Chapter -15 Revelations in the Dark

Alexander's eyes met Cass, the warehouse seeming colder than the outside night. He saw Isabella's fear, tension emanating off of her, but he saw something else in her eyes, something sparkling of determination she hadn't lost hope.

Cassandra moved slowly, her heels clattering off the pavement. "You're always so convinced you're at the reins, Alexander. Control… is nothing but an illusion."

"I'm not running a game," stated Alexander, his tone calm considering the adrenaline warring through his veins. "You have one chance. Release her."

Cassandra's face grew broader and broader. "One chance?" she repeated. "Oh, Alexander… I've been waiting years for this moment. And tonight, the truth shall be revealed."

Alexander's heart felt heavy. He knew there was no bluff. Cassandra belonged to his past, a ghost he believed he buried. She had always known things he knew even Isabella didn't.

"You chose," Cass­andra went on, moving around him in a slow circle. "You chose things you knew would hurt others. Other things you vowed you'd keep safe. And now… you pay for them."

Alexander felt his stomach tighten. “What are you talking about?”

"You remember that night," reminded Cassandra softly, her voice icecold. "The night your deal went sour… the one you felt no one knew? The one that cost someone their life?"

Memories struck him like a blow. The secret deal, the betrayal, the innocent person caught in the middle … He'd believed he'd gotten past it, wiped it from his mind. But Cassandra had discovered it. She had proof, and now was manipulating it to use against him.

"Isabella," he said, looking at her. "Focus on me. You must remain calm. Trust me."

Isabella nodded uncertainly, chomping off her lower lip, clinging to hope.

Cassandra's eyebrow went up. "Believe him? After keeping everything from us? Don't be foolish. Tonight, you'll both discover who he's really after."

Alexander moved forward, his weapon at low ready. "It doesn't have to be this bad, Cassandra. You want the truth? Okay, you're getting the truth, but you get her first. That's not up for discussion."

Cassandra stopped, thinking. She then softly laughed. "Very well. But you'll have to convince me. Tell me now. everything of that night. Not a lie. Not an omission."

Alexander took a deep breath, under the strain of years of guilt. He started talking, replaying each moment the mistake, the consequences, things he would have done differently if he'd had the chance. Cassandra listened, her face a picture of satisfaction and curiosity.

As he talked, Isabella's fear gave way slowly to hopeful wariness. It was Alexander's honesty then that was the key. If he would reveal all without fear, then perhaps he might shatter Cassandra's dominance.

When he was done, he was met with silence. Cassandra's eyes sparkled somewhat with triumph and something else resigned respect. "So you're not flawless," she stated. "But perhaps… you're stronger than you would be."

She stood back, releasing the ropes holding Isabella against her will. "Take her," she at last said. "But remember, Alexander… the past never quite goes away. And sooner or later, it might come after you again."

Alexander did not wait. He drew Isabella into his arms, relief overwhelming him. "You're safe," he whispered.

She grasped him tightly, and drops of tears fell from her eyes. "I knew you would come," she whispered.

For a moment, nothing else existed outside of the warehouse. Just the two of us, and the thin thread of trust they had restored in the depths of despair.

But Alexander knew the warning Cassandra had left behind was no idle one. Tonight, the past had been uncovered, and though the peril was behind Isabella, the shadow over his own existence was scarcely removed.

And privately, he knew he couldn't avoid the next battle with Cassandra.