A dangerous line-the final move

A Dangerous Line – The Final Move

Leila barely had time to process before she was escorted into the elevator, Cassius standing beside her, his presence overwhelming.

The air between them crackled with unspoken tension.

She should have been afraid.

Maybe she was.

But fear wasn't enough to stop her now.

As the elevator doors slid open, revealing the opulence of Cassius's penthouse, she turned to face him.

"This—" she gestured between them, "—isn't going to work if you keep treating me like a pawn."

Cassius arched a brow, stepping forward.

"You signed the contract, Leila."

She lifted her chin. "And so did you. But that doesn't mean I'm yours to control."

Cassius studied her for a long moment. Then, instead of responding, he reached for his phone.

A single text.

A command.

Leila's own phone buzzed a second later.

Her stomach twisted as she pulled it out, her fingers tightening around the device as she read the words.

Jaxon Carter is gone.

She snapped her gaze to Cassius, disbelief and fury flashing through her. "What did you do?"

Cassius exhaled, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"He was a loose end."

Leila's pulse roared in her ears.

"You had no right," she hissed, stepping closer, her heart pounding against her ribs.

Cassius didn't flinch. If anything, he looked… intrigued.

"Tell me, Leila," he murmured. "Would you rather I let him sell you out to my enemies?"

She froze.

Because as much as she wanted to deny it, a part of her knew—Jaxon had never done anything without expecting something in return.

And Cassius knew it, too.

Her breath came in sharp and uneven as she shook her head. "You don't get to decide who stays in my life."

Cassius smirked. "Don't I?"

Leila swallowed hard, her anger warring with something darker, something dangerous.

Because the truth was, Cassius Beaumont wasn't just a man who controlled power.

He was power.

And she had willingly stepped into his world.

A world where there were no second chances.

No easy escapes.

Her voice was steady when she spoke again. "If you think this will make me fear you, you're wrong."

Cassius chuckled, low and knowing.

"I don't need you to fear me, Leila." He stepped closer, so close she could feel the heat radiating from him. "I just need you to understand—there's no way out of this now."

Leila met his gaze, fire burning behind her own.

She should walk away.

Should fight harder.

But instead, she whispered, "I never wanted a way out."

Cassius's smirk faded, his expression turning unreadable.

And then, just like that, the game between them changed.

For better.

Or for worse.