The Betrayer’s Mask

Chapter 4

Elena's office felt unusually chilly as she waited for Marcus. She stood near the window, gazing out at the New York skyline, her mind filled with thoughts of betrayal and revenge. How could her own brother treat her this way? The questions kept bothering her, making it hard to keep her calm. At the same time, she couldn't help but worry about Dylan.

The door slowly opened, and Marcus walked in, his face giving nothing away. He appeared to be a well-dressed businessman, but to Elena, he was just a betrayer.

“Elena,” Marcus started, speaking carefully. “You asked to see me?”

She turned to look at him, her eyes squinting. “Take a seat, Marcus.”

He paused but finally sat down in front of her desk. Elena remained by the window, needing the space to control her feelings.

"How long have you been working with Christiana Bale?" she asked, her voice cold and direct.

Marcus blinked, surprise flickering across his face before he quickly masked it. "What are you talking about?"

"Don’t play games with me, Marcus," Angelina snapped, her anger breaking through. "I know you’ve been in contact with her. I have proof."

His eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape, but there was none. He was trapped, and he knew it.

"Angelina, it’s not what you think," Marcus began, trying to sound calm. "I had no choice—Christiana blackmailed me with some dirt she dug up on me from my past...if it got out my whole life would be done for!"

"And you couldn’t report it or tell me?" Elena said bitterly. "You betrayed your own sister for shame? For guilt? What did she blackmail you about, Marcus?"

“It wasn’t like that!” Marcus insisted, desperation creeping into his voice. “I was trying to protect you. Christiana… she’s dangerous, Angelina. She has connections that go far beyond what we can handle. I mean you’re already danger Angelina..I’m not even supposed to tell you.”

Angelina’s eyes narrowed further, her heart pounding with a mix of fury and disbelief. “Tell me what Marcus.”

Marcus ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. “I made a mistake, okay? But it’s not too late to fix it. We can work together, Angelina. We can stop her.”

“Tell me what Marcus. Tell me. Now.” Angelina boldly stated.

“Well for starters Dylan isn’t who you think he is Angelina. Stay away from him.” Marcus moaned.

“What do you mean?” Angelina questioned.

Angelina stared at him, a mix of disgust and curiosity swirling within her.

Without a warning, Marcus pulled out miniature glass from his pockets with a little clear solution, looked at Angelina and drank it all.

“Marcus? What’s that? Marcus? MARCUS?” Angelina scurried towards him.

“I-I…know if..i- tell you…she-she’d ki-ki kill me!” Marcus struggled to speak as foam starts coming from how mouth.

“But Marcus why? Why? What’s so bad?” Angelina questions and she begins sweating and holding onto him tightly.

“Somebody help me! Help! Get and ambulance?” Angelina screams in fear.

Marcus’s face paled. “Angelina, you got this. I know you’ll defeat her eventually.” He said faintly.

And before Angelina could reply back she witnessed Marcus’s last sigh, her only brother gone without a shadow of a doubt.

For a moment, it seemed like Marcus was unconscious but Angelina knew he was gone. She stood up slowly, while he lay cold on the stone office floor.

“You’ll regret this, Christiana,” she said, her voice low. “I won’t stop until I’ve taken everything from you. And when that happens, you’ll wish you never lived.”

Angelina stormed out of her office leaving the door wide open while the paramedics were right outside the door.

Angelina hurried into Sophia's office and fell into her seat, covering her face with her hands. The feeling of being betrayed hurt more than she thought it would. Marcus had always been hard to deal with, but she never thought he would just vanish like that. She was also curious about the last things her brother mentioned about Dylan and Christiana Bale.

But she couldn't focus on that now. There was still work to do, and Christiana Bale was still planning her next actions. Angelina needed to be prepared for whatever happened next.

Sophia looked at Angelina with concern. "Ms. Vadar, are you okay? I called the emergency services as soon as you—"

Before Sophia could finish, Angelina cut her off. "Get me all the information we have on Christiana's connections. I need to know who she's working with, who's supporting her, and what her next plan might be." She ordered.

Sophia's voice was calm. "I'm on it, Ms. Vadar. We'll get through this."

Angelina leaned back into her chair and stared at the ceiling without blinking.