Part 21 –
The walls of Wolfe Enterprises had never felt so cold.
Lila sat in Ethan's private conference room, watching him prepare for the board meeting with a laser-sharp focus that only masked the storm raging inside him.
In his hands, he held the folder she had risked her life to retrieve.
In it, the proof that Wolfe Enterprises had a hidden enemy born from within the Wolfe bloodline itself.
But even with the truth in their grasp, one terrible fact remained:
Someone inside the company was already helping the enemy.
And if they didn't find out who it was soon…
they were both doomed.
Boardroom Showdown
The room filled slowly with board members, their expensive suits and practiced smiles doing nothing to hide the tension crackling in the air.
Charles Lyman sat at the head of the polished oak table, his expression carefully blank.
Julian Drake lounged lazily two seats down, tapping his pen against the table in an obnoxious rhythm.
Every glance Lila caught seemed sharp and suspicious.
They knew Ethan was coming in with ammunition.
They just didn't know what kind.
Ethan entered with the same commanding presence he always had but today, there was a ruthlessness under his calm exterior that made even the most arrogant members sit up straighter.
He tossed the folder onto the table with a hard thud.
"Before we proceed," he said coolly, "I suggest everyone take a look at this."
No one moved.
Ethan smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
It was the kind of smile that promised war.
"Or," he said more quietly, "I can assume your silence means guilt."
That got them moving.
One by one, the board members flipped through the documents, growing paler with each page.
Lila watched as Julian Drake stiffened just for a moment before smoothing his features back into a mask of boredom.
But it was too late.
She had seen it.
He knew.
And that meant he wasn't working alone.
He was just the puppet.
The real betrayer... was still sitting in this room.
Watching.
Waiting.
An Ultimatum Delivered
When the meeting ended two hours later, Ethan and Lila barely had time to breathe before a new bomb dropped.
An envelope.
Unmarked, slipped beneath Ethan's office door.
Inside: a simple handwritten note.
You have 48 hours.
Hand over Wolfe Enterprises—or Lila pays the price.
No signature.
No clue who sent it.
But the message was clear.
They weren't threatening Ethan's company anymore.
They were threatening her.
Lila felt her blood turn to ice.
She had known the risks.
She had accepted them.
But seeing it spelled out so starkly
knowing they weren't bluffing
made her stomach twist in fear.
She looked up to find Ethan already watching her, a muscle ticking dangerously in his jaw.
"I'm not handing you over," he said, voice low and furious.
"Don't even think about asking."
"I wasn't going to," Lila whispered, reaching for his hand.
"But Ethan... we need a real plan. Before they take the choice away from us."
The Impossible Offer
Later that night, while Ethan made secret calls to tighten their security, Lila stepped out onto the penthouse balcony, needing air.
The city glittered below, full of life and motion, utterly unaware of the war brewing above them.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Blocked number.
She hesitated then answered.
A familiar, cold voice filled her ear.
Julian Drake.
"Still pretending you can win this, Lila?" he drawled. "How sweet. But it's over."
"I don't make deals with cowards," she snapped.
He laughed softly.
"Then consider it mercy. I'm offering you a way out."
Lila gripped the railing so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"What do you want?" she bit out.
"It's simple," Julian said smoothly. "Convince Ethan to step down. Walk away together. Live your pretty little life in luxury with a fat settlement package."
He let the words hang before adding:
"Or stay and watch him lose everything. His company. His fortune. His freedom. You know we can make it happen, Lila."
Her heart pounded violently.
They weren't just threatening lawsuits and bad press anymore.
They were threatening to bury Ethan completely and use her to do it.
"You have until tomorrow night," Julian said.
"Think carefully, darling."
The line went dead.
Between Love and Betrayal
Lila stared at her phone for a long time after the call ended.
Inside, she heard Ethan's voice, low and tired, as he spoke to one of his legal advisors.
He trusted her.
He loved her.
She could see it every time he looked at her like she was the only thing in the world worth fighting for.
And now...
she had the power to either save him or destroy him.
No matter which choice she made, someone would get hurt.
But only one choice meant protecting the man who had risked everything to stand by her.
Lila took a deep breath.
She knew what she had to do.
And she wasn't going to let Ethan Wolfe fight this war alone.
Not now.
Not ever.