want to see this.”

She slid a folder across the table.

Ethan didn’t touch it. “What’s your game?”

Diana sighed dramatically. “Always so suspicious. Just open it, Ethan.”

Alea reached first, flipping the folder open. Her breath hitched.

Ethan’s gaze dropped.

Legal documents. Transfer of ownership. Stock movements.

And at the bottom—

Andra Larson’s signature.

Silence.

Alea stiffened. Luca’s fingers twitched near his gun.

Andra’s face was blank. “I had no choice.”

Ethan looked up slowly. “You always have a choice.”

Diana’s smirk widened. “You see, Ethan… I didn’t need her to betray you.” She leaned forward. “I just needed you to believe she could.”

Ethan’s grip tightened. It wasn’t about power. It was about doubt.

And Diana had planted the perfect seed.

The warehouse crackled with unspoken words.

Then—Ethan smirked.

Diana’s confidence wavered for half a second. “Something funny?”

Ethan exhaled, stepping closer. “You played your hand too early.”

Diana frowned slightly. “Excuse me?”

Ethan’s smirk deepened. “You think I didn’t see this coming?”

Diana’s expression faltered. A second too late.

Alea tossed another folder onto the table—the real documents.

Diana’s eyes widened.

Ethan leaned in, voice dangerously soft.

“You’re not the only one who can play dirty.”

The room pulsed with tension.

Diana exhaled sharply, her jaw tight.

This round—Ethan had won.

But the game was far from over.