Checkmate

Chapter Six

Checkmate

The café was quiet. Too quiet.

Leila's pulse pounded in her ears as the slow, deliberate footsteps echoed closer. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Cassius.

The air shifted as he came into view, his presence filling the small space like a storm on the horizon. He didn't look at Jaxon. Didn't glance around. His eyes found hers, dark and unreadable, pinning her in place.

Then, instead of sitting across from her, he slid into the booth beside her. Close. A deliberate power move.

Leila forced herself to stay still. Don't react. Don't give him that satisfaction.

He smelled like whiskey and something colder, something dangerous. His suit was crisp, his control absolute.

"I didn't realize I needed your permission to have a conversation," she said, keeping her voice steady.

Cassius didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Jaxon, finally acknowledging the other man's presence. "You have something she wants," he said smoothly. "Which means you have something I want."

Jaxon let out a low chuckle, tapping his fingers against his coffee cup. "Funny. I don't recall owing you any favors."

Cassius tilted his head slightly, studying him the way a predator sizes up its prey. "Then name your price."

Leila stiffened. No. This was her fight. She wasn't about to let Cassius step in and take over.

"I can handle this," she said, starting to stand.

Cassius barely moved. Just a slight brush of his fingers against her wrist—light, but firm enough to make her pause.

"You're in my game, Leila." His voice was soft, but the steel beneath it was unmistakable. "That means I make the moves."

Her breath caught. Not because of his words, but because of the way he said them. Not a threat. Not a warning. A simple, undeniable truth.

Jaxon's gaze flickered between them, amusement sparking in his eyes. "You two are something else. Power struggles like this usually end in blood."

Cassius smiled. Slow. Sharp. "Not mine."

Jaxon let out a low whistle. "Fair enough."

He reached into his coat pocket and slid a slim black envelope across the table.

Leila's fingers curled into fists. Too easy.

"What's the catch?" Cassius asked lazily.

Jaxon shrugged. "Let's just say… I like watching how this plays out. Consider it a favor. For now."

Cassius picked up the envelope but didn't open it. Just ran his thumb over the edge before slipping it into his jacket.

Then he stood.

He held out a hand to Leila. A silent command.

She ignored it.

His smirk deepened. "Suit yourself."

Jaxon shook his head as she followed Cassius toward the exit. "Careful, sweetheart," he called after her. "You might think you're playing him, but Cassius? He doesn't lose."

Leila didn't turn back.

"Neither do I," she murmured under her breath.

Beaumont Tower – Cassius's Penthouse

The city stretched below them in a sea of lights, but the air inside the penthouse was thick. Heavy.

Cassius stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his back to her, the black envelope in his hand.

He hadn't spoken since they arrived.

Leila crossed her arms. "Are you going to open it, or just stare at it?"

Still, nothing.

Then, with that effortless grace that made everything he did feel calculated, he flicked the envelope open.

A single photograph slid onto the glass table.

Leila stepped closer.

Her stomach dropped.

It was a surveillance photo. Of her.

Not just her—her apartment. Her routine. The timestamps showed someone had been watching her for weeks.

Cassius's jaw tightened. His entire body went still, his usual ease replaced with something colder.

"This isn't from me," he said.

Leila swallowed hard. She knew that. Knew Cassius was controlling, but this? This was different. This was a message.

A warning.

She inhaled sharply. "Who else would be watching me?"

Cassius finally turned. His face was unreadable, but his eyes burned.

"That's what we're about to find out."

The game had changed.

And neither of them was ready for what came next in the line

A Silent War

The penthouse felt suffocating.

Leila stood by the glass table, her pulse drumming in her ears as she stared at the surveillance photo. The image of her own face—unaware, caught in a private moment—sent a chill through her veins.

This wasn't just a warning. It was personal.

Across the room, Cassius was silent, his face unreadable as he studied the picture. But Leila didn't miss the slight shift in his posture—the way his fingers curled slightly against the edge of the table, like he was holding something back.

She swallowed hard. "This isn't just some random stalker, is it?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he lifted the photo again, turning it over between his fingers. A moment later, he set it down.

"No."

That one word settled deep in her chest. Heavy.

Leila exhaled sharply, forcing down the unease creeping up her spine. "Then who?"

Cassius finally looked at her, his gaze sharp and unwavering. "Someone sending a message."

She let out a hollow laugh. "Well, I got the message loud and clear."

But even as she said it, her stomach twisted.

They'd been watching her. Studying her.

And now, they wanted her to know.

Cassius's voice cut through her thoughts. "Look at the timestamp."

Leila's gaze flickered back to the photo. Her breath hitched.

"Three nights ago."

Her mind raced. Three nights ago, she had been—

She inhaled sharply. "I was at my apartment. Alone."

Cassius's expression didn't change, but something in the air shifted. His fingers tightened slightly against the table, his jaw clenching for the briefest moment before he masked it with that same effortless control.

Then, without hesitation, he said, "Pack a bag."

Leila blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're not going back there."

She let out a short, incredulous laugh. "I don't take orders from you."

Cassius tilted his head slightly, watching her with quiet amusement. "That's adorable, princess. You think this is up for debate."

Leila clenched her jaw, but before she could throw another sharp retort his way, his phone buzzed.

He pulled it out, glancing at the screen. Something flickered across his face—too fast for her to catch.

Then, without another word, he turned and strode toward the door.

"Where are you going?" she demanded.

He didn't look back.

"To find out who just declared war."

Then he was gone.

And Leila, for the first time in a long time, wasn't sure if she was the hunter or the prey.