Chapter Six: Trust Is a Dangerous Game
658 Words
Saint Elysian never slept.
It pulsed with quiet power, even after the final bell.
And tonight, its grand auditorium hummed with the buzz of something bigger—the Unity Summit was starting in less than twenty-four hours.
I should have felt triumphant.
Instead, I was drowning in paperwork and suspicion.
“Relax, Lane,” Tala said, chewing on the end of her pen.
I stared at the projection screen where Killian was reviewing the guest list. He was too calm.
“No one should be that relaxed before a major summit,” I muttered.
“He thrives on chaos,” she reminded me.
“Chaos gets people hurt.”
Tala gave me a long look. “You okay?”
I lied. “Perfect.”
Because how was I supposed to tell her about the notes?
Or the fact that I’d found another one earlier that day in my locker?
Look closer. Trust no one.
Not exactly comforting.
⸻
“Vale.”
I jumped, almost knocking my coffee off the table.
Killian was suddenly there, standing too close, holding a sleek black tablet.
“We have a problem,” he said.
“What kind of problem?”
His eyes flicked to Tala, and for once, she got the hint.
“I’m gonna… go print something,” she mumbled, grabbing her bag.
As soon as she left, Killian handed me the tablet.
I scanned the screen. My stomach dropped.
The entire itinerary file was gone.
Wiped.
“How—”
“Someone hacked the system,” Killian said, his voice low and tight.
“That’s impossible,” I snapped. “The system’s encrypted.”
He gave me a sharp look. “Encrypted by your team.”
I bristled. “Are you suggesting I can’t control my team?”
“I’m suggesting we have a mole.”
The word hung in the air like a threat.
And I hated that he might be right.
⸻
Within the hour, we were locked in the strategy room, pouring over every security log and backup.
Killian worked fast. Precise.
He didn’t waste time, didn’t flinch when the pressure mounted.
And I hated that it impressed me.
“How did you notice the breach?” I asked, watching him code a recovery attempt.
His mouth twitched. “I don’t sleep.”
“That explains a lot.”
“Worried about me, Lane?”
“I’m worried you’ll crash and burn before we survive this summit.”
He glanced up then, and something flickered in his eyes.
“Crashing and burning is what I do best.”
I frowned, but he was already looking away.
⸻
By midnight, we’d recovered the files—but not before finding something we weren’t supposed to.
A duplicate file.
With different data.
It wasn’t just the summit agenda.
It was a list of names.
Students. Sponsors. Donors.
With red marks next to some of them.
“Targets,” Killian said grimly.
I shook my head. “Targets for what?”
He didn’t answer.
But his jaw clenched so tight, I was afraid he might snap.
⸻
As we left the strategy room, he caught my wrist.
“You need to tell your parents,” he said.
“I can handle this,” I shot back.
“No, you can’t. Not alone.”
I yanked my hand away. “I don’t trust you.”
He nodded slowly. “Good. Because you shouldn’t trust anyone.”
He walked away, his figure disappearing into the shadows.
And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if he was warning me…
Or threatening me.
⸻
I didn’t sleep that night.
The Unity Summit would start in less than six hours.
And I had a choice to make.
Trust Killian Reyes.
Or take him down before he took me down first.
But no matter what choice I made, I had a gut feeling about one thing.
Someone was going to fall.
And it might be me.
- Writer
