Alex cut all ties with the company Zade exposed, blocking every number, deleting every email chain, and shredding the unsigned contract documents. It left a bitter taste in her mouth—having to admit, even silently, that Zade had been right. Again. But she couldn’t deny it: had he not barged in like some self-righteous storm, she would have signed a deal that would’ve dragged Steel through scandal, maybe even collapse. She hated the truth almost as much as she hated the man who delivered it.
She sat at her desk late into the evening, the glass walls of her office reflecting back her tired face. The city buzzed beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, but her mind spun faster than the traffic. Her laptop blinked with spreadsheets, and somewhere under it, her phone buzzed with another call from the now blacklisted company. She ignored it.
“I’m going to be my own end,” she muttered, echoing Zade’s words from that day. “Damn him for being right.”
She needed a plan. A real one. Moving fast had only made her reckless. She needed to move smart now—strategic, careful, and ruthless.
But she couldn’t go to Luca. Her father was still cold toward her, distanced not only by his loyalty to Zade but also by Nova’s worsening condition. And Nova… Nova had enough to carry. Alex wouldn’t pile this mess onto her.
She only had two people left who might help, whether they liked it or not.
Michael and Brenda.
She messaged them both with a simple request: Can we meet tonight? It’s urgent.
***
The café was small and forgotten by the city’s spotlight, tucked into a sleepy neighborhood far from the glass towers of Steel Industries. It smelled like cinnamon and old wood, and Alex chose a table in the back, facing the door.
Michael arrived first, hair tousled and tie half-loosened. He gave her a soft smile before sliding into the seat across from her.
“Still not gonna talk unless Zade’s nowhere in sight, huh?”
“Exactly.”
Brenda arrived a minute later, looking slightly frazzled but determined. She sat with a loud huff, pulling her jacket off.
“I know this look on your face,” she said. “You're about to pull us into some crazy plan, aren’t you?”
Alex wasted no time. “I need your help. Both of you. And I’m not going to sugarcoat it.”
She told them everything. From the moment she first met Zade at the gala, to the engagement announcement, to the fake charm, the cruelty, the corporate sabotage, and now the looming threat over her family’s legacy. She even told them about the company she almost signed with—and how Zade stopped her.
By the time she finished, Brenda looked pale. Michael, tense.
“You’re saying he’s sabotaging you while pretending to help?” Brenda asked.
“He’s manipulating everything,” Alex replied. “And I can’t prove any of it. Not yet. But I will.”
Michael leaned back, arms crossed. “Why would he help you dodge that company then?”
“I don’t know. That’s what scares me the most.”
The next few days became a flurry of digging. Michael tapped into his law student network. Brenda, who had a knack for online sleuthing and far too many shady friends in IT, tracked down anything they could find about Hale Enterprises and its executives.
They met nightly at the same café, sometimes in different corners, carrying folders, USBs, even printed screenshots.
“There’s a pattern,” Michael noted one night, spreading photos on the table. “Allegations, lawsuits, complaints… all settled. All disappeared.”
Alex scanned them one by one. There was a case where the Hales had sued a competitor for patent infringement—only for the rival to suddenly disappear from the market. Another, more disturbing case, involved Andrea Hale.
“He was accused of attempted murder?” she muttered, narrowing her eyes.
Brenda nodded. “Twice. One case got dismissed. The other one? The guy who filed it vanished overseas. No charges, no trial.”
“And this one,” Michael added, pushing forward a grainy photo of a crime scene report. “A murder. Andrea was a suspect. It got buried, but someone mentioned his name in the first police statement. Then nothing. Case closed, unsolved.”
Alex’s pulse quickened. She took the report, scanning it again, her throat dry. “They’re protected. Someone’s covering for them.”
“And that someone has money and power,” Michael said grimly.
Before Alex could speak again, her phone buzzed.
Asshole: Meet me. Ten minutes. Same park.
Her jaw clenched.
“Of course,” she muttered.
“What?” Brenda peeked over. “Zade?”
Alex nodded. “He wants to meet. I’ll go. Keep going without me. Don’t bring these documents home. Hide them.”
Michael frowned. “Want me to follow you?”
“No.” She stood, gathering her coat. “He won’t try anything in public.”
***
The park was busy enough at this hour. Children screamed from the playground nearby, joggers passed with earbuds in, and lamplight dappled the winding paths.
Zade stood near the fountain, hands in the pockets of a dark tailored coat. He looked every bit the picture-perfect heir to a billion-dollar empire.
“You’re lucky I showed up,” Alex said, striding toward him.
“I knew you would.”
“What do you want?” she asked flatly.
He nodded toward the bench. “Sit.”
She didn’t. “Say it.”
Zade didn’t argue. “There’s a charity event next week. Joint sponsorship. Hales and Steels. You’re expected to present with me.”
Alex crossed her arms. “Why?”
“Because journalists already believe we’re engaged. If we show up separately, it’ll only spark more rumors.”
“And if I show up with Michael?” She asked purely in the intention of passing him off.
Zade’s eyes darkened slightly. “Try it. See what happens.”
She stared at him, waiting for some further threat, but none came. Instead, he softened his voice—barely.
“Just show up with me. Play your part. One night. For Luca’s sake.”
Alex’s breath hitched. He had the nerve to bring her father into this.
“Fine,” she said tightly. “But don’t expect me to smile.”
Zade smirked. “Wouldn’t dare.”
She turned to leave, already reaching for her phone. Michael and Brenda would want an update.
But she didn’t see the way Zade’s expression shifted behind her back—his gaze narrowing, calculating, as if already two steps ahead.