The door swung open, Julian Cross striding in, his bespoke suit carved to his muscular frame, gray eyes blazing. "What's this about chances, Ms. Marquez?" His voice was a low growl, sharp with jealousy, flicking between Elena and Elias. "You running from me already?"
Elena's heart pounded, hazel eyes locking onto Julian's, her curls framing her defiance. Elias's confession, *we hired you because of Mateo*, scorched her chest, and Julian's possessive stare only fueled her fire. "You don't own me, Cross," she snapped, stepping forward. *I want you, but you're a liar. Mateo, I'm fighting for you.*
Julian's jaw tightened, smirk fading, catching the heat between her and Elias. "Own you? I don't share, Ms. Marquez. You know that." His tone was smooth, but the edge cut, a claim staked, his gaze darting to Elias, accusing.
Elena laughed, sultry, bold, closing the gap, her breath teasing his. "Then learn to share, Julian." Her voice was a dare, eyes glinting. "I'm not a one-man girl." The words landed like a spark, Julian's eyes darkening, Elias's breath catching. *I'm torn, craving them both, but they betrayed me.* She turned, heels clicking, striding out, leaving the office door swinging, their stunned silence heavy.
The hallway's cold light swallowed her, rage and desire churning. *Mateo, they hid your death. I'll break their secrets.* Her phone buzzed, the unknown number's tip flashing: *Lab logs encrypted. Reed has keys.* Damian Reed, the wildcard, was her next play. She clutched her portfolio, resolve hardening. *I'm playing their game, but I'll win.*
---
In Elias's office, Julian rounded on him, cedar and spice scent sharp, eyes stormy. "What the hell was that, Navarro?" His voice was a rasp, low and dangerous. "What did you tell her?"
Elias leaned back, hair loose, brown eyes steady but heavy. Her kiss, hungry and electric, haunted him, his loyalty to Julian cracking. "She knows everything, Julian," he said, voice calm, measured, a strategist holding ground. "Mateo was her brother. She saw my text about the Phoenix logs. She won't stop."
Julian's fist clenched, knuckles white. "Everything?" His tone was ice, but his eyes flickered, fear slipping through. "You're letting her dig into Phoenix? She'll get hurt, Elias." He stepped closer, voice dropping. "You think she's yours now?"
Elias's jaw tightened, her fire in his veins. *She's not mine, but I'm drowning in her.* "Why was she at your place last night, Cross?" he asked, voice low, biting, jealousy raw. "What's that about?"
Julian smirked, cruel, leaning in. "Why? Wanna know what I did to her?" His voice was a taunt, crude, staking a claim, but his eyes betrayed worry, a man scared for her, not just his empire.
Elias froze, her moans from their kiss flashing, his heart twisting. *She was with him, and I'm losing her.* "Hurt?" he said, voice sharp. "You're parading her as your fiancée, playing king while she burns for answers. She's not your toy." His words stung, brown eyes flashing, loyalty fraying.
Julian laughed, cold, sharp. "My toy? She's my shield, Navarro. Phoenix stays buried." His voice softened, raw. "If she keeps pushing, she'll end up like Mateo." Guilt cracked his polish, a rare glimpse of fear.
Elias's chest tightened. *Like Mateo.* "Then tell her the truth," he said, urgent, soft. "She deserves it. I'm done hiding it." His voice was firm, Elena's challenge, *snap it*, echoing, pulling him from Julian's shadow.
Julian's eyes narrowed, a predator sizing up a rival. "Truth? You think she'll forgive us?" He smirked, but his eyes were heavy. "Keep her close, Elias. If she runs to Reed, we're done." He strode out, leaving Elias with the weight of secrets and her fire.
---
Elena's heels echoed through Manhattan's night, the city's pulse matching her racing heart. *Mateo, I'm so close. Reed's my way in.* The tip burned: *Reed has keys.* Damian Reed, with his grin and danger, could unlock Phoenix, Mateo's truth. She'd traced his Tribeca loft from a leaked invite, her thrift-store blazer a rebellion against this glossy world. *I want Julian's fire, Elias's warmth, but they betrayed me. Can I trust Reed?*
The streets buzzed, neon lights flickering, her breath steady despite the fire Julian and Elias lit. *I'm falling for them, but I won't break.* She reached the loft, a sleek building pulsing with raw energy, her heart a tangle of purpose and desire. *Mateo, this is for you.* She stood before the door, hazel eyes sharp, portfolio clutched tight. *Julian's possessiveness, Elias's secrets, now Reed. I'm drowning, but I'll win.*
Her knock was firm, the sound swallowed by the city's hum. *I want them all, but I'm here for you, Mateo.* The door creaked open, and Damian Reed stood there, leather jacket over a crisp shirt, blond hair tousled, blue eyes snagging on her. A whiskey glass dangled in his hand, his grin sharp, wolfish, like he'd been waiting.