Chapter 28: The Devil’s Bargain

Sabrina barely slept that night. Even after leaving Knight Industries, her mind refused to quiet. Victor's words haunted her. Loyalty has a price, and you're already paying it.

She had made her choice, but was it truly hers to make? Or had Nathaniel manipulate her into it, just like he did with everything else?

By morning, she had her answer.

She awoke to the sound of her phone ringing on the nightstand. Groggy, she went for it. The unfamiliar number made her hesitate, but something compelled her to answer.

"Sabrina Vance," a deep voice murmured on the other end.

She sat up, instantly alert. "Who is this?"

A chuckle. Slow. Amused. Dangerous.

"I could ask you the same thing. Who are you, really, Sabrina? A woman who plays pretend in a world of kings? Or a queen who doesn't yet know the power she holds?"

Her grip tightened on the phone. "What do you want?"

"What I want," the voice said smoothly, "is a conversation. One I think you'll find… enlightening."

A message popped up on her screen. An address.

"I suggest you come alone," the man continued. "But we both know Knight won't let you."

The line went dead.

Sabrina's heart pounded.

Who the hell was this?

Thirty Minutes Later

Nathaniel's jaw was tight as he stared at the message on her phone.

"This is a trap," he said, tossing the device onto the table.

Sabrina folded her arms. "Obviously."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly restraining himself. "Then tell me why you're even considering it."

She met his gaze, steel in her own. "Because I want answers. And you sure as hell aren't giving them to me."

Nathaniel's lips pressed into a thin line. The tension between them crackled, charged with something unspoken.

"You don't know who you're dealing with, Sabrina."

She tilted her head, challenging him. "Then tell me."

Silence.

His jaw clenched, but he didn't speak. And that was answer enough.

"You can't keep me in the dark forever, Nathaniel," she murmured, stepping closer. "I'm already in this. Don't you think I deserve to know what I'm up against?"

His hand shot out, gripping her wrist. Not rough. But firm. A warning.

"This isn't a game," he said, his voice lower now, darker.

Sabrina swallowed, her pulse skittering at the heat in his gaze.

It wasn't just anger.

It was something else.

Something dangerous.

She should have pulled away. Should have broken the moment before it became something neither of them could control.

But she didn't.

Instead, she lifted her chin. "Then stop treating me like a pawn."

A muscle ticked in his jaw.

Then, suddenly, he pulled her closer. The air between them thinned, the space almost nonexistent.

"I'm not keeping you in the dark because I don't trust you," he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. "I'm keeping you in the dark because I don't want to lose you."

Sabrina's heart stuttered.

His fingers brushed her jaw, tilting her face up toward his. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her.

But he didn't.

Instead, he exhaled sharply and released her, stepping back like he needed the distance.

"You're not going alone," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

He was already making plans before Sabrina had a chance to comprehend what had just transpired.

They were headed to meet the guy who may make all the difference, and she hardly had time to recover her breath.

An Abandoned Warehouse – Edge of the City

The place was empty. Silent.

Too silent.

Sabrina's heels echoed against the concrete floor as she moved ahead. Nathaniel was immediately beside her, his moves cautious and calculated.

Then—

A voice from the shadows.

"Well, well. You actually came."

A man emerged from the darkness. Tall. Dressed in an expensive suit. But it wasn't his clothes that held Sabrina's attention.

It was his presence.

Cold. Commanding. And entirely unbothered by the fact that Nathaniel's hand had already gone to the gun at his hip.

"You can relax, Knight," the man drawled. "If I wanted her dead, she wouldn't have made it this far."

Sabrina's stomach twisted.

Nathaniel didn't move, his expression unreadable. "Tell me why you're here, Alistair."

Alistair.

The name sent a chill down Sabrina's spine.

She had heard whispers. A ghost in the underworld. A king without a throne.

And he was looking right at her.

"You intrigue me, Sabrina," he mused, stepping closer. "Do you even realize what you've walked into?"

Sabrina forced herself to meet his gaze. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

His lips curved. "Gladly."

Then, with a smirk, he said the words that changed everything.

"Victor Reid isn't your biggest threat."

Sabrina's blood ran cold.

Alistair chuckled at her reaction. "You think Knight Industries is the top of the food chain?" He shook his head. "There's a war brewing, sweetheart. And you're standing right in the middle of it."

Sabrina felt Nathaniel stiffen beside her.

"I don't believe you," she said, but her voice wasn't as firm as she wanted it to be.

Alistair tsked. "Then you're not as smart as I thought." He glanced at Nathaniel. "Tell her, Knight. Tell her what Victor's really after."

Nathaniel didn't speak.

Alistair's smirk widened. "That's what I thought."

He returned to Sabrina, going closer so she could see the amusement in his cold, calculating eyes.

"I'll be seeing you again, darling," he murmured.

Then, just as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone.

Sabrina turned to Nathaniel, her pulse hammering. "What did he mean?"

Nathaniel's jaw was tight. "We need to leave. Now."

But Sabrina wasn't letting this go.

Because for the first time since stepping into this world, she realized—

She wasn't just playing a role in someone else's game.

She was the game.

And she had no idea why.