Page 5 of Forbidden Empire

After years of mastering indifference, pushing people away, and keeping them at arm's length, why was it Aidon Erebus whoaffected me this way? Why couldn't I shake off what he made me feel or think? It was so easy with everyone else.

Why not him?

I stood up from the chair, walked to the bar cart, and poured a glass of whiskey. Lifting the glass to catch the last rays of sunset, I watched the amber swirl inside.

I stared into the spirit, hoping to find some answer or clarity. Perhaps it was the challenge he presented, the way he refused to let anyone outplay him, or was it something else, a lure toward him that I couldn't explain or control?

With a heavy sigh, I placed the glass on a nearby table and pressed my palms against its smooth surface. That was when a realization hit me.

At some point in this dangerous game we began playing long ago, I stopped caring about the rules.

I was fucked.

Three

Esme

Aidon's gaze burned into me as I paced back and forth in his dimly lit penthouse office. The air was thick with unspoken tension, contrasting with the positive energy of the bright sunlight shining down on Las Vegas this morning.

Aidon leaned against the desk, his arms crossed in front of him, demanding answers without speaking a word.

"You're wasting time," he said after he was tired of the wait. "If you have a plan, lay it out."

I stopped mid-step and turned to face him, giving him a mocking laugh. "A plan? Do you think we can take down Zeno's empire with just one plan? This isn't a game of chess, Aidon. It's war."

"Then tell me where to aim," he retorted. "Because all you've been doing is talking in circles."

I moved across the room and stood just inches from him. "You think it's that simple? Taking down Zeno doesn't happen by barging through his front door. He's not stupid."

Aidon straightened, his tall frame casting a shadow over me. His body warmth pressed against me without ever touching, and for a moment, I wondered if he might close the distance.

But he didn't. He never showed me more than a glimpse of his intensity, just enough to unsettle me. Just enough to keep me hanging on the edge. Just enough to remind me of everything I lost when I walked away.

"Then enlighten me," he challenged with dangerous softness. "What do you need from me, Esme?"

I hesitated, feeling my confidence waver under his piercing gaze.

For a few moments, memories surfaced, from Zeno's smug grin as he warned me what would happen if I ever stepped out of line to the lies I told for him to survive.

I pushed the past away and focused on Aidon, uncertainty rising up.

Was Aidon the answer, or was I making another mistake? But I pushed those thoughts aside and steeled myself.

"I need your access," I said, my voice steady. "Your resources. Zeno has a vault that very few know about. And those who know, only a trusted one or two can access. I know the location and how to get in."

Aidon raised an eyebrow. "A vault? What's inside?"

"Leverage," I replied. "Enough to bring Zeno down from the inside out. But it isn't in a typical location and protected by a system that perhaps your connections can bypass."

There was a tense pause as we both let the weight of my words sink in.

A heavy silence lingered between us, filled with unspoken questions and doubts. I saw Aidon's mind working, taking in my words, dissecting them, and looking for any cracks in my story.

Finally, he spoke up again. "If I agree to this, there's no turning back. You betray me again, Esme..."

You'll kill me, I said with a roll of my eyes. "Yes, Aidon, I've heard the threat before. But if I betray you, I'll face much bigger problems than just you. Zeno doesn't forgive traitors."

Family or not, I was a tool to Zeno, a pawn to use as he pleased—no more. I couldn't do it anymore.