The room was suffocating. Every breath Alexander took felt heavier than the last, as if the weight of his own betrayal pressed down on him. His eyes never left Olivia as she stood by James, the faintest of smiles playing on her lips. The woman he had once loved, the woman he had trusted, was now his enemy. But this… this was something beyond betrayal. This was something far darker.
"Olivia…" he breathed, his voice tight with disbelief. His hand was still clutching his gun, but it now felt like a foreign object in his palm, as useless as his sense of security. "What the hell is this?"
Olivia took a step forward, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "You should have seen this coming, Alexander. I tried to warn you, but you never listened. You were always too wrapped up in your own world, too focused on power and control to see the truth." Her gaze flicked toward James, who smirked at Alexander, leaning casually against the wall.
Alexander's heart pounded. "You… you've been working with him? This entire time?"
Olivia tilted her head, the coldness in her expression matching the icy tone of her voice. "I never wanted to be the perfect mafia wife, Alexander. I wanted power, influence. I wanted something more than just being your ornament. And James…" She paused, her lips curling into a wicked smile. "He offered me a chance to take it all. To finally have the control you always had."
James stepped forward, his dark eyes scanning Alexander's face. "You thought you were in control, huh? You thought you could protect everything—your family, your empire, your woman. But you were always playing in my game, Alexander. And now? Now I get to claim everything that was yours."
The words hit like a blow to the chest. Alexander's mind raced, but he couldn't grasp the full scope of what was happening. He had known Olivia was angry, but he never expected her to go this far. Never imagined she would willingly throw away everything she had just to destroy him.
"You've been using me," he said, his voice low with a dangerous edge. "You've been using all of us."
Olivia didn't flinch at his accusation. "I wasn't using you, Alexander. I was playing the game you've been playing all along. You just never realized that you were only a pawn in a much bigger scheme." Her eyes locked onto his. "And now, so is she."
At the mention of Eva, a rush of anger flooded Alexander's veins. He gripped his gun tighter, his fingers trembling with rage. "What have you done with her?"
"Oh, she's just fine for now," James interjected with a smirk. "But you'll soon realize that you've made a grave mistake. Every move you make from here on out will lead you right to your downfall. And Eva? She's just the beginning."
Alexander's stomach twisted in knots. Eva. He had left her at the mansion, thinking she would be safe. He had promised her that nothing would happen to her. And now, here he was, standing in front of the woman who had been his wife—who had been his partner—only to realize that she had been orchestrating his destruction all along.
Olivia stepped closer to him, her voice quiet but dripping with venom. "You never really loved me, did you, Alexander? You loved the idea of me, the way I fit into your world. But you never truly cared. Not like you care about her."
Her words struck him harder than any blow could. It was true. He had loved Olivia in a way, but somewhere along the way, that love had faded. And in its place had come something real with Eva—something deeper, more raw, more honest.
"Don't do this," he pleaded, though he knew the battle was already lost. "You're throwing everything away. For what? Power?"
Olivia's lips twisted into a mocking smile. "Power? No, Alexander. I'm throwing everything away for freedom. I'm tired of being a puppet in your world, tied to a life I never wanted. And now, I finally have the freedom to take everything from you. Everything."
The air in the room was thick with tension, the silence that followed Olivia's words deafening. James chuckled lowly, his eyes dancing with malice.
"You know, Alexander," he said, "this is the part where I would offer you a deal. But there's no deal here. Not anymore. You're done. Everything you've built will crumble, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."
A surge of rage and helplessness coursed through Alexander. He had been cornered. But there was one thing he knew for sure—he wasn't going to go down without a fight.
"I won't let you win," he said, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him.
James and Olivia exchanged a knowing look. "It's already over," Olivia said, her voice cold. "You just don't realize it yet."
Before Alexander could react, there was a sudden burst of movement from behind him. His men had stormed the building, guns blazing. The chaos erupted in a flurry of action—men on both sides scrambling to secure positions. The air was thick with gunfire, the sound deafening in the small room.
In the chaos, Alexander's eyes locked onto Olivia one last time. She was no longer the woman he had known, the woman he had once loved. She had become a shadow of what she once was, a stranger with no loyalty, no compassion.
He rushed toward the door, his mind focused on only one thing: Eva.
---
Back at the Mansion
Eva paced the grand hallway, anxiety gnawing at her insides. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Every second that passed felt like an eternity. Alexander hadn't returned, and her phone had remained silent. The silence was unbearable.
Just then, the door to the mansion swung open, and in walked one of Alexander's men, bloodied and bruised but alive. Eva's heart skipped a beat. "Where is he?" she demanded, her voice frantic. "Where's Alexander?"
The man's eyes were wide, fear evident in his gaze. "He's… he's coming. But—" He paused, swallowing hard. "There's been a change in the plans, ma'am. It's bad. He's been betrayed. Olivia… she's been working with James this entire time."
Eva's blood ran cold. The pieces of the puzzle clicked together, and the weight of the truth hit her like a ton of bricks. Olivia had been behind it all. She had played them both, manipulating everything to her advantage.
"Where is he?" Eva demanded again, her voice shaking.
"He's on his way," the man said, his voice laced with worry. "But the fight isn't over yet. There's more to this than we thought."
Eva's heart raced, the fear for Alexander overwhelming her. The man was right—this wasn't just about power anymore. This was a fight for their lives.