The price of Powerv

Chapter Eighteen: The Price of Power

Jade's Desperate Gamble

The night had already fallen when Jade left her penthouse, the weight of her decisions settling like an iron cloak on her shoulders. She had been up all night, staring at the messages on her phone and the files scattered on her desk, each one a reminder of how far she had fallen. There was no turning back now. The game had reached its final stage, and she needed to act—before it acted on her.

She had always been able to manipulate situations, make her own rules, but now, even she couldn't deny the powerlessness creeping in. Jonathan, Mara, and now, Alexander—everyone was closing in on her, threatening to tear apart the life she had so carefully crafted.

I've always been in control, she thought as she stepped into the black SUV waiting for her downstairs. But control slips away, bit by bit. Tonight, I take it all back.

The car sped through the streets, the city lights blurring past as her mind raced through the only options left to her. If Mara wanted power, Jade could give her a taste of it, but at a price. If she could leverage the documents she had on Jonathan, perhaps that would tip the balance back in her favor.

Her phone buzzed again, and she glanced at it. It was another message from Jonathan.

Come alone. It's time to finalize our arrangement.

Her stomach churned at the words. She knew exactly what Jonathan wanted—her submission, her compliance, her soul for his gain. But she had no choice. If she didn't play her part, everything would unravel faster than she could contain it.

---

Alexander's Stand

Alexander was pacing his office, his mind replaying every moment with Jade like an endless loop of frustration and confusion. He couldn't escape the image of her desperate face, the way she had begged for his understanding. Despite the betrayal, despite the lies, there was a part of him that still cared for her. A part that didn't want to believe the woman he had come to trust was capable of so much deception.

But the documents didn't lie. His trust in her was shattered, and that was something he couldn't simply undo. He had built a life of control, of success, of calculated moves—and now, Jade had crumbled that illusion with her actions.

His phone rang, cutting through the silence of the room. The number on the screen made his chest tighten, but he answered anyway.

"Jade," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "What do you want now?"

There was a pause before her voice came through, softer than usual, but with an undeniable edge. "I need to see you."

His heart skipped a beat, but he held his ground. "No, Jade. We've been through this. You can't just fix this by asking to meet. I can't do this anymore."

"I'm not asking you to fix it," she said, her voice trembling. "But I need you to listen. Please, just hear me out."

He closed his eyes, frustration building inside him. "What more is there to say? What more do you think you can say to make it right?"

There was a long silence on the other end, and for a moment, he thought she had hung up. But then she spoke again, quieter, almost pleading.

"I'm not the person you think I am, Alexander. You don't know everything. I've made mistakes, yes, but I'm trying to fix them. I need you to understand that."

Her words hit him harder than he expected. He didn't know whether it was his lingering feelings for her or something else, but his resolve began to waver.

"You can't fix this, Jade," he said, his voice almost breaking. "Not after everything."

"I can," she insisted, her voice thick with emotion. "But only if you give me a chance."

He wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe in them, in what they had shared. But the truth gnawed at him, and with it, the betrayal. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling a sense of helplessness he hadn't experienced in years.

"I can't trust you anymore," he muttered, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. "I can't—"

The call ended abruptly before he could finish his sentence, and he stood there, staring at the phone in his hand, his chest tight with frustration.

---

Jade's Reckoning

Jade arrived at the location Jonathan had specified, a dimly lit, high-rise building on the outskirts of the city. The lights were off, and the building seemed eerily empty, like a fortress built to hide dark secrets. She had no illusions about what was about to transpire. This wasn't just a meeting—it was a reckoning.

The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out into a corridor that seemed to stretch endlessly before her. The walls were lined with dark, expensive art pieces, and the silence felt oppressive, as if the building itself was holding its breath.

At the end of the hallway, a door was slightly ajar, the only light coming from the room beyond. She approached it, her heart pounding, each step echoing in the quiet space.

Inside, Jonathan sat at a large, polished desk, his eyes glinting with cold calculation as he looked up from the stack of papers in front of him. He smiled, but it was devoid of warmth. "You came," he said, his voice smooth and mocking.

"I've come to make things right," Jade said, trying to sound confident, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her. "Let's talk about the terms. What do you want from me?"

Jonathan leaned back in his chair, eyeing her with amusement. "I want you, Jade. I always have. But now, I also want what you've been hiding. And you're going to give it to me."

Jade's stomach twisted. "You think you can control me, Jonathan? You can't. Not anymore."

"Not anymore?" he repeated, a dark laugh escaping his lips. "That's where you're wrong. You've always been under my thumb. You always will be. You'll do what I say. You'll give me everything I want."

Jade's blood ran cold, but she refused to show weakness. "I'm done being your pawn," she said firmly, her voice steadying as the full weight of the situation settled on her.

Jonathan's smile faltered, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of something dangerous in his eyes.

"You can't afford to be done, Jade," he hissed. "Not unless you're willing to lose everything. Everything you've worked for. Everything you've built."