: A Game

er his cryptic words with everything I'd discovered-or rather, hadn't discovered-about the merger.

d into my room, locking the door behind me. Pulling the card out, I studied the name printed neatly acro

I trus

If there were discrepancies in the Vance Gro

I grabbed it, half-expecting another reminder about some event I wa

in the lib

e settling in my

-

ather-bound books and a fireplace that cast a warm glow over the room. Alex stood n

epping inside and clos

as cold and unreadable a

bo

lan

of irritation through me. I crossed my arms

ou think," he sai

Because she seemed pretty eager

his dark hair. "Melanie isn't just s

t me like a

eding him information about my business d

is new revelation. "Why would your

id bitterly. "In his eyes, I'm just anoth

ed. "So, what do

e said, his gaze piercing. "To mak

nough that our fathers had trapped us in this sham of a marriage. Now they had

asked, my voice bar

ightening. "We keep prete

-

a pit of vipers. Everywhere I turned, I felt Melanie's e

Alex?" she asked one afternoon, h

, forcing a smile. "

g up its prey. "Just making sure. You know, marriage c

eeth. "Thanks

-

revisit the detective's card. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I

he gruff voice o

"You said you were investigating the Vance Gro

s just say there's money moving around that shouldn't be. Offshore accou

"What does that h

me of the document

mpossible. I haven

ou up, Jade. My guess? They're planning to

father wouldn't-couldn't-do

I do?" I

Holden said. "And call

-

earching for any hint of the deception Holden had mentioned. Late one ni

ht streaming through the windows. I rifled through drawers, flipped

en I f

it, my breath catching as I scanned the papers inside. They were financial records,

ying me to shady deals I had no knowledge of. My hands

for som

from my hands as Alex stepped into

here?" I demanded, t

" he said, his gaze flicking to

said, my voice rising. "Why is my name on th

hought he wasn't going to answer. But then

the merger to cover up years of illegal deali

y?" I echoed, my

on you," he said bluntly. "Your name, your

ht of his words settled over

his voice softer now. "And because I didn't

d them away, anger bubbling to th

aze searching mine. "

voice firm. "We can't let

lright. But if we're going to do this, we have to

-

first time, Alex and I were on the same side, united by a common enemy. But

as always

on that Melanie wasn't the