CHAPTER 10

Fiona’s fingers trembled as she clutched her phone, staring at the message that had just appeared on the screen. They know. The words echoed in her mind, sending a chill down her spine. Her heart raced, and the weight of the moment pressed heavily on her chest. Had she made a mistake by playing both sides? Or had the walls she was trying to carefully build already begun to collapse?

Her breath came in shallow bursts as she stepped out of the elevator, the sound of the doors closing behind her almost deafening in the stillness. The marble floors of the building gleamed under the overhead lights, but everything felt suddenly distant. The polished, pristine world of R&K Electronics, and by extension, her entire carefully constructed world, seemed to blur at the edges. This wasn’t just a business game anymore; it was war, and she was standing right at the frontline.

She quickly gathered herself, forcing the rush of panic back into the recesses of her mind. There was no time to second-guess her choices. Fiona had always been good at handling pressure, and now was no different. She had to act fast. Whatever "they" knew, whoever "they" were, it was clear the situation was more complicated than she had anticipated.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard of her phone as she typed a response to the cryptic message.

Who? What do you mean?

The answer came quickly, almost too quickly. It felt like someone was watching her every move.

William. He knows.

Fiona’s pulse spiked. William Newton. So, he was already one step ahead. The way he had looked at her earlier in the day, the cold glint in his eyes, it all made sense now. He wasn’t interested in striking a deal; he had been waiting for her to make her move, to expose her intentions. And now, he was using her as bait in a larger, far more dangerous game.

But who was the “they” who had alerted William? Had he known about her meeting with Darwin? Or had he discovered her true connection to the Atlas Group? The uncertainty gnawed at her, but Fiona refused to be rattled. She had a job to do. Her life—and now, her child’s—depended on it.

The message from her source—whoever it was—had left her no room to think. She had no choice but to act swiftly. Fiona made her way to the back entrance of the building, heart pounding with every step. The closer she got to the exit, the more the sense of urgency overtook her. She had to warn Darwin.

As soon as the cool evening air hit her skin, she felt slightly more grounded, but the gnawing sense of foreboding wouldn’t leave her. Fiona stepped briskly to the car parked nearby and slipped inside, her mind racing as she dialed Darwin’s number. The ringing felt like an eternity.

“Darwin,” she said as soon as he picked up, trying to keep her voice steady despite the urgency in her tone. “You need to listen to me carefully. William knows everything.”

There was a pause on the other end, and Fiona could practically hear his brain working. Darwin didn’t rush to respond, but when he finally did, his voice was clipped, sharp. “Explain.”

Fiona took a deep breath and recounted everything—the meeting with William, the subtle warnings she had picked up, and how she now believed that William had been expecting her. “I’m not sure how he got the information, but he’s onto us. He knows I’m playing both sides. He’s trying to manipulate me.”

Darwin cursed under his breath, and the sound sent a chill through her. Fiona had never seen him lose his cool like this—not when it mattered. Not when there was so much on the line. But she could hear the change in his voice now, the edge of panic that, for once, wasn’t entirely masked by arrogance.

“Stay put,” Darwin ordered. “I’m coming to get you.”

Fiona’s heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t the first time he had said something like that, but this time felt different. The urgency in his tone was unmistakable. She knew it wasn’t just about her safety—it was about something bigger. This wasn’t just a business rivalry anymore; this was personal.

“No,” Fiona replied, her voice firm. “You can’t come here. I don’t know what William’s planning, but if we’re both exposed at the same time, we won’t have a chance. I’ll handle this.”

There was a long pause before Darwin finally spoke again, the frustration clear in his voice. “Fiona, this isn’t something you can handle on your own.”

She could practically hear him pacing on the other end, but Fiona stood her ground. “I’ve been handling myself long before you came into the picture. Trust me.”

There was a brief silence before Darwin spoke again, this time softer. “Be careful.”

“I will. Just make sure you’re ready. The war’s about to get a lot uglier.”

The line went dead, and Fiona sat in the car for a few moments longer, her hands trembling as she tried to steady her thoughts. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She had been playing her cards carefully, trying to navigate through the treacherous waters of the business world while keeping her secrets intact. But the stakes had risen far beyond what she had ever imagined.

As she pulled away from the building, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming for her. Something she wasn’t ready for. William Newton wasn’t going to stop. She knew that much. And it wasn’t just about revenge anymore—it was about control. Whoever held the power would win the game.

But Fiona wasn’t ready to lose.

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Hours later, Fiona found herself back in the comfort of her apartment, but the walls felt closing in on her. She had checked every window and door, double-checked her security system, and made sure no one was following her. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. She knew it wasn’t just paranoia. She had become a pawn in a much larger game, and the only way out now was to keep moving forward.

Her phone buzzed, and her heart skipped as she saw the text. It’s time.

Fiona knew exactly what that meant. It wasn’t just about her anymore—it was about Darwin too. The walls were closing in on them both, and now, they would have to face the consequences together.

---

Back in Bay City, Darwin sat alone in his office, his eyes fixed on the horizon as the city lights flickered below him. His mind was still reeling from the phone call with Fiona. He could feel the weight of the choices they had made, the paths they had walked down. But now, there was no going back.

The game had changed. And Darwin was no longer playing by anyone’s rules but his own.