CHAPTER 10

"The building's been swept twice," Alex reported, pacing Zane's living room. His tone carried a mix of professionalism and frustration. "No signs of surveillance equipment, but the angle of that photo..."

"Had to be taken from the construction site across the street," Zane finished, his hand absently rubbing circles on Maya's back as she leaned against him on the sofa. His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp, calculating.

Two days had passed since Luca's message. Two days of increased security, swept rooms, and Zane's growing tension. Every precaution felt insufficient, every corner of his life scrutinized. Yet, there was no response, no breakthrough—just silence, thick and oppressive.

"We're moving you both to a secure location," Alex continued, his voice steady, though his expression betrayed unease. He hesitated before adding, "There's something else. Isabella was spotted at Charles Davis's office this morning."

The words landed like a stone in the room.

"What?" Maya sat up straighter, ignoring the sharp pull in her injured shoulder.

Alex glanced between them before speaking cautiously. "Your father wouldn't tell us what she wanted. He seemed... closed off."

"I'll call him." Maya reached for her phone, her movements deliberate despite the tension in her body. But Zane caught her wrist, his grip gentle yet firm.

"It's after midnight," he reminded her softly. His fingers lingered, his concern evident. "And you need to take your medication."

As if on cue, pain flared through her shoulder, a fiery reminder of her injury. Maya tried to suppress a wince, but Zane had already noticed. Without a word, he reached for her pills, his movements brisk and efficient.

"I don't want to sleep," she protested, her voice tinged with frustration. "Not with everything—"

"I'll handle it," he promised, pressing the medication into her palm. His silver eyes locked onto hers, earnest and unwavering. "Please."

The plea in his voice was impossible to ignore. In these past days, she had seen a side of him she hadn't fully understood before—a man weighed down by the fear of losing her. She'd wake sometimes to find him watching her, his face drawn with an unspoken worry.

Alex cleared his throat, breaking the quiet moment. "Elara's already at the safe house," he informed them. "I can have a team ready to move you in an hour."

"No," Zane said firmly. His tone left no room for debate. "Maya needs rest. We'll move in the morning."

Alex nodded, though his expression remained tense. The weight of the situation was clear to everyone.

After Alex left, Zane guided Maya to the bedroom despite her repeated assurances that her shoulder was healing fine. The medicine had already begun to take effect, her body feeling heavy with drowsiness as he tucked her against his chest.

"You're being overprotective," she mumbled into his shirt, her words muffled but teasing.

He chuckled softly, the sound rumbling under her cheek. "Get used to it," he replied, his voice laced with both affection and resolve.

Just as sleep was beginning to claim her, his phone lit up on the nightstand. Maya felt him tense, his entire body stiffening beside her.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

For a moment, he was silent. Then, he said quietly, "Luca sent another message. Just coordinates and a time. Tomorrow night."

"He wants to meet you."

"Yes." The word was clipped, his jaw tight.

Maya pushed herself up, fighting the pull of the medication. "It's a trap," she said bluntly.

"Obviously." His tone was grim. "But it might be our only chance to end this."

"Or his only chance to kill you." Her voice sharpened with fear. "Zane, please—"

He silenced her with a kiss, soft but intense, a silent promise wrapped in tenderness. When he pulled away, his expression was resolute. "I need to protect my family," he said quietly. "You, Elara... you're everything to me now."

"Then let me help." Maya's voice was steady, her determination cutting through the fog of exhaustion. She sat up fully, ignoring the protest from her shoulder. "My father – if Isabella went to see him, there has to be a reason. Let me talk to him first."

"Absolutely not. You're barely healed—"

"And you're not thinking clearly," she interrupted, her words firm. "This is what Luca wants. You, alone, walking into his trap. But together..." She reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his. "Together we might find another way."

Zane was quiet for a long moment, his thumb tracing patterns on her palm. He seemed to weigh her words, the tension in his expression slowly shifting.

"Your father hates me," he said finally.

"He's afraid," Maya corrected. "Of losing his company, of losing me. But if we show him the truth about Luca and Isabella..."

Before she could finish, a sharp knock interrupted them. Alex entered, his face grim.

"Sir, we have a problem," he announced. "The board members – they're calling for an emergency vote. Tomorrow morning."

Zane sat up straighter. "What?"

"Someone's been feeding them information," Alex explained, his tone heavy with urgency. "About Elara, about the company's stability after recent events. They're..." He hesitated, clearly reluctant to say the words. "They're voting on your removal as CEO."

Maya's mind raced, piecing the puzzle together. Her breath caught as realization dawned. "Isabella," she said suddenly. "That's why she went to my father. She's working with board members from both companies."

"A simultaneous takeover," Zane muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "While I'm distracted with Luca's meeting..."

"They'll take everything," Maya finished. Her stomach twisted at the implications. "Both companies."

Zane's phone buzzed again, breaking the tense silence. This time, it was a video. He opened it, and Maya felt her heart drop as Isabella and Luca appeared on the screen.

"Figured it out yet, brother?" Luca's cold smile was a dagger. "While you're chasing me tomorrow night, the board will remove you. And guess who they'll install as interim CEO?"

Isabella's laugh echoed like a taunt. "Both boards, actually. It's amazing what people will believe when they're afraid. And everyone's very afraid of the unstable Moretti heir who let his long-lost sister be imprisoned for years."

The video ended abruptly, leaving a charged silence in its wake. Zane trembled with rage beside her, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

"What time is the board meeting?" Maya asked Alex, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.

"Nine AM," Alex replied.

Maya turned to Zane, her resolve firm. "That gives us eight hours to save everything you've built." She touched his face, gently guiding his gaze to hers. "Do you trust me?"

His silver eyes locked onto hers, fierce and unyielding. "With my life."

"Then let me call my father." She picked up her phone, her hand steady. "It's time to show Luca and Isabella what happens when they underestimate us."

In the distance, thunder rolled—a storm approaching. But for the first time since Luca's threats began, Maya felt a glimmer of hope. Because this time, they weren’t fighting separately.

This time, they were fighting together.