Chapter 23: The Edge of Betrayal

I paused, my hand resting on the door handle. Dominic’s words echoed in my mind, cutting deeper than I cared to admit. “You’ll regret this, Elena.” Regret? I wasn’t sure if he was warning me or threatening me, but I wasn’t going to let fear drive my decisions. Not anymore.

With one last glance over my shoulder, I stepped into the hallway, my mind a storm of confusion. Liam’s presence still loomed behind me, his gaze burning into the back of my head, but I didn’t dare turn around. I couldn’t let myself second-guess this decision, no matter how unsure I was of everything that had just transpired.

My heart hammered in my chest, my steps echoing through the empty hallway. I had to get out. I had to escape this twisted game that both Dominic and his family had thrust me into. But where would I go?

I wasn’t foolish enough to think that running away would be the end of it. If I left, I would be running from the one thing that held the key to my future. The truth. But I needed time. Time to think. Time to process everything I had learned.

The elevator doors slid open in front of me, and I stepped inside, pressing the button for the ground floor. I watched the numbers light up one by one, my pulse quickening with each passing floor. My thoughts were a jumbled mess—too much to comprehend, too much to accept. The possibility that Dominic’s revenge on my father was more than a vendetta. It was personal. It had always been personal.

The air in the elevator was stifling, the silence deafening. My reflection in the mirrored walls looked as lost as I felt. Who was I fooling? I couldn’t walk away from this. There was no easy escape, no fairy-tale ending. Dominic was right about one thing: we were tangled in this together. Whether I liked it or not, we were connected. Our families were connected, and now, it seemed, so were we.

I stepped out of the elevator, the cool night air hitting me as I walked through the lobby of Caldwell Enterprises. My heels clicked against the marble floor, a harsh sound in the otherwise quiet space. The weight of the situation hung heavily on my shoulders, and the last thing I wanted to do was face the consequences of my decisions.

But as I made my way toward the exit, I froze. A figure stood just inside the doors, his silhouette familiar, and yet, completely unexpected.

Liam.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. What was he doing, waiting for me in the lobby?

I took a cautious step forward, my pulse spiking with unease. “Liam?” My voice was barely a whisper, laced with the uncertainty that gnawed at me.

He didn’t respond immediately. His gaze flicked from the floor to me, his jaw clenched. He didn’t look like the same man I had just seen in Dominic’s office. There was something different about him, something darker. His usual charm and calm demeanor had been replaced by something more dangerous, more guarded.

“Why are you following me?” I demanded, my patience thinning.

Liam’s eyes met mine, but instead of the usual arrogance, there was something… almost desperate. “I’m not following you, Elena,” he said, his voice low. “I’m trying to help you.”

I narrowed my eyes, skeptical. “Help me? After everything? After everything your family has done to me?”

“You don’t understand,” Liam said, stepping closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You need to hear me out. This isn’t just about Dominic. It’s about our families—what’s been going on for years. There’s more at play here than you know. More than even Dominic knows.”

My breath caught in my throat. More? What could possibly be more than what I had already discovered? The very foundation of my life had been shattered in a matter of days, and now Liam was telling me there was even more buried beneath it all?

“I don’t have time for games, Liam,” I shot back, my frustration rising. “What are you trying to tell me?”

Liam’s expression softened, his hands lifting in an almost placating gesture. “I’m not playing games, Elena. I swear. You need to listen to me. You’re not the only one who’s been manipulated. You think your father was the only one who betrayed Dominic’s mother? Think again. Our families have been playing a much more dangerous game.”

I recoiled, my heart hammering in my chest. “What do you mean?”

Liam’s eyes darted around the empty lobby, as if searching for prying ears. “I’m telling you, Elena, there’s someone else involved. Someone pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Your father, Dominic’s father—they were just pawns in a bigger game. And you’ve been caught in the crossfire.”

I shook my head, unable to process his words. “This is insane. If what you’re saying is true, then why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why are you waiting until now?”

Liam’s face twisted in a grimace, his frustration evident. “Because I wasn’t sure you’d believe me. But I don’t have a choice anymore. I’m telling you now because it’s the only way to protect you. If you don’t understand, if you don’t act on this, you could be the next target.”

I stumbled back, my mind reeling from his words. Next target? What was he talking about? Was I just another pawn in this entire twisted game?

“Who’s behind it?” I demanded, my voice a strained whisper. “Who’s really pulling the strings?”

Liam hesitated, his gaze flicking toward the glass doors of the building as if he was afraid someone might be watching. Then, in a voice barely audible, he spoke again. “It’s not just about revenge anymore. It’s about control. The person pulling the strings is someone who’s been hiding in the shadows for years, someone with power. And they’ve been manipulating both our families, even Dominic, for their own gain.”

A cold shiver ran down my spine. “Who?”

Liam’s eyes locked with mine, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s not who you think.”

Before I could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. Liam’s expression hardened, his body tensing. Without another word, he turned, disappearing into the shadows of the building as quickly as he had appeared.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, the weight of his words heavy in my chest. It’s not who you think. What did that even mean? And who could possibly be behind all of this?

I glanced at the exit, my pulse racing, but as I took a step forward, a figure emerged from the shadows, and my heart stopped.

Dominic.

He was standing there, his eyes dark with intent, his jaw clenched tightly. “I told you, Elena,” he said softly, his voice a low growl. “You shouldn’t have walked away.”

Before I could respond, his hand shot out, grabbing my arm with surprising force, pulling me toward him. “You can’t just run away from this. From me.”

I tried to jerk free, but his grip tightened. “Let me go, Dominic. This is over.”

He shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine. “No, it’s far from over.”

The world around us seemed to shrink, the air thick with tension. And just as I was about to break free, the sound of something sharp tearing through the air froze us both.

A gunshot.