Chapter 18
918 Words
Chapter Eighteen
The decision had been made.
There was no hesitation in Lucas’s stance, no second-guessing in his tone. He was a man used to taking control, to setting the course and making sure it was followed. But this wasn’t just a business deal. This was a battle.
And Sophie was right in the middle of it.
Damon shut his laptop with a sigh. “If we’re setting a trap, we need to be smart about it. Lane isn’t some clueless executive who made a mistake—he’s been doing this for years. He’s careful. Calculated.”
Lucas crossed his arms. “Then we make him careless.”
Sophie shifted. “How?”
Lucas’s expression was unreadable. “We make him think he’s won.”
By the time they left Damon’s office, a plan was in motion. Sophie barely had time to process before she was back in Lucas’s car, the city blurring past in a wash of steel and glass.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Lucas said, glancing at her.
Sophie exhaled. “Just thinking.”
Lucas’s grip on the wheel tightened. “You’re worried.”
She looked at him. “Shouldn’t I be?”
His jaw worked. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
There was something in his voice—something firm, unwavering.
Something dangerous.
Sophie swallowed. “That’s not exactly reassuring.”
Lucas’s mouth twitched, but there was no amusement in it. “It should be.”
She didn’t know what to say to that.
They reached Blackwell Tower just after noon. It was Lucas’s primary headquarters, a towering masterpiece of glass and steel, reflecting the city skyline like a mirror.
Inside, the tension was palpable. Security was tighter, guards more alert. Lucas’s assistant, Evelyn, was waiting near the private elevators, her usually cool demeanor visibly strained.
“Mr. Blackwell,” she greeted, voice clipped. “Mr. Lane has been asking about you.”
Lucas’s expression darkened. “Has he?”
Evelyn nodded. “Twice. He seemed… anxious.”
Sophie exchanged a look with Lucas.
Lane knew something was wrong.
Lucas’s voice was calm. “Tell him I’ll meet with him in an hour. And make sure he knows I’m alone.”
Evelyn hesitated, then nodded. “Understood.” She turned to Sophie. “And you?”
Lucas answered before Sophie could. “She’s with me.”
No argument. No hesitation.
Sophie simply nodded.
If this was the game they were playing, she was all in.
An hour later, Sophie was positioned in Lucas’s private office, listening through an earpiece as he met with Harrison Lane three floors below. Damon had set up a private channel, allowing them to hear every word.
Lane’s voice was smooth, but there was a nervous edge to it. “You wanted to see me?”
Lucas leaned back in his chair. “You’ve been busy.”
A pause. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Lucas exhaled, slow and controlled. “You know exactly what I mean.”
Lane shifted. “Look, if this is about those numbers from last quarter—”
Lucas cut him off. “This is about Richard Calloway.”
Sophie’s pulse spiked. She could almost picture Lane’s face, the way his carefully crafted mask would have slipped.
Lucas didn’t let up. “You’ve been feeding him intel. Laundering money through my company. And now? You’re threatening Sophie to keep the truth buried.”
Lane let out a nervous chuckle. “That’s a hell of an accusation, Lucas.”
Lucas’s voice was sharp. “It’s not an accusation. It’s a fact.”
“I don’t know what you think you have, but I—”
Lucas didn’t blink. “I have everything.”
Then Lane sighed. “You always were a stubborn bastard.”
Something shifted in his tone. Less denial. More resignation.
Sophie’s breath caught.
He wasn’t even pretending anymore.
Lane knew the game was up.
“Here’s how this is going to work,” Lucas said. “You’re going to resign. Quietly. If you do that, I might consider keeping your name out of the press.”
Lane chuckled. “You think Calloway’s going to let me walk away?”
Lucas’s voice didn’t waver. “That’s your problem, not mine.”
Then Lane said, “You have no idea what you’ve started, do you?”
Sophie’s fingers clenched into fists.
Lane’s voice was lower now. Calculated. “You think this is about your company? About me?” A dry laugh. “You’re in over your head, Lucas. And so is your little reporter.”
Sophie’s blood went cold.
Lucas’s tone was lethal. “Careful.”
But Lane wasn’t done. “You don’t know Calloway. You don’t know what he’s capable of. You think you’ve won?” A chuckle. “You haven’t even begun to lose.”
Then Lane stood. “I’d start watching your back if I were you.”
Lucas stormed into the office minutes later, his jaw like granite.
“He’s running,” he said. “Damon’s tracking his movements, but we need to move fast.”
Sophie’s heart pounded. “Do you think he’ll go to Calloway?”
Lucas exhaled sharply. “No.” He met her gaze. “I think Calloway will come to him.”
She swallowed. “And what happens when he does?”
Lucas’s expression was cold. Unforgiving.
“Then we end this.”
Sophie’s pulse raced.
This was it.
They weren’t just exposing the truth anymore.
They were going to war.
- Writer
