Chapter 6 A Deal in Shadows

The city lights stretched below me like spilled gold and glass as I stepped out of the elevator onto the forty-third floor. My pulse drummed a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Every instinct screamed that this meeting-this "arrangement"-was dangerous. And yet, I walked forward, heels clicking like gunshots against the polished marble floor.

Julian had insisted that I meet with her again and go over our conversation once more. I didn't know the use of it but I wanted to trust him. The Bait was to tell her that I wanted us to go over everything once more. This was what I did abd she agreed to meet with me again. Either she was desperate for what she asked for or she was foolish and I knew it was not the later.

The suite door was already ajar. Inside, the faint scent of expensive perfume mingled with the cool air-conditioning. I paused at the threshold, heart stuttering as I glanced around. Nobody. Not yet.

Then she appeared. Blonde, elegant, lethal. The woman from last night-the blackmailer. She was leaning casually against the far wall, arms crossed, a smirk teasing her lips.

"I wondered if you'd have the courage," she said smoothly. "Or if you'd chicken out and call your knight in shining armor."

I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I came because I want answers. And I want to know what you want."

Her smile widened, sharp and cold. "Straight to business. I like that. Rarely do people walk into my trap voluntarily. It means you're clever-or desperate. Probably both."

I clenched my fists. "You've already crossed every line. You've photographed me, watched me, threatened me. What makes you think I'll just hand over anything?"

She tilted her head, studying me like a predator assessing a cornered prey. "Because you know you have no choice. Because your husband can't protect you, and your lover..." Her lips curled at the word, "...will burn down the world before letting you fall. And you, my dear, want to survive."

My stomach twisted. She wasn't wrong. Julian had made that clear. His presence alone reminded me of the power I could wield-or the destruction I could face.

"I want specifics," I said finally, stepping closer to the glass coffee table that separated us. "What exactly do you want from me?"

The woman moved with the grace of a dancer, opening a sleek folder and sliding it across the table. The photos spilled over-more than I thought possible. Every angle, every vulnerable moment, captured in perfect clarity. My hands itched to throw them back at her, to shred them, to erase the evidence of my surrender.

"I need access to Langford Holdings. A file. Something small, something that won't draw attention. And in exchange..." She paused, tilting the folder just so, "...I'll delete all these. Permanently. No copies, no backups, nothing."

I stared at her. My mind whirled. If I gave her the file, it would be a theft of trust, a breach of Max's empire. If I refused... the consequences were clear.

"What's to stop you from keeping them anyway?" I asked, voice low, trembling with rage.

Her smirk didn't falter. "You're clever. I like that. But I have too much invested in this game. And believe me, Miss Carter, I'm very particular about my investments."

A cold thrill ran down my spine. She was dangerous, yes-but calculated. She wasn't reckless. She would keep her word... if I complied.

I closed my eyes, trying to think. One misstep, one wrong decision, and Max would know. Julian would have to burn bridges to protect me. And I... I would be the woman who betrayed everything, who surrendered to fear.

The room shifted then. A shadow fell across the threshold. Julian. Shirtless, dark eyes blazing, every inch the storm that had haunted my nights and dreams. My breath hitched.

"You came alone," he said, voice low, deadly. He didn't move closer-yet. He didn't need to. The air between us crackled like lightning.

The blackmailer's smirk faltered, ever so slightly, as she straightened. "So the knight shows up," she said, voice carefully casual.

"I don't negotiate in your shadows," Julian said. Every word was a blade. "Not when it comes to her. And not when it comes to me."

She tilted her head, unfazed. "This isn't just about her. You have no idea what's at stake, Julian. You think this is just a personal vendetta? It's much bigger than the two of you."

Julian's gaze flicked to me, sharp, protective, warning. I felt the heat of it, the unspoken command: don't answer, don't move. Trust me.

"You've seen the game," he said finally, voice slow, controlled. "I don't care how high the stakes are. You want access to Langford? You'll get it through me, or you get nothing."

The blackmailer's smirk tightened into a thin line. "Bold," she said. "Very bold. But we'll see how long that bravado lasts."

Julian stepped closer to me then, almost possessive in the way his body blocked me from her view. I pressed back subtly, letting the warmth of him ground me. My heart raced-not just from fear, but from the heady mix of danger and desire that always accompanied him.

"You," he said, low and dangerous, "stay here. Calm. Nothing will happen to you while I handle this."

I nodded, though my pulse refused to slow. I watched as he circled the blackmailer like a predator closing in on prey. Words were exchanged, sharp, precise, strategic. I couldn't hear everything, but the energy in the room shifted. The blackmailer, for all her confidence, was calculating her exit.

Minutes later, she left. Folder in hand, posture intact, but her smirk gone. Julian turned back to me, tense but victorious. He closed the distance between us.

"I got it," he said, voice barely above a whisper, his fingers brushing against my temple. "They won't touch you. Not tonight, not ever, if I can prevent it."

I pressed against him, needing the reassurance his presence always brought. "And if they come back?"

His lips grazed my ear, a whisper and a vow all at once. "Then we'll burn the world down to protect you. Together."

I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of his body, the fire of his promise, and the lingering thrill of danger wash over me. There would be battles ahead. There would be lies, threats, and impossible choices. But for now... for this moment, I was his.

And he was mine