Chapter 13:GRIFFIN’S FRUSTRATION 

Ivy's POV

The door slams shut behind Griffin, the sound ringing through the penthouse. His eyes lock upon mine, flashing with hatred. He's still wearing his coat, his tie loose and askew, but there's no sign of tiredness in his fast motions. This is a guy fuelled purely by frustration and anxiety. 

"Ivy," he snaps, his voice taut. "We need to talk. Now." 

I swallow, already braced for what's ahead. "Griffin, what's going on?" 

He tosses his coat onto the closest chair and lunges at me. "I'll tell you what's going on. Your brother has been chatting to Victor Kane. Victor! Do you have any clue what type of peril that puts us in?" 

My breath stops in my throat. "I know," I answer gently. "Nathan didn't realize who Victor was. He didn't mean..." 

Griffin cuts me off, his tone sharper than a razor. "Intentions don't matter! Information does. And he gave Victor precisely what he'd been looking for....a breach in the armor. One incorrect phrase and Victor will use it to send everything tumbling down." 

"He's just a kid," I protest. "He didn't know what he was doing." 

Griffin moves forward, his gaze narrowing. "That kid could cost us everything. Do you comprehend that? Victor isn't playing games. He'll exploit every weakness, any vulnerability, and right now, Nathan is a neon sign blinking target." 

"I told him to stay away," I insist. "He promised he wouldn't talk to Victor again." 

Griffin shakes his head, laughing angrily. "Promises don't mean a damn thing to someone like Victor. He's already acquired what he wants access. And once he gets access, he'll come back for more." 

I fold my arms, attempting to preserve my calm even though my heart is thumping. "So what do you want me to do? Lock Nathan in his room and toss away the key?" 

Griffin exhales forcefully, raking a hand over his hair. "I want you to make him understand what's at stake. You're his sister. He'll listen to you." 

"I've already tried," I add, my voice shaking slightly. "He doesn't understand the kind of world you're involved in. How could he? We've never told him anything. All he knows is what Victor fed him." 

"And that's the problem!" Griffin snaps. "Victor has a head start, and now we're playing catch-up. I've spent years keeping this family safe keeping you secure. And now everything is sliding out of my hands because of one mistake." 

I cringe at his words. "Don't you dare blame this all on Nathan." 

His jaw tightens. "I'm not blaming him. I'm blaming the circumstance. But you have to realize how serious this is, Ivy. Victor wants to ruin me. Not just my business. And he'll burn down everybody standing next to me to make it happen." 

The weight of his words weighs heavily in the air. For a minute, none of us speaks, the stillness filled with tension so thick it's stifling. My mind speeds over everything that's occurred the late hours, the secrecy, the cryptic warnings from Victor. It's all spinning out of control quicker than I can fathom. 

"What aren't you telling me?" I ask gently. "You've been hiding something, Griffin. I know it." 

Griffin's eyes flicker with something I can't quite interpret fear, remorse, maybe both. He turns away, moving toward the window. "There are things you don't want to know." 

"I need to know," I push. "If we're in danger, if Nathan is in danger, you owe it to me to tell me the truth." 

He's quiet for a minute, peering out at the city lights. When he finally speaks, his voice is low and controlled. "Victor wasn't always my enemy. We used to be... partners." 

I blink, astonished. "Partners?" 

"Years ago," Griffin replies, turning back to face me. "We built something together a business venture. It was profitable, but it wasn't quite... legal. We were young and irresponsible. It worked for a while until it didn't. Victor grew greedy. I moved away before things became worse, but Victor... he never forgave me for leaving. He lost everything." 

"And now he wants revenge," I murmur, parts of the jigsaw slotting into place. 

Griffin nods. "He's been circling ever since, waiting for a moment of weakness. This...Nathan...this is the opening he's been waiting for." 

My pulse quickens. "But you're not involved in anything illegal now, right?" 

Griffin hesitates. "Not anymore. But Victor doesn't care about the truth. He'll concoct whatever tale he needs to take me down. If he can't locate dirt, he'll invent it." 

I feel the earth moving under me, the stability I once had breaking away. "So what do we do?" 

Griffin moves forward, his voice falling to a near whisper. "We get ahead of him. We cut him off before he can strike." 

"And how do we do that?" I ask, my voice trembling. 

Griffin's eyes harden. "We play his game. We find out what he knows, what he's planning, and we use it against him." 

"That's dangerous." 

"It's the only option." 

I nod slowly, my mind dizzy. "What about Nathan? He can't be a part of this." 

"I'll handle Nathan," Griffin says firmly. "He won't be involved. But you... I need you to trust me, Ivy. Completely." 

I search his face, trying to read the man I thought I knew. Trust is a dangerous word right now, but what choice do I have? The walls are closing in, and Victor is already too close. 

"I trust you," I say, even though part of me isn't sure whether that's true. 

Griffin wipes a strand of hair off my face, his touch lingering. "Good. Because things are going to become messy." 

That night, I lie awake, staring at the ceiling. Griffin is sleeping next me, his breathing calm, but I can't rest. My thoughts keepslooping back to Victor's warning and the notepad I discovered in the safe. The secrets Griffin's concealed from me are larger than I ever anticipated. 

What more don't I know? 

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and my heart lurches. I grab it, anticipating another communication from Victor. Instead, it's a message from an unknown number. 

Watch your back. You're in deeper than you realize. 

The room seems increasingly colder, shadows creeping over the borders of my vision. My grip tightens on the phone as I read the message again. 

Another text comes seconds later. 

And tell Griffin time's up. 

The phone almost slips from my grasp. My stomach sinks, a dreadful sense of dread rushing over me. 

I peek at Griffin, his face serene in slumber. For the first time, I worry how much longer we have until everything comes apart.