CHAPTER EIGHT
1044 Words
Chapter 8: A Dangerous Game
Isabella sat on the plush leather couch in Ethan’s penthouse, the weight of the day pressing down on her. The city lights stretched beyond the glass windows, illuminating the room with a soft glow. Ethan had poured her a glass of wine, but she barely touched it. The meeting with Gabriel replayed in her mind, each word laced with his manipulative charm, his quiet threats.
Ethan sat across from her, watching her intently. His strong features were set in a deep frown, his fingers loosely wrapped around a glass of whiskey. He had been patient, letting her gather her thoughts, but now his patience was wearing thin.
“Talk to me, Isabella,” he urged, his voice both soft and firm.
She exhaled slowly, setting the glass down on the glass coffee table. “Gabriel isn’t backing down. He wants Montgomery Enterprises. He wants me to bend.”
Ethan’s jaw clenched. “That bastard.”
She nodded, her eyes distant. “And if I don’t play along, he’ll find another way to take what he wants.”
Ethan leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. “Then we make sure he doesn’t win.”
A bitter smile crossed her lips. “It’s not that simple.”
His eyes darkened with determination. “It is. You just have to trust me.”
Trust. The word felt foreign, almost dangerous. Trusting Gabriel had nearly destroyed her. Trusting Ethan… that was something else entirely.
But had she ever truly stopped trusting him?
She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Even if I believe you, Ethan, I don’t see a way out. He has connections, power—”
“So do I.” His voice was firm, confident. “And so do you, Isabella. You’re not some weak woman he can manipulate. You built Montgomery Enterprises into what it is today.”
She met his gaze, something flickering in her eyes. A reminder of the woman she used to be. The woman she needed to be again.
Ethan’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then back at her. “Your CFO, Michael Hensley, just sent me some concerning documents. I think we need to take a closer look at what’s really happening inside your company.”
Her stomach tightened. “What kind of documents?”
Ethan slid his phone across the table. “Financial reports. Some discrepancies. Gabriel might not just be threatening you—he might already be inside Montgomery Enterprises.”
A cold chill ran down her spine.
Minutes later, Isabella was pacing in front of Ethan’s desk, scanning through the files on his tablet. The deeper she read, the more her pulse pounded.
“This… this doesn’t make sense.” Her voice was sharp, her mind racing.
Ethan stood beside her, arms crossed. “It does if someone on the inside is helping him.”
She swallowed hard. “That means—”
“We have a traitor.”
Her fingers curled into fists. First, Gabriel tried to manipulate her directly. Now, he was poisoning her company from within?
Her mind raced through the list of people who had access to financial reports, to confidential data. Michael? No, he had been with the company for years, and his loyalty had never wavered. Olivia? Claire? Someone in the finance department?
She looked up at Ethan. “We need to find out who.”
“We will,” he assured her. “But Isabella, this means we have to be careful. If Gabriel already has someone feeding him information, he knows more than we think.”
A part of her wanted to scream, to demand why she hadn’t seen this sooner. But now wasn’t the time for self-blame. Now was the time for action.
She turned back to the tablet, scrolling through the reports. The discrepancies weren’t glaring—whoever was responsible was careful, methodical. Small amounts siphoned from different accounts, untraceable unless someone knew exactly what to look for.
Her eyes flicked to Ethan. “Michael caught this?”
“He did,” Ethan confirmed. “He said something felt off, so he started digging. I told him to keep it quiet until we figure out how deep this goes.”
A surge of gratitude filled her. Michael had always been thorough, and this time, his instincts might have saved her company.
But if Gabriel had someone on the inside… what else did he know?
She clenched her jaw. “If there’s a leak, we have to plug it before he gets any further.”
Ethan nodded. “Agreed. But we need to be strategic. If Gabriel thinks we suspect something, he’ll cover his tracks. We have to let him think he’s still ahead.”
She hated it. Every instinct told her to confront this head-on, to demand answers. But Ethan was right. If they moved too quickly, they’d lose their chance to expose the mole.
Her gaze darkened. “Then we play the game.”
A slow, approving smile touched Ethan’s lips. “That’s the Isabella I remember.”
She smirked, a familiar fire returning to her eyes. “Good. Because Gabriel is about to learn that I don’t break.”
Ethan took a slow sip of his whiskey. “Then let’s make him regret ever trying.”
The next morning, Isabella arrived at Montgomery Enterprises with renewed purpose. Dressed in a tailored navy-blue pantsuit, she exuded confidence, though inside, her mind was a battlefield.
She walked into her office, nodding at Olivia, who was already seated outside her door. “Any updates?”
“Nothing unusual,” Olivia said, handing her a folder. “But I did notice that the finance team requested another audit review.”
Isabella’s brow furrowed. “That’s the third one this quarter.”
Olivia nodded. “Exactly. It’s excessive.”
Isabella opened the folder, scanning the details. A name stood out—Liam.
Her financial manager.
She tapped her fingers against the desk. “Keep an eye on him.”
Olivia’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You think he’s the one?”
“I don’t know yet,” Isabella admitted. “But I’m going to find out.”
She closed the folder, inhaling deeply.
The game had begun. And she wasn’t going to lose.
- Writer
