Chapter 16

Maya’s POV

The moment Ray’s footsteps faded down the hall, I slammed the office door shut and locked it from the inside. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. The flash drive felt heavy in my pocket, like a ticking bomb I couldn’t afford to drop.

Every nerve in my body screamed that I had to hide it — now.

The rain outside had grown louder, slashing against the hotel windows like a thousand restless fingers. The dim desk lamp cast a narrow cone of light on the floor, and dust floated in it like tiny ghosts.

I moved quickly, pulling out the flash drive and scanning the office for a hiding spot. Zane could come back any second. I thought of the wardrobe first, then the vents — too obvious. He’d search those first.

My gaze landed on the potted plant near the window — tall, with thick soil. Perfect. I crouched, my heart hammering, and dug a shallow hole with my fingers. The dirt was cold and damp under my nails. I slipped the flash drive in, covered it, and smoothed the soil over just as the doorknob turned.

The lock clicked.

My stomach dropped.

“Maya?”

His voice. Smooth. Dangerous.

I froze, still kneeling beside the plant. “Y-Yeah?”

The door rattled again. “Why is this locked?”

I forced my voice to stay even. “It’s not—” I swallowed hard. “Just a minute.”

I wiped my hands quickly on my jeans, stood, and unlocked the door. The instant I opened it, Zane filled the doorway — tall, composed, with his damp shirt clinging to his chest. His dark hair was tousled from the rain, but his eyes... they were sharper than usual. Watching me. Measuring every flicker of my expression.

He leaned against the doorframe. “You lock yourself in my office now?”

My pulse spiked. “I needed privacy,” I said. “I was... sorting through papers.”

“Papers?” He glanced over my shoulder at the desk. “Strange. I don’t see any papers out.”

My throat tightened. “I put them away.”

He smiled faintly, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Efficient as always.”

There was a long pause — too long. The air between us was electric with tension, the kind that made the fine hairs on my neck stand.

“Ray told me Luna found something,” he said finally, stepping into the room. “A bloodstained envelope?”

I nodded slowly, keeping my distance. “Yes. She mentioned it when I passed her in the hall.”

He moved closer, his shoes silent on the carpet. “Did you touch it?”

“What?”

“The envelope.” His voice softened, but it carried an edge that could cut glass. “Did you touch it, Maya?”

“No.”

He stopped right in front of me — close enough that I could smell his cologne, something dark and woodsy. It mixed with the scent of rain on his clothes. My heartbeat was so loud I was sure he could hear it.

His eyes swept over my face, searching for cracks. “You’re lying again.”

I met his gaze, summoning whatever courage I had left. “And you’re paranoid.”

He tilted his head slightly, his jaw tightening. “Paranoia keeps me alive.”

“Then you must be immortal by now,” I said quietly.

For a moment, he almost smiled — but there was something in his eyes, something raw and unreadable. A flicker of obsession.

He stepped even closer, close enough that the space between us vanished. My back brushed against the cold edge of his desk.

“Maya,” he said, his tone low, “why do you keep looking at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re trying to figure out if I’m going to hurt you or save you.”

My breath caught. His hand rose slowly, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. The gesture was almost tender — but it burned like a threat.

I wanted to move, to push him away, but my body wouldn’t obey. Every muscle was frozen between fear and something I couldn’t name.

He leaned in, his voice barely a whisper. “You think I don’t notice the way you tremble when I’m near you?”

I swallowed hard, forcing a shaky breath. “That’s not fear,” I lied. “It’s disgusting.”

His lips curved, faintly, dangerously. “You’re terrible at lying.”

He lingered there for another second — one heartbeat too long — before stepping back. “You’re hiding something,” he murmured. “I can smell it.”

“I’m not your prey, Zane.”

His gaze flickered, something dark flashing in it. “Everyone’s prey to someone.”

I wanted to leave. I wanted to scream. But I couldn’t move until I understood what that look in his eyes meant. It wasn’t just control anymore — it was need. Twisted, consuming need.

The kind that didn’t end well for anyone.

Then, without warning, he brushed past me toward the desk. I stiffened, watching as he ran his fingers across the laptop’s surface, then down to the chair where I’d been sitting earlier.

He turned slowly, his expression calm — too calm. “You were in here before I came, weren’t you?”

I forced my voice steady. “I told you, I was sorting through papers.”

“Right.” He smiled faintly. “Then why does my laptop feel warm?”

My heart skipped a beat.

He walked back toward me, each step deliberate. I felt like a deer cornered by a wolf — aware that the smallest movement could trigger the chase.

“I’m not going to ask again,” he said, his tone suddenly flat. “What were you doing in here?”

I clenched my fists. “You don’t own me, Zane.”

“No,” he said softly. “But I own this place. And everything in it.” His eyes locked onto mine. “Including whatever you were stupid enough to touch.”

I couldn’t breathe. The room felt smaller, suffocating. My mind raced for a way out.

Then — salvation. A knock at the door.

“Zane?” Luna’s voice. Calm, clear, steady.

He stiffened.

“Come in,” I said quickly, before he could stop me.

The door opened, and Luna stepped inside, her auburn hair damp from the rain. She looked from me to Zane, her brows knitting together as if she could sense the static between us.

“Sorry,” she said slowly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Zane turned away from me, his mask snapping back into place. “What is it?”

“I thought you’d want to see the lab report on that envelope,” she said, holding out a folder. “You were right. The blood isn’t fresh. It’s at least six months old.”

His expression shifted — just slightly. “Six months?”

“Yes. And there’s something else.” She hesitated. “The paper had fingerprints. Two sets. One of them’s male... the other’s female.”

The silence that followed was so thick it hummed.

Zane’s eyes flicked to me. “Interesting.”

I took a step back. “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t even know the envelope existed until today.”

He didn’t answer — just stared, his expression unreadable.

Luna cleared her throat, breaking the tension. “If you’re done... I’ll head back to the lab.”

“Leave it here,” Zane said.

She placed the folder on his desk and gave me a fleeting look — something that almost resembled concern — before slipping out.

The door closed softly behind her.

Zane turned to me again. “Do you know what I hate most, Maya?”

I didn’t answer.

“Liars,” he said. “Because they think truth is optional.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small — metallic. My blood ran cold.

It was the flash drive.

No. No, it couldn’t be.

He dangled it between his fingers, his expression unreadable. “You dropped this earlier,” he said softly. “Didn’t you?”

I felt my knees go weak. My voice came out barely above a whisper. “Where did you—”

He stepped closer, his tone calm, almost teasing. “You really should be more careful with your secrets.”

My pulse thundered in my ears.

He placed the flash drive on the desk, the metallic clink echoing through the room. “Now,” he said, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper, “why don’t you tell me what’s on it?”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Why don’t you plug it in and find out?”

For the first time, Zane’s composure faltered. His eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering behind them. “You sound awfully confident for someone cornered.”

“Maybe because I’m not the only one being watched,” I said.

He froze.

“What did you say?”

“Check your cameras, Zane,” I whispered. “You’ll see who’s really pulling the strings.”

His jaw tightened — and then, for the first time since I’d met him, I saw real uncertainty flash across his face.

He turned sharply toward his laptop — and I took that single second of distraction.

I bolted for the door.

“Maya!”

His voice followed me down the corridor, low and furious.

But I didn’t stop running. Not until I hit the stairwell, my breath ragged, my heart in my throat.

I clutched the railing, shaking.

Zane’s obsession wasn’t just about control. It was personal. And now, I’d just lit the fuse.

Somewhere deep inside, I knew — the next time we met, one of us wouldn’t walk away the same.