Checkmate

The Calm Before the Storm

Evelyn sat on the edge of the hotel bed, gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles ached.

The city lights outside blinked in the distance, but all she could hear was the sound of her own heart pounding.

Theo had been gone for hours.

Kade had refused to tell her where he went.

And Elias—

She shuddered.

His threats, his control, the way he twisted everything to his advantage—he thought he had won.

That she had no choice but to stay by his side.

But he had underestimated one thing.

She was done being his pawn.

Her phone buzzed.

She flinched, expecting another headline, another viral post.

But it was a message.

From Theo.

"Come downstairs."

Her breath caught.

She grabbed her coat and rushed out.

---

The Reckoning

Evelyn stepped into the parking garage, her eyes scanning the shadows.

Then she saw him.

Theo leaned against his black Aston Martin, arms crossed.

He looked—calm.

Too calm.

And that terrified her.

She hurried toward him. "Where have you been? What did you—"

Theo held up a hand.

"Elias's empire is burning,Evelyn."

She froze.

"What?"

Theo exhaled, stepping closer. "I went after his assets. His businesses. His bank accounts. Everything he's ever built—I hit it where it hurts."

Her stomach twisted.

"You—what did you do?"

Theo tilted his head. "Did you really think I was going to sit back and let him destroy you?"

Evelyn swallowed. "Theo, you don't understand. He doesn't lose. He—"

Theo's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile.

"He already lost."

Her breath caught.

She looked at him—really looked at him.

This wasn't just anger.

This was a man who had calculated every move.

A man who had already decided the ending.

"Tell me what you did," she whispered.

Theo stepped even closer. "I took away what he values most—power."

Evelyn's mind raced.

Elias wasn't just a businessman. He was a puppet master.

He controlled people. Systems. Wealth.

And Theo had just—

Oh God.

She pressed a hand to her chest. "He's going to come after you, Theo. After all of us."

Theo didn't blink.

"Let him."

---

Elias's Downfall Begins

Elias stood in his office, phone to his ear, rage burning through his veins.

"Fix this." His voice was sharp, controlled—but barely.

The man on the other end stammered. "Mr. Bennett the accounts—they're gone. Offshore holdings, stocks, everything—transferred, frozen, or wiped."

Elias's grip on the phone tightened. "That's impossible."

"It's not. Someone got into the system. Someone with powerful connections."

Elias's jaw clenched. "theo Bennett."

His goddamn rival.

Theo had played him.

And he had won.

Elias slammed the phone down so hard it cracked.

He grabbed the glass of whiskey off his desk, throwing it against the wall.

The shattering sound barely cut through his fury.

He turned to the massive window overlooking the city.

This wasn't over.

Not even close.

He still had one last card to play.

And when he did—

Theo would beg for mercy.

---

The Final Warning

Evelyn stood in the apartment, watching Theo pour himself a drink.

The silence between them was heavy.

"You destroyed him," she whispered.

Theo looked at her, his eyes dark.

"No," he corrected. "I just started."

Evelyn swallowed. "He won't take this lying down."

Theo smirked. "Good."

Evelyn took a step closer. "Theo, listen to me. Elias isn't just going to let you walk away after this. He's dangerous. If you keep pushing him—"

Theo set his glass down with a clink.

"I'm not afraid of Elias."

Her chest tightened.

"Maybe you should be," she whispered.

Theo exhaled, stepping forward. "Evelyn."

She looked up at him.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore," he said softly.

She searched his face, trying to find something—anything—that didn't feel like the end of the world closing in on them.

"Promise me," she said.

Theo's brows furrowed. "What?"

"Promise me this doesn't end with blood," she pleaded. "No more revenge. No more war."

Theo's jaw tightened.

He reached up, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I can't promise that," he admitted.

Her heart ached.

"Theo—"

But before she could finish, his phone buzzed.

He pulled it out.

His face went stone-cold.

"What is it?" she asked.

Theo's grip on the phone tightened.

His eyes darkened.

And then—

He turned the screen toward her.

Evelyn's stomach dropped.

It was a video.

A live feed..

Of Elias.

Sitting in a darkened room.

Looking straight at them.

And behind him—

Was someone tied to a chair.

Kade.

Evelyn's blood turned to ice.

Elias's voice came through the speaker, slow and taunting.

"Did you really think this was over, Theo?"

Evelyn's breath hitched.

Theo's hands clenched into fists.

Elias leaned forward, smirking.

"Let's raise the stakes, shall we?"

The screen went black.

Silence.

Heavy. Suffocating.

Theo looked up, his entire body radiating fury.

Evelyn's heart pounded.

This wasn't just a game anymore.

This was war.

And someone wasn't going to make it out alive.

---

End of Chapter 60