A GAME OF SECRETS
734 Words
CHAPTER FOUR: A GAME OF SECRETS
"UNEXPECTED TRAVEL PLANS"
Zyrah Vexley paced her apartment, glaring at her phone.
Aziel: Pack a bag. You’re coming with me.
She wanted to ignore the message. Pretend it didn’t exist. But she knew better.
Aziel Rune never took no for an answer.
Sighing, she grabbed a carry-on bag and stuffed it with essentials—clothes, a laptop, and a hefty amount of patience.
Because wherever Aziel was dragging her, she was sure of two things:
1. It was going to be chaos.
2. She was going to regret it.
—
"PRIVATE JETS & TEMPTATIONS"
By the time she arrived at the private airstrip, Aziel was already there—lounging against his sleek, black jet, looking sinfully smug in a half-buttoned dress shirt.
Zyrah ignored the way her stomach tightened at the sight of him.
"Are you ever not irritatingly rich?" she muttered.
Aziel chuckled. "Jealous?"
She snorted. "Hardly. Now tell me—where the hell are we going?"
Aziel opened the jet door, motioning for her to step inside.
"Paris."
She froze. "What?!"
Aziel smirked. "Surprised? I thought you’d appreciate a little French romance."
Zyrah shot him a murderous glare. "This isn’t a vacation, Rune. You’re literally in the middle of a fraud scandal!"
Aziel’s smirk didn’t waver. "Exactly why we’re going to Paris. To fix it."
Zyrah exhaled sharply. "And how do you plan to do that?"
Aziel leaned in, his voice dropping. "By playing the game better than our enemies."
There was something dangerous in his tone. Something exciting.
Zyrah hated that it intrigued her.
With a deep breath, she stepped onto the jet.
Because whatever insanity awaited her in Paris…
She was already in too deep.
—
"THE CITY OF SECRETS"
The moment they landed in Paris, Zyrah was greeted by paparazzi flashing cameras.
"Aziel, is the fraud case true?"
"Are you stepping down as CEO?"
"Who’s the woman with you?"
Aziel ignored them, slipping on sunglasses as if he were untouchable.
Zyrah, however, clenched her jaw. She hated this.
Hated how effortlessly charming he looked, while she felt like a walking headline.
But before she could voice her frustration, Aziel placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her through the crowd.
"Relax, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. "Unless you want them to think you’re my mistress?"
She elbowed him.
Aziel just laughed.
—
"A DANGEROUS DINNER"
That night, Aziel took Zyrah to an exclusive gala, where the richest and most powerful people in Paris gathered.
It was a battlefield of wealth and deception.
And at the center of it?
Cassandra Moreau.
Zyrah tensed the moment she saw the woman. Cassandra looked too pleased with herself.
Aziel noticed too, his expression darkening.
"Stay close," he murmured.
Zyrah raised an eyebrow. "Why? Afraid I’ll spill your secrets?"
Aziel’s lips curled. "No, afraid you’ll fall for my charm."
She rolled her eyes. Impossible.
Then Cassandra approached.
—
"THE CONFRONTATION"
Cassandra greeted them with a slow smile. "Aziel. I didn’t expect you to show up. With a date, no less."
Zyrah stiffened. "I’m not his date."
Cassandra’s eyes twinkled. "Oh, I know."
There was something unnerving in the way she said it.
Aziel, however, kept his cool. "Cut the games, Cassandra. You leaked those documents."
Cassandra sighed, swirling her wine. "You always assume the worst of me."
Aziel leaned in, voice cold. "Because I know exactly what you’re capable of."
For the first time, Cassandra’s smirk faltered.
Zyrah watched the silent war between them, her mind racing.
What history did they share?
And more importantly…
What was Aziel hiding?
—
"SECRETS UNRAVEL"
As the night continued, Zyrah excused herself to step outside for air.
But as she reached the balcony, she overheard a conversation that made her blood run cold.
Two businessmen were whispering.
"If Aziel finds out the truth, everything falls apart."
"It’s only a matter of time. The past always resurfaces."
Zyrah’s heartbeat spiked.
What past? What truth?
Before she could process it, a warm hand grabbed her wrist.
She gasped, turning—only to meet Aziel’s piercing gaze.
"You shouldn’t eavesdrop, sweetheart," he murmured.
Zyrah swallowed. "Then tell me the truth, Aziel."
A muscle ticked in his jaw. "Be careful what you wish for."
And for the first time, Zyrah saw it—
The fear behind his arrogance.
Aziel Rune was hiding something.
And she was one step closer to uncovering it.
—
- Writer
