CHAPTER 10: THE THREAT UNSEEN

Connel had gone away for a business trip and Tori had reappeared like she never left giving Ariel something to worry about.

That night, Ariel returned to her room after a walk with Watson. The comfort she felt earlier had disappeared like vapor as she looked at the state of her room,closet torn apart, clothes off their hangers, shoes mismatched. A note sat on top of the pile in Tori's handwriting: “Even your thoughts aren't yours anymore.”

Ariel backed away, breath shallow. Her fingers trembled as she closed the door, locking it behind her. She didn't sleep that night - how could she? Every creak in the floorboards made her heart leap. Every shadow under the door felt like Tori breathing in her ear.

By morning, her body had given up on rest, her head throbbed, eyes heavy with exhaustion. She could barely keep the spoon from shaking in her hand.

“Didn't sleep again?” Tori said sweetly, sipping orange juice. “You Should take melatonin or a stronger sedative.”

Ariel didn't respond.

But by midday, her balance was off. While walking down the hallway, her vision doubled. The walls seemed to move, Watson found her collapsed near the stairway, blood trickling from her forehead where she hit the corner.

At the hospital...

Connel stood at the foot of the hospital bed, his hands clenched into fists. Ariel lay still hooked to IVs, her face pale, bruised at the temple. He hadn't said a word since Watson called him.

“She hasn't slept in days,” Watson told him quietly. “She's been slipping, hallucinating, disoriented. And I suspect based on her symptoms, someone's been lacing her tea.”

Connel's jaw tensed. “Tori.”

“I can't prove it yet,” Watson said, “but Ariel confided in me. This wasn't just stress, something pushed her.”

Connel didn't say anything, just pulled out his phone. “I want the entire surveillance from a couple weeks ago pulled. Any tampering, any anomalies. Focus on the kitchen staff and guest hallway.”

“And if it's her?” Watson asked.

“She won't be here by morning,” Connel answered coldly, his voice hanging in the air like a threat.

He moved to Ariel's bedside, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. Connel's touch was gentle and soft.

“I should've protected you,” he muttered under his breath.

Connel sat in the hospital room, staring down at Ariel. He hadn't moved in an hour, the weight of guilt pressing down on him, the looming threat of Tori's games spinning in the back of his mind.

Watson watched Connel closely, close enough to notice his clenched teeth as he rubbed his nape in the neck. He has never heard his heart beat quickly as it did, “could he really be worried about Ariel?” Watson wandered. 

The phone in his pocket buzzed, cutting through the silence, pulling him from his thoughts. His eyes locked on the caller ID, it was one of his trusted men, someone who kept track of every movement, every detail, hidden in the shadows of the city's underbelly.

Connel straightened up, his pulse quickening as he picked up the phone.

“Talk to me,” he said, his voice was steady but laced with an edge that wasn't there before.

“Connel, we've got the Intel you asked for,” came the voice on the other end - calm and professional but laced with an obvious urgency. “About Tori Laurent.”

Connel's jaw tightened. “Speak.”

"Two nights ago, she entered a private club in the city. We've got her on surveillance. She wasn't just there to make connections, she was there to meet someone. Someone high up in the organization. This wasn't a casual meeting; it was a negotiation.”

Connel’s knuckles turned red as he gripped the edge of the bed frame, his fingers tightened around the metal. His mind raced, sorting through possibilities, trying to solve the puzzle pieces.

“Who was it?” Connel asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

“A man named Viktor Novak. He's known for running arms deals through Eastern Europe. I've got footage of their conversation. From what we can hear, it sounds like she's trying to get in deeper with him by securing a deal that would benefit her and him.”

Connel's mind snapped into focus. Viktor Novak was dangerous, the kind of man who didn't care about allegiance but profit. And Tori was making moves that put them all at risk.

“Anything else?” Connel pressed, leaning back, the weight of the decision ahead of him hanging like a dark cloud.

“Yeah,” the voice on the other end responded. “She left with a briefcase. We didn't know what's inside, but she was careful with it. Like it was the key to something bigger. We're tracking her movements now.”

Connel exhaled slowly, processing the information. Tori wasn't just a wild card - she was playing a dangerous game, and she was willing to burn anyone who got in her way. Ariel, he thought, was already in the crossfire.

“Send me everything you've got,” Connel said, his voice hard as steel. “And if you find anything else on her, I want to know. No more mistakes.”

The voice replied with an assurance that they were still on the case.

Connel hung up the phone, a deep frown pulling at the corners of his lips as he absorbed the news. He sat still for a moment, staring back at Ariel, her fragile state a stark reminder of what is at stake. His thoughts become a chaotic swirl as his determination to protect her grows with every passing second.

Tori wasn't just trying to manipulate him. She was playing a far more dangerous game. And he had to stop her before it tore everything apart.

He knew what had to be done next.

He stood up, taking a moment to look at poor Ariel. He couldn't let Tori win, not now, not ever. He turned to leave but Watson's voice stopped him.

“Where are you going now?” Watson said.

“To do what I should have done earlier.” Connel replied.

“Be careful,” Watson said as Connel left the hospital room. Watson had only seen Connel worry about business related issues, even then, his worries weren't this much. He knew Connel more than anyone, even more than Connel himself, so he couldn't stop thinking about him.

Connel drove home like he was in a street race, and winning was what mattered. Connel didn't return to his room. He went straight to the surveillance room tucked behind the wine cellar - a place few knew existed. Within an hour, the footage began telling a story no one had voiced aloud.

At exactly 9:13 PM. A night before the accident, Tori was caught entering the kitchen. She spoke to a maid, smiled and leaned over the tea tray already prepped for Ariel. A small vial appeared from her sleeve. A few drops, no more than that. Just enough to mess with her sleep, perception and health.

The second piece of footage sealed it - Tori stepping into Ariel's room when she wasn't there, going through her belongings, scribbling on the mirror.

It wasn't just obsession, it was psychological warfare.

Connel didn't flinch as he watched. He simply pulled out his phone. “Get her out,” he said to the man on the other end. “I don't care where she goes or how she fights it - she's done here.”

He walked upstairs with the composure of a man who had buried a part of himself long ago, with his two guards by his side. He found Tori in the guest lounge.

“leaving already?” she smirked without looking at him.

“No,” Connel said. “You are.”

Tori turned amused. “Excuse me?”

He tossed a small envelope onto the table. "That's footage of you drugging Ariel. Footage of you violating the terms of your guest stay and footage of you with Viktor Novak. My lawyers already have copies.”

“You're bluffing,” she said too quickly.

“Then stay,” Connel replied, his voice calm and lethal. "Let's see who they believe. The woman with a sealed record and a history of manipulation or the one lying unconscious in a hospital bed.”

Tori's smile faltered. She stood slowly, her eyes narrowing. “This isn't over, Connel. You think you can exile me and that's the end? I know things - about you, your father. About Vienna.”

“Then talk,” he said, stepping forward. “But for every word you spit, I'll bury you in silence.”

She stared at him like she didn't recognize him anymore - and maybe she didn't. The Connel from Vienna was gone.

“I loved you,” she whispered.

He met her eyes. “You know your problem? That word you keep using- ‘love’, I'm certain you don't know the meaning. You've never felt what it's like to be loved so how do you know how to love?”

Tori felt shattered.

“They'll escort you out.” Connel said, leaving the guest lounge. His shoulder squared like a man who had certainly cleaned the house. 

Tori was gone. But peace was a lie.

His phone buzzed just as he reached the foot of the stairs. No message, no signature,private line, just a one line text:

“Game on - and you're already in check.”

Connel froze, the screen glowing in his hands. And far away from that mansion, someone was already moving a piece on the chessboard.