CHAPTER 89

The suite felt colder, the air heavy with the implications of what Camilla had uncovered. Maya sat on the couch, her thoughts racing as she tried to reconcile the man she once knew with the possibility that Jeremy could be working with Helena.

Zane paced near the window, his silver eyes blazing as he issued orders. “Alex, I want every detail. Who he’s meeting, where he’s been, and why the hell he’s staying at one of Helena’s properties.”

Alex nodded, already on his laptop. “I’ll have a report by morning.”

Reese placed a comforting hand on Maya’s shoulder. “This could all be a coincidence,” she said gently. “We don’t know anything for sure yet.”

“But what if it’s not?” Maya whispered, her voice trembling. “What if he’s part of her plan?”

Zane stopped pacing, turning to Maya. His voice was steady, but his tone carried a razor edge. “If he is, he won’t get far. I promise you that.”

---

An Unwelcome Visit

The next morning, Maya sat in the kitchen nursing a cup of tea when a knock at the door startled her. Alex, always cautious, checked the security feed before opening it.

Jeremy stood in the hallway, holding a small bouquet of flowers. His easy smile faltered slightly under Alex’s scrutinizing gaze.

“What are you doing here?” Alex asked, his tone sharp.

“I came to see Maya,” Jeremy said, shifting on his feet. “I figured I’d stop by and catch up. I didn’t realize she had… company.”

Zane appeared in the doorway, his imposing presence making Jeremy take a step back. “You’re not welcome here,” Zane said coldly.

Jeremy’s eyes flicked between Zane and Alex before settling on Maya, who had stepped into view. “Maya, I didn’t mean to intrude. I just wanted to talk.”

“It’s not a good time,” Maya said, her voice uncertain.

Jeremy hesitated, then nodded. “Alright. But if you change your mind, I’m staying at the Arcadia Hotel. Room 217.”

As he turned to leave, Zane’s silver eyes followed him, cold and calculating.

---

A Difficult Conversation

Once the door was closed, Zane turned to Maya, his voice tight. “Why didn’t you tell him to stay away for good?”

Maya frowned, her green eyes flashing. “Because I’m trying to make sense of this, Zane. I don’t know what he’s doing here or why he’s staying at that hotel. But until we have proof he’s working with Helena, I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”

Zane’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Fine. But I don’t trust him.”

“Neither do I,” Maya admitted. “But I need to hear his side before we make any decisions.”

---

An Interrogation in Disguise

Later that afternoon, Maya decided to meet Jeremy at the Arcadia Hotel. Zane wasn’t happy about it, but he agreed on one condition: Alex and Reese would go with her, posing as distant “friends” to keep an eye on the situation.

Maya arrived at Room 217 and knocked hesitantly. Jeremy opened the door almost immediately, his face lighting up when he saw her.

“Maya, come in,” he said, stepping aside.

Maya entered cautiously, followed by Reese and Alex, who introduced themselves as coworkers. Jeremy seemed surprised but quickly masked it with a polite smile.

“This is a nice hotel,” Maya said, her tone casual as she glanced around the room.

“Yeah, I got lucky,” Jeremy said, pouring her a glass of water. “The company I work for booked it for me. I’m here on a consulting project.”

Maya raised an eyebrow. “What kind of consulting?”

“Corporate strategy,” Jeremy said smoothly. “I’ve been helping clients streamline operations and improve efficiency.”

“Interesting,” Alex said, his tone neutral but probing. “What kind of companies do you work with?”

Jeremy hesitated for a fraction of a second before responding. “All kinds. Tech, finance, manufacturing. You name it.”

Reese leaned back in her chair, her smile disarming. “And your current client? Who are they?”

Jeremy’s smile faltered slightly. “I’m under an NDA, so I can’t say much. But it’s a small startup looking to expand.”

Maya studied him, her green eyes narrowing. “Jeremy, why didn’t you tell me you were in town sooner?”

“I wasn’t sure if I’d run into you,” Jeremy admitted. “And to be honest, I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me after how things ended between us.”

---

A Subtle Slip

As the conversation continued, Jeremy grew more relaxed, his answers flowing more easily. But then, as he described his travels, he made a small but significant slip.

“I almost stayed at the Grand Marquis instead of here,” Jeremy said. “But they didn’t have the security setup I needed.”

Reese tilted her head. “Security setup? At a hotel?”

Jeremy hesitated, realizing his mistake. “Uh, yeah. For my equipment. I carry some sensitive data for my clients, so I need to be cautious.”

Alex’s expression didn’t change, but Maya could see the wheels turning in his mind.

---

Confrontation

After leaving the hotel, Alex pulled Maya aside, his voice low. “He’s lying about something. That bit about the security setup? That’s not normal for someone in corporate strategy.”

“You think he’s working with Helena?” Maya asked, her stomach twisting.

“I don’t know yet,” Alex said. “But I’m going to find out.”

---

The Revelation

That evening, Camilla called the team together, her expression grim as she displayed her latest findings on the screen.

“I dug deeper into Jeremy’s financials,” Camilla said. “He’s been receiving payments from one of Helena’s shell companies for months.”

Maya’s heart sank. “So it’s true. He’s working for her.”

“It looks that way,” Camilla said. “But here’s the kicker: Helena didn’t hire him recently. These payments go back almost a year.”

Zane’s silver eyes burned with fury. “He’s been in her pocket this whole time.”

Maya’s voice shook as she spoke. “What do we do now?”

Zane turned to Alex, his tone cold and sharp. “We bring him in. And we make him talk.”