Used By My Billionaire Boss

chapter 13

Betrayal from All Sides

Adriana’s Plan

The mood in Leon’s office is thick with stress, the kind that remains long after a fight. Adriana leans easily against his desk, a smug smile playing at the corners of her lips as she watches him. Leon stands across the room, his hands shoved in his pockets, his jaw locked so hard that it looks like it might crack.

“You think she’ll just come back?” Adriana asks, her voice dripping with laughter. There’s no missing the mocking edge in her tone. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

Leon doesn’t answer right away. Instead, his eyes narrow, the storm building inside him apparent on his face. He looks like he’s trying to control something rage, anger, or maybe both.

Adriana takes a step closer, undaunted. “She’s not coming back on her own, Leon. You’ll have to make her.” She lets the silence stretch between them before continuing, her words smooth and poisonous. “You want her back, don’t you? Then you need to get rid of her for good. Otherwise, she’ll always slip through your fingers.”

Leon’s eyes flash, but his voice remains cold. “I’m not asking for your opinion, Adriana,” he says sharply. “Just get it done. Don’t make me ask again.”

Adriana’s smile doesn’t change. She steps closer to him, her presence magnetic, though her deception is clear in the way she talks, and the way she rules the room with just her words. “I’m just trying to help, Leon,” she whispers, her voice low and coaxing. “If you want her to stay gone, you need to cut all ties. Completely. No more half measures.”

Leon glares at her, but his eyes spark with something darker, something dangerous. Adriana knows she has him, and it’s almost too easy. She knows exactly how to push him, how to make him see things her way.

"Fine," Leon mutters, his voice tight. "Get it done."

Adriana nods, her smirk deepening. "I always get it done.

And just like that, the deal is made, and Adriana leaves Leon to consider what’s next—how far he’ll go to keep Stephanie out of his life for good.

Stephanie’s Fear

The small, nondescript apartment feels suffocating. It’s a brief hiding spot, just like all the others, and Stephanie knows it won’t last. They’ll have to move again soon. She can’t let her guard down. She can’t let herself rest. Not with Leon on her trial and Adriana working behind the scenes.

As she looks out the small window, the weight of everything rests heavily on her chest. Her mind races with the options what if they don’t find another place in time? What if they’re cornered, trapped? The thought sends a shiver down her spine.

“Jake,” she whispers, her voice barely a whisper, “they’ll never leave me alone.”

Jake looks at her, his face soft but filled with purpose. He walks over and puts a hand on her shoulder, his touch steady, grounding. “We’ll figure it out. I promise you. I won’t let them take you.”

But Stephanie doesn’t feel comforted. Jake’s words are calming, but the fear eating at her insides doesn’t fade. Every sound outside, every car that passes, makes her heart race. What if it’s them? What if they’re already here?

“She’ll never let me be free,” Stephanie says, her voice thick with fear. “Adriana… she’s as dangerous as Leon. She won’t stop until I’m back in his world.”

Jake looks at her, his brow furrowing with worry. “We won’t let them get to you,” he says, but even he doesn’t sound entirely sure. The weight of the situation is starting to fall on both of them. They’re running out of places to hide, and every corner feels like a trap.

Stephanie looks away, her mind racing. How long can we keep this up? she wonders. How many times can we keep going before they catch up to us?

The thought of being hunted, of never being truly free, makes her stomach twist. And she knows deep down that no matter how hard Jake tries to protect her, it might not be enough.

A New Threat

Just as Stephanie begins to tell herself to relax, even if just for a moment, Jake’s phone buzzes on the table. He glances at it, his eyes narrowing. Something about the look on his face makes Stephanie’s blood run cold.

“Who is it?” she asks, her voice shaking despite herself.

Jake picks up the phone, his thumb moving quickly across the screen as he reads the message. His eyes flick up to hers, his face tense. “It’s a tip. Someone’s been tracking us.”

Stephanie’s heart skips a beat. “What? How?” She can feel the panic rising in her chest, threatening to overwhelm her.

“Someone knows we’re here,” Jake says, his voice grim. “We need to go. Now.”

The words feel like a punch to the gut. They’ve only just gotten here. They’ve barely had time to breathe, to settle into some kind of normal. And now, it’s happening again. Another move, another escape, and she can’t help but feel like they’re running in circles, never truly escaping.

Jake grabs their bags, moving quickly but neatly. Stephanie doesn’t need to be told twice. She’s already grabbing her things, her mind racing.

“Where do we go now?” she asks, her voice stressed.

“We’ll figure it out,” Jake says, though the doubt in his voice is hard to miss. “We have a place lined up, but we can’t stay here any longer. We have to move.”

Stephanie nods, her throat tight as she follows him. Her legs feel weak, her head is clouded with fear. She tries not to think about how close they are to being caught, how close Leon and Adriana are to finding them. Every shadow feels like it’s stalking her, every noise feels too loud. She just wants to leave, to breathe freely again, but that doesn’t seem possible anymore.

As they rush toward the door, her heart races. She can hear the beating of her pulse in her ears, her body tense and ready to move. But just as they’re about to leave, something catches her attention. The faint sound of a car pulling up outside.

Stephanie freezes, her breath caught in her throat. She doesn’t need to look outside to know what it means. She doesn’t need to see the headlights to know that it’s too late.

She turns to Jake, her eyes wide with terror. “Is it them? Is it Leon?” she whispers.

Jake doesn’t answer right away. He walks over to the window, his motions calm but determined. He peers through the blinds, his face unreadable. Then he turns to her, his eyes dark with worry.

“I don’t know,” he says quietly, his voice filled with fear. “But we need to move. Now.”

They rush for the door, but Stephanie can’t shake the feeling that they’re already too late. She can feel the walls closing in, the weight of Leon and Adriana’s chase pressing down on her.

As they make their way down the hallway, Stephanie can’t help but look back, her eyes scanning the darkness. She’s waiting for the sound of footsteps, for the door to burst open, and for everything to unravel

Just as they reach the stairs, a person comes out from the darkness, stopping their way. Stephanie’s heart stops. She knows this person. It’s someone she hoped she would never see again.

But now, there’s nowhere to run.