Chapter 33

The realisation made Xander's heart race. They had lost the game. He scanned the magnificent ballroom for any indication of treachery. Though there was no concrete proof, his gut told him something was off. Still.

With his thoughts racing, Xander muttered to himself, "Natalie."

He turned to look at Natalie, who was standing across the room staring at Alexander. Xander couldn't get rid of the impression that she knew more than she admitted, even though her face was inscrutable.

He whispered, "Isabella, we have to move," and drew her nearer.

Her eyes flashed with anxiety as she said, "What's going on?"

Looking around the room for Marcus, he answered, "I believe we've been set up." "We must leave this place before things go wrong."

However, a huge crash reverberated throughout the ballroom before they could take any action. The audience let out a terrified gasp when the elaborate chandeliers above them trembled.

The room was suddenly filled with ominous shadows as the lights lowered. Alexander rose from his chair in the middle of the ballroom and spoke loudly above the commotion.

With glints of venom in his eyes, Alexander murmured smoothly, "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm." "I have a small surprise in store for everyone."

When he waved his hand, a number of armed men came out of the darkness, encircling the exits and caulking them shut. When the guests realised they were trapped, panic broke out.

Xander felt a sinking heart. Alexander had set them up for failure.

The Conflict

Like poison, Alexander's voice echoed around the ballroom. "You all believed you could defeat me? Xander, you underestimated me. A menacing grin curled on Xander's lips as his eyes met his across the room.

Xander's hands clenched as his mind searched for a way out. He needed to think quickly. They couldn't simply let Alexander get away, but there were too many innocent people in the room to risk a firefight.

Isabella's hold on his arm became more firm. Her eyes were wide with terror as she muttered, "What do we do?"

Despite his doubts, Xander answered, "We stick to the plan." "However, we must track down Marcus and determine whether Natalie cheated on us."

The commotion in the room was silenced when a gunshot rang out just as they were ready to move. The sound's origin caught everyone's attention: Natalie was standing there brandishing a gun, aiming it straight at Alexander.

Natalie stated, "I didn't betray you," in a calm and icy tone. "However, I'm done following Alexander's guidelines."

Xander's gaze expanded. Although she didn't work for Alexander, Natalie had other plans. She always intended to defeat him, but only if she got her way.

The Reversal of the Tables

"Natalie!" Alexander's face lit up with rage as he spat. "What are you doing, in your opinion?"

"I'm going to end this," she said, her eyes cold. "Too many lives have been ruined and exploited by you. Alexander, it's over.

Xander noticed a flash of terror in Alexander's eyes for the first time. For years, Natalie had been his most reliable ally; now, she was the only one capable of defeating him.

Alexander, however, was far from vanquished. He gestured to his men with his uplifted hand. Natalie, do you really think you can stop me with a gun? One thing you're overlooking is that I own this city.

A number of Alexander's armed guards suddenly charged towards Natalie. She moved quickly, though. She hit two of them with her gun before ducking behind a pillar for protection. Screams and gunfire filled the ballroom as it burst into anarchy once more.

With their hearts racing, Xander and Isabella hid behind a table. They had to take quick action before things became even worse.

Xander commanded, "Isabella, go to Marcus and get the evidence." "I'll take care of Alexander."

Isabella nodded without hesitation and moved through the mob, staying low to be out of the line of fire.

Alexander stood calmly in the middle of the turmoil while Xander moved towards the stage. Although he had misjudged Natalie's treachery, he wasn't done yet.

The Last Gambit

Alexander's eyes furrowed as Xander got closer. "Xander, this is the moment I've been waiting for. Are you certain that you will prevail?

"You're finished, Alexander," Xander said steadily. "The proof is available. You have no more place to hide.

Alexander's laugh was hollow and icy. "Xander, you're naive. Evidence is not at issue here. It has to do with power. And it has always been more abundant in me than in you.

When Xander realised Alexander wasn't merely discussing physical strength, his heartbeat sped. There was more to his strategy than the evidence they had collected. However, what?

Alexander took a little, black gadget out of his pocket before Xander could respond. The room was filled with a low hum as he clicked a button. With their weapons lowered as though under the influence of an invisible force, the armed guards ceased fire.

Alexander grinned smugly and declared, "I am in charge of everything." "Even those you believe to be loyal to you."

Xander's thoughts whirled. Alexander had been plotting this turn all along. He possessed some sort of power, something that might have influenced other people in the room in addition to his guards.

The ballroom's doors suddenly flew open, letting more of Alexander's soldiers pour in. However, they surrounded Xander, blocking his escape route, rather than pointing their weapons towards the throng.

Alexander grinned broadly. "Xander, you ought to have kept out of my way."

The Unexpected Deliverer

A loud blast and a harsh hiss reverberated through the ballroom just when everything appeared to be lost. A man appeared in the midst of the confusion as smoke filled the air. Marcus held the encrypted gadget with all the evidence on it.

"Enough is enough," Marcus snarled in a furious tone. "Alexander, you're not getting away with this."

Marcus quickly pushed a button on the gadget, causing a video feed to come to life on the enormous displays in the ballroom. It was evidence of Alexander's crimes—damaging video that they had found.

As the pictures of Alexander's extensive participation in organised crime, corruption, and murder played, the audience screamed. Before his eyes, his kingdom was collapsing.

Alexander's angry face contorted. "You believe that this will deter me?!" he yelled, his voice fragmenting in rage.

Marcus, however, did not give up. "It's finished."

Alexander understood he had lost at that moment. He was losing the power he had held onto for so long. There was nothing left for him to conceal now that the truth was known.

A King's Decline

Alexander made one last frantic attempt to escape as the ballroom fell into mayhem. However, Xander was quicker. When the authorities eventually arrived, he pinned Alexander down after knocking him to the ground with a quick blow.

Natalie's expression was unreadable as she saw Alexander being carried away in handcuffs.

Xander whispered to her, "You did it."

Natalie's eyes were intense as she gazed at him. "Everyone did."

The battle's wounds would not go away, but the horror was finished. It marked the conclusion of one trip and the start of another for Xander and Isabella, one in which they would at last be free of Alexander's shadow.

However, the battle was far from over for Natalie.