Chapter -21 The Counter-Bait

The safe house was quiet, but the air was thick with tension. Alexander, Isabella, and Lucas sat around the laptop, dissecting each shot of Cassandra's video. Every gesture, every word, every shadow in the footage could hold a clue.

"We have to find out who she's working with against us," Alexander paced back and forth. "We can't rely on anyone outside this room. Not even on our own judgment."

Lucas frowned, tapping his tablet. "I followed the metadata of the video. The location… it is near the location of the abandoned industrial compound. She is planning something there."

Isabella ground her teeth. "Then we can't just sit here. We must do something. We can't let her trap us a second time like she did last time."

Alexander stopped his pacing and looked at them both. "Right. We're going to use her trap, but turn it into our trap. But we have to be smart. We bait her into a false move one that she's going to think makes her in control but that actually leaves her in danger."

Lucas nodded slowly. “We can leak a false intel package. Make it look like we’re transferring critical files to another ally. She’ll bite.”

“Perfect,” Alexander agreed. “We’ll need to stage it carefully. Cameras, decoys, and most importantly… timing.”

Hours after, during the wee hours of the morning, they executed the plan. Isabella created a diversion near the industrial district, causing a commotion at an open, fake meeting spot. Alexander monitored various live feeds, ensuring any potential angle was covered. Lucas managed the tech, deploying trackers and ensuring the decoy package of counterfeit data looked convincing.

And then, as predicted, Cassandra appeared. She strode with lethal precision, accompanied by enforcers in masks. Her gaze swept the room, calculating, confident.

Alexander spoke into the earpiece: "Hold firm. Let her take the bait."

Cassandra strolled over to the fake package, her gloved hands hovering over it. Suddenly, flashlights from hidden cameras blazed, momentarily blinding her. Mechanical gates slammed shut, trapping her and her enforcers in a tight area.

"You…!" Cassandra shouted, rage boiling under her cool exterior.

Alexander, Isabella, and Lucas emerged from their covert lookout positions, their faces illuminated by the factory lights. "Not so fast," Alexander said coldly. "You overestimated your chances."

Cassandra's rage seethed, but her analytical mind quickly reset. "You really think that this is the end?" she snarled. "You don't have a clue who I really am. or what I've switched to against you."

Before anyone could say anything, someone stepped out of the darkness. The friend they trusted the one who appeared in her video removed his mask.

Alexander's gut dropped. "No… not you."

The figure smiled. "It's been a long game, Alex. And Cassandra's been very… persuasive."

Isabella gasped, shock and betrayal wrestling in her eyes. "But why? Why help her?"

The traitor's smile was creepy. "Because sometimes survival isn't about being loyal… it's about playing for the winning team. And Cassandra is winning today."

Alexander's jaw flexed. "Not for much longer. You did your part, but the game… is in play now."

Nighttime air hung heavy with tension. Friends became foes, traps became tools, and the real fight—the fight that would decide everything had commenced.

If you'd like, I can finish Chapter 34, where the battle gets more intense, secrets are revealed, and the first major twist about Cassandra's ultimate plan is published.