Chapter 5 The Trap at Sunrise

The conference suite at the Hôtel du Rhône felt like a different world from last night's glittering ballroom. Gone were the chandeliers and soft candlelight; here it was all glass walls and pale wood, the kind of space designed to look transparent but hide a thousand deals.

I arrived two minutes early. Damian was already there, of course, sitting at the head of the sleek table like he owned the air in the room. He didn't look up from his phone as I entered, but I caught the faintest flicker of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"You're early," he said without looking up.

"I like to see the battlefield before the enemy arrives," I replied.

He chuckled softly. "You really do see everything as war."

"Because it is."

He finally set his phone down and met my eyes. "Then this morning, we're allies. For now."

Before I could ask what he meant, the door opened and Victor Lang stepped in. He wasn't alone. Marcus Hale - Damian's CFO - trailed behind him, looking like a man who wanted to be invisible.

Victor was all charm. A crisp navy suit, an expensive watch, and a smile so polished it reflected light. "Ms. Grant, Mr. Cross. Thank you for agreeing to this little breakfast chat."

"This isn't breakfast," I said, noting the absence of coffee or pastries on the table. "It's a test."

Victor's smile deepened. "Smart woman."

We all took our seats. Victor sat opposite Damian, directly across from me, like a predator settling in for the hunt. Marcus hovered near the coffee machine, pretending to busy himself but clearly listening.

"I'll get to the point," Victor said, lacing his fingers. "Your merger has spooked the market. Investors are nervous. Regulators are circling. The two of you are powerful, but you're also vulnerable. I can make that vulnerability disappear."

"And in return?" Damian's voice was mild, but his eyes were sharp.

Victor leaned back. "I buy a controlling stake in both your companies. At a premium, of course. You two keep your titles, your reputations, but the real power flows through me. Clean, simple, no drama."

I almost laughed. "No drama? You mean no independence. You'd turn us into figureheads."

Victor's gaze flicked to me. "It's not a bad life, Ms. Grant. You'd still be rich. You'd still get to innovate. You'd just answer to someone else."

"I already had that life," I said coolly. "I left it for a reason."

He tilted his head. "Be careful. Pride is expensive."

Damian shifted slightly in his chair, the movement so subtle I almost missed it. "Victor," he said evenly, "this isn't going to happen."

"Think carefully," Victor replied. "The market's on my side. I've already spoken to three of your largest institutional investors. Marcus?"

Marcus startled, as though he'd been caught. "Yes, sir?"

"Tell them."

Marcus swallowed. "Mr. Lang's... proposal has traction. If either of you want to maintain control, you'll need to move fast."

A cold weight settled in my stomach. Marcus - Damian's right hand - was helping Victor?

Damian's expression didn't change. "Thank you, Marcus," he said quietly. "You can wait outside."

Marcus hesitated, then left. The door clicked shut.

Victor smiled like a cat. "You're surrounded, Cross. And Ms. Grant - you're collateral damage. But you don't have to be. Sign with me now and I'll protect your company, your patents, your people. You'll even keep your CEO title."

I looked at Damian. His face was carved stone, unreadable.

"I'm not for sale," I said.

Victor's eyes sharpened. "Everyone's for sale."

"Not me."

He leaned forward. "Then watch everything you've built burn."

The words hit like a slap. But before I could answer, Damian spoke.

"Get out," he said softly.

Victor blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Damian said, his voice still calm but carrying an edge like broken glass. "This meeting is over."

Victor laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You think you can order me out?"

Damian stood. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't even look angry. But the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. "Leave, Victor. Before I show you exactly how surrounded you really are."

For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then Victor pushed back his chair and stood, still smiling but his eyes cold. "You've just made a very expensive mistake."

"We'll see," Damian said.

Victor glanced at me. "Think about my offer, Ms. Grant. When he drags you down, I'll still be here."

Then he left, the door shutting softly behind him.

The room was suddenly quiet. My pulse was a drumbeat in my ears.

Damian sat back down slowly, steepling his fingers. "Well."

I stared at him. "Marcus betrayed you."

"Marcus betrayed himself," Damian said. "He's been leaking information for months. I needed confirmation."

"You used me as bait," I said.

His gaze met mine, steady. "I used us as bait. And now we know."

I pushed my chair back. "You could have warned me."

"If I'd warned you, you'd have looked at Marcus differently. He'd have smelled it. We needed him to show his hand."

I stood. "You're unbelievable."

"Elena," he said quietly.

I turned at the door.

"I'm trying to protect you," he said. "Even when it doesn't look like it."

I didn't answer. I walked out of the room, my heels sharp on the marble floor.

Halfway down the hall, I stopped. My hands were trembling. Not from fear, but from fury - and something else. Something I didn't want to name.

Damian Cross was a liar, a manipulator, a shark. But for one terrifying moment, when he'd stood up to Victor, I'd believed him. I'd believed we were on the same side.

And that was the most dangerous feeling of all.