Page 7 of Dark Alliance
“You know my loyalty is with you, Zeno,” I reminded him, hoping it would ease his worries.
“I’m sorry,” he said, running an exasperated hand through his long hair. “I’m still stinging from Esme’s betrayal.”
I winced at Esme’s name. Zeno’s half-sister had manipulated him, turning him against Aidon, and stealing critical details about his operations. She had taken a dangerous gamble by letting that information fall into Rhea’s crime syndicate’s hands. Zeno felt betrayed, and it would take a long time for the pain of his sister’s disloyalty to fade.
Now, I bore the consequences.
“Thal’s goals and ambitions will ruin him one day, Daphne,” he warned. “Make sure he doesn’t ruin you, too.”
The pointed look he shot at me made me wonder if he already knew the truth. Did he know what happened in the Caribbean? Did he know I’d already slept with Thal? The expression on his face sent a shiver down my spine.
Zeno sheltered me for a long time, always watching over me with a steady hand. But I knew that his protection wasn't unlimited. Someday, it would end. The thought was unsettling, but I forced myself not to dwell on it too much.
He was capable of anything, from silent strength to ruthless fury and unpredictable actions. Sometimes I wondered if I should be the one protecting myself from him. If he discovered Thal, I was sure everything would change. The danger would become real and immediate.
I realized I needed to cooperate, go along, and keep my secrets hidden behind a facade. Otherwise, I’d find out just how far he was willing to go, and I wasn’t sure I was prepared for that.
“Tell me what you want me to do, Zeno. Is there specific information you’d like me to extract from Thal?”
“I want everything you can uncover. I need to know who he’s doing business with, both on and off the books. I want details about his investments, his employees, and who he trusts themost. Hell, find out who he’s sleeping with too. Any information is vital, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.”
“You want me to get close to him to obtain this information?”
“I want you to crawl under his skin, Daphne. I want to know his secrets, his weaknesses, and his bed partners.”
He gripped my chin, his thumb pressing into my jaw just hard enough to border on pain. He wanted me to tremble. He wanted me to break.
Instead, as I leaned into his space, my free hand grazed the underside of his mahogany desk, my fingers finding the magnetic USB port I’d rigged weeks ago. I slid the injector in with a silent click. While Zeno ranted about my “leash” and my loyalty, my device was already bypassing his local encryption, ghosting his personal ledger.
“I remember exactly what I am to you, Zeno,” I whispered, looking him straight in the eye as the tiny LED on the device in my palm pulsed green.Uploading.“I’m the only investment you have that knows how to bite back.”
He didn't see the device. He only saw the defiance in my eyes, which he mistook for a ward’s spirit. “Remember who you belong to when the sun comes up,” he growled, releasing me with a flick of his fingers as if discarding trash.
If he knew I’d already slept with Thal, he’d have lost it. He’d see it as betrayal itself.
I swallowed hard. “May I make a suggestion, Zeno? It seems to me the bigger threat is Rhea. She could step out of the shadows at any time. More than likely, she’s planning her next move while we're focused on Thal.”
“Let me worry about Rhea,” he said, his arrogance flaring like a physical heat. “I can handle her. You focus on the task I gave you.”
“Right,” I acknowledged, understanding arguing was futile. He relished the idea of having absolute control and ignored opinions that didn't align with his own.
“So, do we have an understanding?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I suppose so,” I said. “I’ll do my best.”
“Excellent.” He returned to his desk and sat back in his leather chair. “You're dismissed, Daphne. Don't disappoint me.”
For a few moments, I stayed there on trembling legs, my jaw still aching from his grip. I didn't wait for a second invitation. I turned and headed for the heavy mahogany doors, my heels clicking a frantic, uneven rhythm across the marble floor. I was halfway to the exit, almost tasting the freedom of the hallway, when a shadow fell over me.
I didn't even hear him move. One second he was behind his desk, and the next he was a wall of cold granite blocking my path. His hand clamped firmly on my upper arm. Less an embrace and more a restraint. He pulled me close, his eyes boring into mine.
“I’ve spent ten years shaping you into the perfect weapon, Daphne. I saved you from the wreckage of your parents' lives.” He leaned in, then whispered in a lethal tone. “I trusted Esme once. I won’t make that mistake again. Don't make me break you because you forgot which hand holds your leash.”
He abruptly released me, turning his back to look out the window at the city he thought he owned. I stumbled back, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
Helena stood by the door, her face a mask of polite indifference, but her eyes were sharp. As she opened the door to walk me out, she leaned in, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Be careful with Thal, Daphne. He’s too charming to trust. Don’t make a mistake you’ll regret for the rest of your life.”
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I pressed the elevator button and breathed a sigh of relief as the doors closed, cutting off my view of Zeno's cold, golden fortress.
