The footsteps behind me closed in, each one ringing sharper in the alley's narrow acoustics. I could feel Sebastian's gaze fixed on me, but Marcus was the one who moved first. Alexis now!"
He yanked my arm, pulling me past Sebastian before I even registered the choice I'd made. The satchel thumped against my hip as we broke into a run, the sound of our boots mingling with the steady, controlled steps behind us.
Sebastian didn't shout. He didn't run. But I could feel him following not in a rush, but with the patience of someone who always gets what he wants.
Marcus cut left into another alley, this one tighter and shadowed by fire escapes overhead. My lungs burned from the cold air and the adrenaline, but I didn't slow.
The alley opened into a side street lined with market stalls. Vendors were just setting up for the day, stacking fruit into neat pyramids and unpacking crates of vegetables. The smell of coffee and baking bread hit me, and for a dizzying second, it felt almost normal. Then I caught sight of the black car.
It was parked half a block down, angled toward us. The man in the passenger seat was already stepping out.
Marcus swore under his breath and pushed me toward the nearest stall. "Stay low."
We wove between tables and boxes, the stall owners eyeing us warily but saying nothing. The satchel felt heavier with every step.
"Where are we going?" I hissed., somewhere they won't follow," Marcus said.
"And where's that? "You'll see.-
We ducked into a narrow shop tucked between two market stalls. The bell over the door gave a cheerful jingle completely at odds with my pounding pulse. Inside, the air was warm and faintly scented with cardamom. Shelves lined the walls, crowded with glass jars of herbs and spices. An elderly woman behind the counter looked up, her eyes narrowing when she saw Marcus. "Not here," she said in a low voice.
"We need five minutes," Marcus replied.
"Three.
Marcus ushered me into a back room and shut the door behind us. It was small and cluttered, with a single table and two mismatched chairs. A narrow window looked out onto the alley behind the shop.
I leaned against the wall, trying to steady my breathing. "You're going to tell me what's in that envelope now?"
Marcus's gaze went to the satchel, then to me. "It's not just paper. It's leverage. The kind that topples people like Sebastian or cements their power forever."
"And which do you plan to do?His mouth curved in a humorless smile. "Depends on the day. The doorknob rattled.
Marcus stiffened, motioning me toward the window. "Go. Now. I hesitated. "What about you?"I'll stall them."
Before I could argue, he shoved the satchel toward me. "Keep moving, Alexis. And whatever you do, don't let Steele get his hands on it."
The weight of his words rooted me in place for a second just long enough for the door to burst open.
Sebastian filled the doorway, his presence pulling all the air from the room. His gaze went straight to the satchel in my hands.
"Alexis," he said, his voice smooth but carrying an edge I hadn't heard before. "That belongs to me.I backed toward the window. "Does it? Or is it something you don't want me to see?His eyes sharpened. "You don't understand what you're holding."
"Then explain it.For a moment, I thought he might. But then the corners of his mouth lifted in that infuriating, unreadable smile."Not here. Not now.Behind him, Marcus moved, subtly shifting his stance. "She's leaving with me."
Sebastian didn't look at him. "You're making a mistake.Marcus's voice was calm, almost conversational. "Wouldn't be the first time."
I turned and pushed the window open, the cold air rushing in. The alley below was empty, but I didn't let myself think about it. I swung my legs over the sill and dropped down, landing hard but staying on my feet.The satchel was still clutched to my chest as I ran. Footsteps pounded behind Marcus's, not Sebastian's. That was somehow worse. Sebastian wasn't chasing because he didn't need to.
We cut through another narrow street, emerging into a busier road. The noise of traffic wrapped around me like a shield. Marcus flagged down a passing cab, yanking the door open and motioning for me to get in.
"Where are we going?" I asked once the cab pulled away.
Somewhere Steele won't think to look right away."And after that?"
Marcus glanced at me, his eyes shadowed. "After that, we decide if we're going to survive this or win it.
When the cab finally stopped, it was in front of a weathered brick building with faded green shutters. The sign above the door was worn to near illegibility, but I could just make out the words Davenport & Co. Archives.
"This is your safe place?" I asked. "It's neutral ground," Marcus said. "For now."
Inside, the air was cool and smelled faintly of old paper and ink. The space was lined with shelves stacked high with file boxes, each labeled in precise handwriting. A single desk sat near the back, and behind it, a tall woman with sharp eyes looked up from a ledger."Marcus," she said. "You're late."
"Traffic," he replied dryly. Her gaze shifted to me, then to the satchel. "You brought her."She brought it," Marcus corrected.
Something unspoken passed between them, and then the woman nodded. "Room three. Lock it."
We stepped into a small room off the main hall. Marcus shut the door behind us and finally gestured for me to set the satchel on the table.
"You want to see?" he asked.
I hesitated, my fingers brushing the worn leather. "Yes."
He undid the clasps and opened it slowly. Inside was the envelope the same cream paper, unmarked except for my name in Sebastian's distinctive hand. Marcus slid it toward me. My pulse was loud in my ears as I broke the seal.
The contents were not what I expected. Not contracts or photographs, not bank statements or coded messages.It was a list.Names. Dates. Places.
Some I recognized were CEOs, politicians, people who smiled from magazine covers. Others meant nothing to me. But the sheer length of it made my skin crawl. "What is this?" I whispered.
Marcus's expression was grim. "It's everyone tied to Steele's network. Everyone who owes him. Everyone he owns."
I looked up at him. "Why give this to me?"
"Because," Marcus said quietly, "you're the only one he won't suspect of using it against him."
But before I could reply, a faint hum reached my ears.
Marcus stiffened. Drone.
We both moved to the window, just in time to see a small black drone hovering outside. Its camera lens tilted, locking onto me."They found us," Marcus said.