By the time Lydia reached Jaden's penthouse, her pulse was thundering so loud she could barely think. The elevator doors slid open with a quiet chime, revealing the familiar, polished corridor that once felt safe. Tonight, it felt like a tunnel leading straight into something darker.
She stood at his door for a moment before knocking. Nothing. She tried again, harder this time.
After a few tense seconds, the door opened.
Jaden stood there — shirt sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, hair slightly tousled. He looked every bit the man she'd fallen for, except for the shadow in his eyes.
"Lydia?" His voice was calm, but surprised. "It's past midnight. What are you doing here?"
She stepped in without answering, brushing past him. "We need to talk."
He shut the door, quietly. "About what?"
She turned, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear. "Someone's watching me, Jaden. Someone named Cassandra. She sent me messages—"
He froze, expression unreadable.
"Cassandra?" he repeated slowly, like the name itself was a ghost.
"Yes," Lydia said, her voice sharper now. "And she warned me about you."
For a long second, Jaden didn't move. His jaw clenched. His gaze shifted to the large glass windows, where the night city glowed like a thousand watchful eyes.
Finally, he said, "Lydia… you shouldn't have come here."
The way he said it — low, regretful, distant — sent a shiver down her spine.
"What do you mean by that?"
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "You don't understand what's happening. Cassandra isn't just some woman. She's dangerous."
"I know that! She kidnapped me once, remember? But this time it's different. She's in my phone, Jaden. She's everywhere. And I think she's trying to tell me something about you."
He turned sharply. "She's lying."
"How do you know that?" Lydia demanded. "How do you know unless—"
Jaden's voice rose, sharp as a whip. "Because I used to work with her!"
The room went still. Lydia blinked, unable to process his words.
"You… what?"
Jaden looked at her, the mask finally slipping from his face. "Before all of this — before you — I was part of a network. High-level investments, secret partnerships… and Cassandra was one of them. But she wanted more. She wanted control. When I walked away, she turned against me."
Lydia's heartbeat quickened. "So all of this—me, her, everything—was because of your past?"
His eyes softened. "I tried to keep you out of it, Lydia. But now she's found a way back in."
Lydia took a step back, shaking her head. "You should have told me the truth."
"I was trying to protect you."
She stared at him, voice barely a whisper. "And now she's warning me about you. So tell me, Jaden… who exactly are you protecting me from?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, the lights in the penthouse flickered — once, twice — and the large monitor on his desk turned on by itself.
A video started playing.
Cassandra's face filled the screen, smiling faintly.
"Hello, Lydia," she said, her voice smooth and chilling. "Looks like you finally asked the right questions."
Jaden's hand balled into a fist. "Turn it off."
But Lydia stepped closer to the screen, eyes wide with dread. "No… let her talk."
Cassandra leaned closer to the camera. "You think you know the man standing next to you? You have no idea what he's capable of."
The screen glitched — and then a short clip played.
A man in a suit. Jaden.
Standing over another man in a dark alley.
And then—gunfire.
Lydia gasped stumbling backward. "Jaden… tell me that's not you."
But he said nothing.