Chapter 10 Power Struggle

"You know why we're here," Kendrick's voice broke the silence, his words crisp and decisive. Mason smiled, hands nonchalantly in his pockets, as if he hadn't just betrayed all we had laboured for. Certainly, Kendrick. We both know what is at stake, do we not? Struggling to comprehend all Mason had done, I felt my heart race and my hands at my sides clench. He was the snake in the grass, the one who had wriggled into our confidence just to rip us apart. Kendrick, though, had been blinded by their lengthy history, their relationship. I had also allowed myself to fall into that snare.

Mason, you've been playing both sides, I said between clinched teeth, unable to conceal the rage that erupted within me. Now it is finished. Mason's grin grew more and more arrogant, almost smothering. "You believe you have solved everything? That you can simply waltz in here and undo what has taken years to create? His voice dropping to a perilous whisper, he moved towards us. Sofia, I've been planning this for a long. Now, whether you like it or not, you are a part of it. My heart sank into my belly. Though I could detect the glimmer of doubt in his gaze, I looked at Kendrick, whose expression was as impassive as always. I understood he was conflicted. Mason then fixed his gaze on me, grinning all the time. You know, it's not too late to come with me. All of this... it's yours for the taking. Kendrick, I'll wipe off all you value. You cannot prevent me. The room was buzzing with tension, but I couldn't force myself to gaze at Kendrick. He was beside me, yet the gap between us had never felt more obvious. Replaying in my head were the last few hours' events, and no matter how hard I tried to concentrate on the work at hand, I couldn't shake the impression we were approaching catastrophe. Kendrick, his voice low and strained, continued, "We have to act fast." Mason's action is only the start. We cannot allow him to succeed. I agreed, yet the statement seemed empty. Every choice seemed like a burden, a step nearer to all collapsing. I had never been a stranger to risk, but this... this seemed unique. I had let myself get too near to Kendrick. I had let him draw me in; now I was scared I had no escape. "You believe we can prevail on this?" I said, my voice revealing the uncertainty that had taken hold in my chest. "You believe we can stop Mason?" Kendrick ignored me. His eyes were fixed on the papers in front of him, the ones showing exactly how far Mason's treachery stretched. We must make an effort. Sofia, I'm not going to lie. It will be difficult. You must believe me. Faith. The term struck me like a chest blow. After all, how could I believe him? Given this perverse game we were all trapped in, how could I believe anyone? My intellect and heart fought a conflict I wasn't sure I could win. I moved back, feeling the weight of his words bearing down on me. But I knew one thing: I could not turn my back now. Not when all was at stake. Quietly, my voice strong despite my uncertainty, I responded, "I'll help you." "We do this collectively, though. Kendrick, no more secrets. His eyes met mine then, a flash of something, perhaps sorrow, flashing through them. Sofia, "I won't let you down." Though the fight between Kendrick and Mason continued, the actual struggle was the one I waged within myself. Every word I spoke, every step I made, seemed to bring us closer to the brink. Kendrick was there next to me; I could sense his need and will to succeed, but it wasn't enough. It always seemed insufficient. Every every discovery sliced deeper into me as we advanced. I was stuck in the centre of layers of falsehoods, of deception we had found. I no longer knew who to trust. Was Kendrick still the guy I once knew? Or had he turned into just another participant in this warped game? Kendrick's gaze hardened as we neared the last Mason confrontation. Now, his gaze was different, colder. But was that due to the stakes? Or since he was losing the guy he had before been? Kendrick, you are not who I imagined you to be, I murmured, my voice shaking although I fought to maintain it steady. "But I can't leave now." The words escaped my lips before I could stop them, and I noticed Kendrick's eyes flicker with agony. But by then it was too late. Having passed this border together, we could not turn back. Kendrick then stretched for me, his fingers grazing mine. Sofia, I never wanted to be this individual. But I don't know how to mend it any longer. I had no response for him. I too had no idea how we would resolve this. But one thing was certain as we stood there on the edge of everything: nothing would ever be the same again. Kendrick and I shared a tense, heavy air between us. Standing in his office, the gravity of our circumstances bore down on me as my mind raced with the awareness that all we had created was about to collapse. All because of the decisions he had made, the empire Kendrick had battled so hard to build was teetering on the verge. Frustration running through every word, I turned to face him. Kendrick, you have bet everything. Your business, your future, and now me. Really, you believe you can remedy this? For a short while, his eyes softened and I noticed the flash of regret before it was fast covered. He was still the guy I had fell for, the one who convinced me that everything was feasible. But now, I wasn't certain whether I could still trust him. "Sofia, I didn't want this," he said softly, nearly regretfully. "But I'll do everything required to save you. I will give up everything. His comments struck me more than I had anticipated. His voice's vulnerability awakened something in me that I hadn't experienced in days. Afraid of what may happen if I allowed myself fall too deep, I had spent so much time attempting to protect myself from him. But here he was, exposing himself in front of me. But nevertheless, my heart yearned for him. "We'll get through this," he replied, extending his hand to grab mine. "We must to." I wished to trust him. I had to trust him. Trust was a delicate thing, though, and the fissures in our relationship were growing too clear to overlook. Mistakes had no more space. I could not let him pull me down with him. Once more, not. Mason's run-in was unavoidable. It had been accumulating for days, weeks, and now, here we were, on the brink of everything. Standing next to Kendrick, both of us bracing for what was about to happen, my pulse quickened. The tension was obvious and, although we were cooperating, our relationship had been tried beyond measure. Kendrick said quietly, nearly tired, "Mason's not going to give up." Relentless, he won't stop until he's wrecked what we've constructed. "I know," I said, my throat tight. We cannot let him triumph, though. Not this moment. Kendrick's jaw clenched as his hand held my more tightly. He was still the one who wished to rescue us both. But I understood the price of that would be substantially more than either of us had expected. His demons were catching up with him, and I couldn't be the one to pull him back from the brink. Kendrick said, eyes on the door where Mason would shortly arrive, "Mason believes he has the upper hand." "But he doesn't know how far we are ready to go to safeguard all." I agreed, sensing the gravity of his remarks land in my heart. The fight was about survival, not only about business anymore. Regarding our survival. About whether or not we could weather the storm together. The door opened to reveal Mason's cold steel stare, which met my own and made me realise this was it, the moment we would either win or lose all. Kendrick declared, his voice resolute, "This ends tonight." And I will guarantee our victory. Swallowing hard, I felt the uncertainty still in the air. One thing was obvious, though: the fight was far from finished.