Cassidy could still feel his eyes on her after he had left the room. As she left the penthouse office, she could still hear Alexander's footsteps faintly echoing in her head. The fight weighed heavily on her, but there was something else going on below it. Something that made her feel like she was in danger. The way he gazed at her was intense, probing, and calculated. The way he told her what would happen. Cassidy, on the other hand, was not the sort to be scared. Not by anyone. Not by a guy like Alexander Cross, that's for sure. As the elevator went down, the door closed with a quiet chime. Cassidy leaned against the cool, smooth wall and took a deep and short breath. She didn't think she would get any answers when she left. Not yet. But what she learned from how he reacted when she brought up the corruption and the lies was more than she needed to know. She had him trapped. And he was aware of it. Cassidy wasn't done with him yet. Not even close. As the elevator went down, the city spread out in front of her, with the tall skyscrapers in the distance glowing like fireflies. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, bringing her back to reality. She looked at the screen. "Cassidy, you need to be careful," her editor said. Vaughn recently made a move on Cross Industries. We don't know what he wants yet, but it could be important. "Watch out." Richard Vaughn. The name made Cassidy's stomach turn. Cross was always aware of Vaughn, a furious enemy who played a hazardous game. No one knew how much they hated each other, but Cassidy knew enough to know that Vaughn wanted control and that Cross's death was the way to get it. But Vaughn's game has always been to subtly destroy, manipulate, and take advantage of people. Cassidy understood just what kind of man Vaughn was. He didn't only want to run Cross Industries. He intended to kill Alexander Cross himself and make him suffer like he had. And if she was accurate, Cassidy was already in the middle of the fight. Cassidy got out of the elevator on the bottom floor, her mind racing. Vaughn's recent action could be the key to taking Alexander down, but only if she could figure out what he was up to. She needed to know more. More power. If she could get to the bottom of this and show how Cross Industries was connected to Vaughn's shady business, she could not only bring down a corrupt enterprise, but also show the truth about Alexander Cross's part in it. But that would entail finding out things she wasn't sure she was ready to know. Her phone rang again, and this time it was a call from her contact at Cross Industries. Cassidy answered right away. "What do you have for me?" She asked in a quiet, desperate voice. The voice on the other end said, "Cassidy, you need to be careful." "Cross is more than just a businessman. He's a threat. Cassidy, it's not just about power for him. It's about me. And you're about to get involved in something far bigger than you think. Cassidy's jaw was tight. "What do you mean by 'personal'?" What is he trying to hide? There was a long pause, and Cassidy's gut turned into a knot. She realized that the person on the other end of the line wasn't just a source. They were someone who knew Cross's world and had lived in it, maybe even become hurt by it. "I can't tell you everything." But I do know this: you're not the only one who's interested in him. Vaughn has his own ways of getting information. He's digging. And he's getting closer. Cassidy's heart raced. Vaughn had always had a lot of power, but now he was getting into Cross's personal life? That contributed to the mystery and the risk. "What's Vaughn going to do with this?" Cassidy pushed, her eyes scouring the pavement that was wet with rain as she went outside. "I don't know. But I do know one thing: Alexander Cross has a flaw. A secret in the family. Something that could make him fall to his knees. Cassidy's heart skipped a beat. A secret in the family? Alexander Cross, the CEO who couldn't be broken, had a flaw? What can it be? The person on the other end of the line started to whisper. "You need to be careful, Cassidy." I don't know what this will imply for you if you run into any of them, but I'm telling you that once you start digging, there's no turning back. Cassidy couldn't answer the call because the line went dead in her ear. She remained there for a time, her head spinning with the new information. A flaw. A secret. The ruthless billionaire CEO had something to lose: a family secret that could ruin everything he had worked for. Cassidy's fists tightened. This was the chance she needed. But what was the secret? Could she utilize it to her advantage? Is it the thing that will finally bring Alexander Cross down? The rain had stopped, and there was only a mist in the air as Cassidy walked down the street. The streetlights formed long shadows on the pavement. Her automobile was parked in the garage next door, but her mind was a million miles away. She had to learn everything there was to know about Alexander Cross's past, his family, and everything else. Cassidy would find it if he had a weakness. Cassidy wasn't sure who she could trust in this game of secrets, though. Richard Vaughn had his own plans, and Alexander Cross wasn't who he said he was. Every step she made brought her closer to the truth, but the closer she went, the more she recognized how dangerous it was. And what's the most risky part? She was falling for him. That thought hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn't mean to do it. She didn't think she'd be attracted to Alexander Cross, the man she had set out to kill. There was something about him, something hidden under that cold appearance, that drew her to him in ways she couldn't define. His guarded vulnerability and the loneliness that lay behind those frigid eyes called to something deep inside her. But she couldn't let herself get sidetracked. Not right now. Cassidy got to her car and got in the driver's seat, gripping the wheel tightly with her hands. She couldn't let her sentiments get in the way. The truth had to come first. Alexander Cross would never be able to get in her way again. Not after all he had done. But the more she learned, the more she realized that her and Cross's futures were linked in ways she hadn't expected. Cassidy turned on the engine after one last look at the city. The game was just starting.
