Chapter 35

As the flames blazed in front of him, Xander sat by the fireplace, his thoughts racing. His body and soul were permanently scarred by the remains of their recent conflicts. Isabella had dozed out, her features softened by the firelight as she cuddled up on the couch across from him. His mind cleared for a minute as he observed her serene demeanour.

However, the impending storm could not be avoided.

The scenario had gotten increasingly hazardous the further they had penetrated Alexander's criminal organisation. More levels of treachery and dishonesty were revealed every day. Their next course of action was still uncertain, as if they were pursuing shadows on an unending battlefield.

Xander was aware that the last encounter with Alexander was imminent. He was more uneasy about the mounting doubt that was invading his thoughts than he was about the face-off that was about to happen.

Slowly emerging from her slumber, Isabella's eyes flitted open and locked with Xander's. She sat up and pulled the blanket tightly about herself, whispering, "Can't sleep?"

His voice was scratchy from fatigue as he said, "Not much of a surprise these days." "There's too much to consider."

She stood up and moved to sit by him. A brief sense of consolation was provided by the warmth of her body against his. "I understand it's difficult," she uttered quietly. However, we're drawing nearer. Alexander will be stopped. Together.

Xander gave a nod, but remained silent. He felt a knot of strain in his abdomen. How could he be honest with her? What had been bothering him for days—how could he admit it?

With a quiet voice, Xander eventually said, "I've been thinking." "Perhaps we ought to take a step back. We might be in over our heads.

Isabella furrowed her brows. "What are you discussing? We've made great progress. We cannot retreat at this time.

"That's not my intention." With his elbows resting on his knees, Xander leaned forward. "Something about this just doesn't make sense. We're not seeing the whole picture, in my opinion.

"What do you mean?"

"It seems like someone else is tugging the strings the more we examine Alexander's ties. Someone with more authority.

Isabella scowled as her face washed over bewilderment. "More strong? Who?

Xander paused before responding. Although I'm not positive yet, I believe Alexander is merely a puppet in a much bigger scheme. And we will lose everything if we are unable to identify the true culprit.

His words weighed heavily and unavoidably between them.

On the other side of town, someone was sitting in a gloomy high-rise office building, gazing down at the metropolis below. The man staring at the towers didn't care that their lights glistened like stars. His thoughts were elsewhere.

It was he who had initiated this whole series of events. Even though Alexander Barrington was a helpful pawn, he was still only a pawn. The actual game had only barely started.

The man picked up the phone without hesitation when it rang on the desk. "Yes?"

A voice on the other end of the queue stated, "They're getting close." Isabella and Xander. We will lose control if they find the last piece.

The man grinned as he rapidly tapped his fingers on the desk. Allow them to believe they are winning. It will enhance the sweetness of the last step.

"And what if they find out?"

"We'll take care of them before they get a chance." His grin got bigger. "What is coming cannot be stopped by anyone."

Isabella's thoughts were racing back in the safehouse as she processed what Xander had said. Is it possible? Could the cords be pulled by someone stronger than Alexander?

She had a horrible notion that made her heart sink: what if Xander wasn't telling her everything? What if he was concealing something or wasn't prepared to reveal it?

She crept out of bed and headed to Xander's private office that night after he had gone to sleep. Even though she had never looked at his papers before, she felt compelled to do so right now. She needed answers, and she would discover them on her own if Xander refused to provide them.

She felt guilty as soon as she opened his laptop, but she forced it to the back of her mind. She was entitled to know the truth about their situation.

She discovered a file named "The Alliance" while looking through hidden files and encrypted documents. As she clicked on it, her breath stuck in her throat.

What she found was more than she could have ever dreamed.

As Isabella scrolled through page after page of material, her hands shook. She had not expected the reality to be so awful. She hadn't heard all from Xander. Both of them had underestimated the size of the coalition, but it was real. They had to contend with more than simply Alexander's criminal empire. Strong forces that dominated economies, governments, and individual lives were at work.

Worst of all? Xander had been aware of this from the start.

Her chest thumped with her heartbeat. How was he going to hide this from her? How could he have allowed her to into this conflict without fully informing her of the danger?

Doubt struck her like a tidal wave at that very instant. Did she really stand on the right side of this conflict? Was the man she had come to love still someone she could trust?

Isabella found herself standing at a crossroads as the clock approached midnight. She could stand up to Xander, insist on the truth, and deal with the fallout. Or she could just up and leave it all behind, this life of peril and deceit.

Nothing would ever be the same again, though, that much was clear.