The air in the riad's courtyard was cool with the scent of orange blossoms. Ethan sat at the stone table, staring at the remnants of breakfast. Vanessa was in her private study with Elise, voices low enough that he could only catch fragments.
"…timing is everything…"
"…she won't see it coming…"
When they emerged, Vanessa's expression was calm, almost too calm. Elise's, however, was tight—her jaw set in a way that told Ethan she wasn't entirely on board.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Vanessa didn't break stride as she crossed the courtyard. "We're going to give Caroline exactly what she thinks she wants. And then we're going to make her choke on it."
Ethan rose to follow her. "That sounds dangerously vague."
"It's supposed to," Vanessa said, her tone cool as glass. "The less you know about the details, the more convincing you'll be."
---
That afternoon, Vanessa led him to her hidden office—a room he'd never seen before, tucked behind a false wall in the riad's library. It was sleek and modern, with black glass walls and a single steel desk. Multiple monitors glowed with lines of code and scrolling numbers.
"This is where the trap begins," Vanessa said, taking a seat. "Caroline wants access to my accounts. So we're going to give her access… to something that looks real but isn't."
Ethan leaned over her shoulder, watching as she opened a file. "A decoy?"
"Not just a decoy. A carefully crafted set of accounts that appear to be my entire fortune—investments, offshore holdings, art sales. But every transaction will be designed to lead her somewhere very specific."
"Where?"
"To a digital dead end that will flag her location and every device she's using," Vanessa said, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "By the time she realizes, I'll own her every secret."
---
Ethan felt a mix of admiration and unease. Vanessa wasn't just protecting herself—she was hunting Caroline.
"What do you need me to do?"
Vanessa looked up at him with that dangerous half-smile. "Sell it. Convince her that what you're giving her is real. Make her believe you've crossed a line for her."
Ethan hesitated. "And if she doesn't believe me?"
Vanessa's eyes hardened. "Then she'll test you. And you'll have to pass."
---
That night, Caroline texted him: Tomorrow. Same place.
Ethan didn't tell Vanessa immediately. He sat with the phone in his hand, wondering if he was just following orders or if some part of him wanted to face Caroline on his own terms.
When he finally showed Vanessa the message, she only nodded. "Good. She's taking the bait faster than I expected."
But Elise—standing in the corner—looked troubled. "Vanessa, this is risky. If Ethan gets caught between you two—"
"He's already between us," Vanessa cut in. "The only question is whose side he'll end up on."
---
The next day, Ethan arrived at the rooftop bar early. Caroline was already there, leaning on the railing, her white dress fluttering in the warm breeze. She smiled like a woman who'd already won.
"Do you have it?" she asked without preamble.
He slid a slim flash drive across the table. "Everything you need. But I want your word that once you have this, you walk away from Vanessa."
Caroline laughed, low and dangerous. "Oh, Ethan… you still think you can make deals in a war?"
He said nothing, just watched as she pocketed the drive. She didn't plug it in there—smart enough not to trigger whatever security she thought Vanessa might have.
Instead, she stepped closer, her perfume wrapping around him like silk. "I almost believe you care about her," she whispered. "But I know better. You care about winning."
---
Later, in the riad's library, Ethan told Vanessa what happened. She listened without interrupting, her fingers idly tracing the edge of a wine glass.
"She didn't test the drive immediately?" Vanessa asked.
"No. She's cautious. She'll open it somewhere she feels safe."
"Perfect," Vanessa murmured. "That's exactly what I want."
But Elise's voice cut in sharply. "Vanessa, are you sure about this? You're not just baiting her—you're provoking her. She's not going to take this quietly."
Vanessa set down the glass. "Good. Quiet enemies are dangerous. Loud ones are predictable."
Ethan glanced between them, sensing the tension. Elise's eyes were on Vanessa, but there was something else there—fear, maybe even guilt.
---
At two in the morning, Ethan's phone buzzed. It was a message from Caroline. You're better than I thought. Followed by an address.
When he showed Vanessa, she smiled faintly. "She's inviting you in. She thinks you've switched sides completely."
Ethan frowned. "Then what's at that address?"
Vanessa's gaze was unreadable. "That's where you'll find out whether she's the hunter… or the prey."
---
The following evening, Ethan stood outside a sleek, dimly lit villa on the edge of the city. Caroline greeted him in a black silk gown, her hair loose around her shoulders.
"I wanted to thank you in person," she said, leading him inside. The villa smelled faintly of roses and something darker, like burned amber.
She poured two glasses of wine and handed him one. "Do you know what I found on that drive?"
Ethan forced a shrug. "Everything I said you would."
Caroline smiled, slow and sharp. "Yes. And more. Patterns. Clues. Little breadcrumbs I know Vanessa didn't leave there by accident."
His pulse quickened. "You think she's setting you up?"
"I know she is," Caroline said, stepping closer. "And I want you to help me turn it back on her."
---
Back at the riad, Vanessa sat alone in the courtyard, staring into the pool's still water. She didn't look up when Elise appeared.
"Did you send him to her knowing she'd figure it out?" Elise asked quietly.
Vanessa's smile was faint and cold. "Of course. The only way to see how far Caroline will go is to let her think she's winning."
"And Ethan?" Elise pressed. "He's not a chess piece, Vanessa."
For the first time, Vanessa looked up. "No, Elise. He's the knife. The only question is whose hand he'll be in when this ends."