THE MESSAGE HE WASN'T MEANT TO SEE.

Volume 3, Chapter 98 – The Message He Wasn't Meant to See

The office was quiet. The kind of quiet that wasn't peaceful, but heavy—suffocating. The weight of it pressed down on Vincent as he sat at his desk, fingers curled against the polished wood.

Zane had only stepped out for a moment. Just to grab some water. He hadn't taken his phone with him. It lay there, forgotten, screen dark and undisturbed.

Vincent knew better than to look.

But then—

The screen lit up.

A message.

Then another.

The name at the top made Vincent's pulse slow.

Nathan.

His chest tightened. The air in the room felt thinner. He didn't touch the phone, but his eyes burned as they flicked to the preview on the screen.

Nathan: You're starting to see it now, aren't you?

Nathan: Vincent's hiding things from you.

Nathan: And soon, you'll understand why you can't trust him.

A sharp exhale left Vincent's lips.

It had begun.

Nathan wasn't coming at him with threats or violence. No, that wasn't how Cain's people worked.

They worked in the shadows.

They twisted words like knives.

And now, they were using Zane to carve Vincent apart.

His throat tightened. His hands curled into fists. He had known this was coming. Had seen the signs, felt the tension coiling in the air. But knowing wasn't the same as watching it unfold.

Nathan was playing the long game.

And doubt?

Doubt was his weapon of choice.

Vincent let out a slow breath, forcing himself to relax. No sudden moves. No unnecessary tension. He set the phone back down exactly as it had been, fingers carefully slipping away just as the soft click of the door filled the room.

Zane.

Vincent didn't turn immediately. He felt Zane's presence before he saw him, felt the quiet energy that always followed him, sharp and unreadable.

Zane walked in, a bottle of water in hand, gaze flicking across the room before settling on his phone.

And in that moment—

Vincent knew.

Something had shifted.

Something subtle. Dangerous.

Zane picked up his phone, thumb swiping across the screen. His face remained unreadable, but Vincent caught it—

The slightest pause.

The tension in his fingers.

The way his lips pressed together for just a second too long.

He had read it.

Nathan's words were in his head now.

Crawling. Digging.

Vincent stayed still, waiting. Watching.

Zane's jaw flexed, but he didn't speak right away. Instead, he locked his phone and placed it back down on the desk with an ease that felt forced.

He lifted his gaze, meeting Vincent's.

And what Vincent saw there—

Wasn't anger.

It wasn't even suspicion.

It was worse.

It was hesitation.

Vincent's stomach twisted.

Zane wanted to believe him.

But doubt had already taken root.

And once doubt settled in?

It never left quietly.

Vincent exhaled, forcing himself to lean back in his chair, keeping his movements slow, controlled. "Something wrong?"

Zane's expression didn't change. "No."

A lie. A small one. But a lie nonetheless.

Vincent didn't push. Not yet.

Because if he did—

He might just shatter the last fragile piece of trust holding them together.

And right now?

He couldn't afford to lose it.

Not when the game had only just begun.

---