Chapter 205: Secrets Don’t Stay Buried
"That’s going to cost a lot—"
"I don’t care what it costs!" Maksim’s frustration slipped just a little. "I want Hazard King gone. I want his whole empire destroyed. I want everything he built to go up in flames. Whatever it takes."
The intensity in his voice made Alpha pause.
"Okay," Alpha replied slowly. "I’ll get my people ready."
"Good." Maksim stood up suddenly. "Meeting’s over. Alpha, you can take off. Selina, let’s go."
Selina got up gracefully, but her mind was racing. She needed to get a message to Leo to warn them about this, but with Maksim watching her like a hawk, she totally forgot about the chip.
"Um, babe," she said, touching Maksim’s arm. "I don’t have anything here. I should head home first to grab some clothes and my stuff—"
"No need," Maksim said, brushing her off. "We’ll stop shopping on the way to the penthouse. You can get whatever you want. Everything you need."
Selina forced excitement into her voice, her stomach twisting uneasily. "Really, babe?" She gave him a playful pout.
"Really," Maksim replied, his hand firmly on her waist. "I want you to have the best of everything."
As they headed for the door, Selina slipped her arm through Maksim’s, playing the part of the loyal girlfriend. Behind them, Maksim’s guards formed a solid wall of muscle and weapons.
Alpha stayed seated, watching them leave with a blank look.
*****
Miles away at Zayden’s mansion, three people were sitting in awkward silence around a laptop.
Zayden’s office had been turned into a makeshift surveillance hub. Multiple screens were showing different feeds, but they were all focused on one: the audio coming from the chip Selina had put in Maksim’s phone.
They heard everything.
Aylin was typing away on her keyboard, writing down every word, logging timestamps, and creating transcripts in real time.
Leo sat with his fists clenched, his jaw tense with barely contained anger.
"Maksim’s paranoid," Zayden pointed out, his blue eyes taking it all in. "That works to our advantage."
"Selina’s in trouble," Leo said through gritted teeth. "Living with him? Constant surveillance? How is she supposed to reach us?"
"She’ll figure it out," Aylin replied, though a hint of worry seeped into her voice. "She’s smart. She knew this could happen."
"That doesn’t make it any less dangerous," Leo grumbled.
Zayden leaned back in his chair. "We need to adjust. If Maksim keeps his plans to himself until the last second, we can’t stop his attacks. We can only get ready for them."
"Let’s boost security at the tower," Aylin suggested.
"Already on it. I’ll add more layers," Zayden jotted notes down on his tablet. "What about Alpha’s specialists?"
"Let him bring them in," Aylin said. "We’ll scope them out and know who they are before they even set foot in our territory."
Leo spoke again, his voice calmer but still strained. "And Selina?"
"We trust her," Zayden said simply. "She’s been through worse than Maksim Karza. She’ll manage."
*****
Back at the club, Alpha Dark was sitting alone in the VIP section, watching the ice in his whiskey melt.
He pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Come to the club," he said once the line connected. "We need to chat."
Ten minutes later, Alexander Kane walked into the private room, his face neutral but alert. Alpha’s guards had escorted him inside, checking him for weapons before letting him in.
"Alex," Alpha said without getting up.
"AD," Alexander replied as he took the seat where Maksim had just been, noticing the three empty glasses on the table. "Why’d you call me?"
"I just wrapped up with Maksim," Alpha said, signaling the server for another drink. "Thought you should know what’s going on."
As the bartender got their drinks ready, whiskey for both, Alpha filled Alexander in on the chat: the mole, the plan for the attack, Maksim’s constant distrust, and Selina moving in with him.
Alexander was all ears, taking in every word without interrupting.
"So," Alexander said once Alpha wrapped up, "Maksim doesn’t really trust you. He only trusts Selina. Speaking of her, she was with you, right? How did she end up on his side?"
Alpha laughed darkly, the sound lacking any humor. "She’s just like her mom. She switches sides whenever it works in her favor."
*****
In Leo’s earpiece, linked to the chip Kade put in Alexander’s phone, those words blared clearly.
Leo’s fists clenched, his knuckles going pale.
"Calm down," Zayden said quietly, noticing Leo’s reaction. "Don’t let him get under your skin."
"He called her—" Leo started, his voice tight with anger.
"I know what he said," Zayden jumped in. "And he’s wrong. But you can’t react. Not now. Not when we’re so close."
Leo took a deep breath, but the rage was still simmering in his chest like a live wire.
Aylin reached over and squeezed his shoulder. "We’ll make him regret every word. Just not now. When it really counts."
*****
The day before, a scene played out on a busy street in Manhattan.
Alexander was distracted, scrolling through his phone as he walked, when someone bumped into him hard.
"Sorry! Oh man, I’m really sorry!" The man was wearing a mask and a baseball cap pulled low, hiding most of his face.
Alexander’s phone slipped from his hand and crashed to the pavement, the screen shattering on impact and creating a spiderweb of cracks.
"Crap," Alexander muttered, bending down to pick it up.
"Oh no, I’m so sorry!" said the man, Kade, though Alexander didn’t know that then, crouching beside him. "Let me fix it. Seriously. I’ll cover the repairs."
"It’s all good," Alexander replied quickly, checking the damage. The screen was cracked but still worked. "I’ll manage."
"No, please don’t," Kade insisted, sounding genuinely upset. "I feel terrible. Just let me pay for the repair. There’s a store right here." He pointed to a small phone repair shop down the block. "Five minutes, that’s all. Please."
"Honestly, it’s not a big deal—"
"I insist," Kade said firmly.
