Chapter 5 UNRAVELING

Jared's POV

The city glowed in shades of amber and steel, its pulse steady beneath the blanket of night. From my penthouse window, the skyline stretched infinitely, a reminder of the empire I had built-an empire that could crumble with a single misstep.

Kevin's words still echoed in my mind, a slow poison seeping through my veins.

"Enjoy your fiancée while you can."

I knew better than to underestimate him. Kevin Hall wasn't the type to throw idle threats. If he had reached out, it meant he had something. Something real.

And that meant Kate was in the crosshairs.

I exhaled sharply, raking a hand through my hair. My reflection in the glass was sharp and controlled-midnight hair tousled from frustration, jaw set tight, eyes dark with a storm I hadn't quite named yet.

A glass of whiskey sat untouched on the table beside me. The amber liquid caught the city lights, glowing like embers, but I ignored it. I needed a clear head.

Instead, I reached for my phone and dialed Kate. There was this habit I had these days to just hear her voice.

Why did it sound so soothing?

She picked up after the second ring just as I hoped she would.

"Jared?" Her voice was soft, uncertain.

"Are you home?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

"Yes-" A pause. "Is something wrong?"

I glanced at the skyline again, fingers tightening around the phone. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Jared-"

The line went dead before she could finish.

The drive to Kate's apartment felt longer than it should have. The streetlights flashed past in blurs of gold and silver, the occasional neon sign bleeding streaks of color into the pavement.

By the time I reached her building, my muscles were taut with restrained energy. I wasn't sure what I expected to find, but I knew one thing-I needed to see her.

Kate opened the door before I could knock, her expression a mixture of concern and irritation. She was barefoot again, dressed in an oversized cream sweater and dark green leggings. Her hair was loose this time, curling slightly at the ends. The warm light from her apartment softened her features, but it did nothing to ease the tension in my chest.

"Okay, what's going on?" she demanded, folding her arms.

I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. "Kevin called me."

Kate's brows knitted together. "Kevin- your old business partner?"

"The one and only."

She hesitated. "And that's bad because...?"

I turned to face her fully. "Because Kevin doesn't waste his time on small talk and we've drifted too much apart for welfare checks."

"What really happened between you and Kevin?" she asked with an intense ring to her voice.

I guess it's high time I soothed the curiosity sore that's been bugging her all these while. "Alright K, listen. Kevin and I built everything together. We were more than business partners-we were brothers, bound by ambition and late nights spent chasing something bigger than ourselves. I thought nothing could break us." I paused and shook my head.

"I was wrong." I said, "It all fell apart over a deal. VanceCorp was the opportunity of a lifetime, or so Kevin believed. But I dug deeper and found the truth-money laundering, fraud, and enough skeletons in their closet to bury us both. I tried to stop him." I stopped, my firm resolve faltering as the incident of that day played in my head like it was happening all over again.

"You think this is about right and wrong?" Kevin had scoffed, standing by the window like he already owned the city. "This is about winning."

I told him no deal was worth selling our souls. He laughed.

"You always were the idealist," he said.

The battle that followed was brutal. I pulled every string to block the merger, leaked just enough information to make VanceCorp hesitate. Kevin retaliated. He spread rumors, turned investors against me, and painted me as the weak link.

Then came the final blow-the boardroom vote.

Kevin won. My shares were bought out, my name erased from the company we built. He stood at the head of the table, victorious, while I walked away with nothing. He thought he'd beaten me.

But a few months later, VanceCorp imploded. The feds cracked down hard-fraud, tax evasion, corruption. Everything I warned him about. His empire crumbled.

Kevin lost everything.

But instead of blaming himself, he blamed me.

In his mind, I was the traitor. I was the one who abandoned him, who let him fall. His bitterness festered, turning into something darker.

Now he's back. And if there's one thing I know for certain, it's this-Kevin Hall doesn't forgive. He doesn't forget. And he sure as hell doesn't lose quietly.

I shook my head and sighed, keeping all that information to myself. I didn't want to trouble her and besides the problem was way beyond her understanding.

"Look, If he's reaching out now, it means he has something on me. And if he thinks our engagement is fake, he might try to prove it."

Kate exhaled, rubbing her forehead. "So, what? He's going to spy on us? Leak something to the press?"

I ran a hand over my jaw. "Or worse. Kevin enjoys playing the long game. He'll wait for us to slip up."

Kate bit her lip, the color deepening as she chewed on the thought. "Then we don't slip up."

I huffed a quiet laugh. "Easier said than done."

She gave me a pointed look. "I deserve more credit than you award me Jared, I can keep up appearances."

Something in her voice made me pause. There was steel beneath the surface, a quiet strength and a poised resolve she didn't often reveal.

I studied her, noting the way the soft light cast shadows along her collarbone, the flicker of determination in her eyes.

"Are you scared?" I asked.

Kate blinked at me, surprised by the question.

Then she shook her head. "No. Just- frustrated."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

She sighed. "Because I thought we were in control of this. That we had it all figured out. And now, suddenly, there's this wildcard, and I don't like not knowing what's coming next."

I smirked, despite myself. "Welcome to my world."

She rolled her eyes. "Great. Can't wait." She exclaimed dryly.

I should have left then. Should have reassured her that I had everything under control and walked out.

But I didn't.

Instead, I found myself lingering, my eyes tracing the curve of her jaw, the way her sweater slipped slightly off one shoulder.

Dangerous territory.

"You should get some rest," I said finally, forcing myself to look away.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "You're one to talk."

I exhaled through my nose. "I'll be fine."

She studied me for a long moment before shaking her head. "Liar."

Some strands of her hair fell over her face as she did so.

I smirked. "You don't know that."

She stepped closer, her scent-something warm and subtle, like vanilla and honey-filling the space between us. "I do, actually. You look like a man carrying too many weights at once."

I didn't move. "And what? You want to help me carry them?"

Kate shrugged, a small, wry smile touching her lips. "Someone has to answer right now, I think I'm playing the part so I've got to fill up every space my character has to cover." She hesitated, before adding, "don't you think so?"

Something shifted in my chest. An unfamiliar pressure.

I needed to leave. Now.

But instead, I found myself reaching out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. She froze, her breath catching just slightly, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just this-the quiet, the warmth, the unspoken weight between us.

It was a frozen moment in time. For a few uninterrupted seconds we stood less than a breathing space apart, eyes locked, as I gazed upon the reincarnation of Aphrodite standing in front of me.

Kate's face was just an unreadable expression, I didn't know what I was doing, but knowing what's on her mind at that moment wasn't helping either. All I knew was at the moment I didn't want to be anywhere else, nothing else mattered, a thousand Kevins in my life couldn't over power the rush of bliss I felt being so close to Kate Grey.

How did I get to this point?

I leaned forward, like a hypnosis victim, slowly but she stepped backwards, pushing back with hands on my chest.

Then, she cleared her throat and stepped back.

"Good night, Jared."

I exhaled, feeling a little ashamed and awkward, but I smiled, I didn't want her to think I was angry.

"Good night, Kate."

After all, it was only right that she did what she did. We were only acting afterall.

And then I walked out, pretending that my pulse hadn't just gone completely off rhythm.

The next morning, I was back in my office before the sun had fully risen. The air was crisp, carrying the faint hum of the city waking up below.

Margaret arrived not long after, a fresh espresso in hand and an expectant look on her face.

"Tell me," she said, setting the cup down on my desk. "What's got you looking like you didn't sleep?"

I took the coffee but didn't answer immediately.

Margaret sighed, sitting across from me. "Kevin Hall, I presume?"

I gave a single nod.

She exhaled sharply. "I knew he'd try something."

"He doesn't have anything concrete," I said. "But he's watching. Waiting for a misstep."

Margaret sipped her own coffee, her red nails tapping lightly against the ceramic. "Then we don't give him one."

I smirked. "Kate said the same thing."

Margaret's eyes sharpened slightly. "She's smart."

I leaned back in my chair. "I know."

Margaret studied me for a moment before tilting her head. "You like her."

I sighed. "We're not doing this."

She chuckled. "We are absolutely doing this."

I shook my head, taking another sip of coffee. "It doesn't matter how I feel."

Margaret raised an eyebrow. "That bad, huh?"

I didn't answer.

She smirked. "Careful, Jared. You're playing with fire- don't tie a knot you'd be finding impossible to loosen when the time comes"

I glanced out the window, watching as the city stretched endlessly beyond the glass.

The problem was, I already knew how deep the situation is, at least we are still afloat.

The real question was-how long before I find myself drowning in this foreseeable future I'm uncontrollably refusing to avoid.