Twisted Allegiance

Geraldine couldn't breathe.

Not fully. Not deeply. Not in a way that reassured her this wasn't a dream turned nightmare. The walls of her lavish home suddenly felt too tight, like they were leaning in on her with Bekett's lies whispering through every crack.

The media hadn't picked it up yet, but she could feel the quiet before the storm. Bekett was too calm. Too quiet. That meant he was planning something. And that terrified her more than anything.

She sat by the window, watching Reena and Lovia play in the backyard like nothing had changed. Like they didn't nearly become test subjects in their own father's legacy.

Her phone buzzed.

KAISON MARX.

She stared at the name.

It vibrated again. Then once more.

She picked up on the third ring.

"Kaison," she said, voice like ice.

"I know you don't trust me, Geraldine. But you need allies."

She scoffed. "I'm done with men who smile in my face and load bullets behind my back."

"I'm not Bekett."

"No, you're just the devil's right hand."

There was silence. Then, calmly, he said, "Bekett isn't the devil, Geraldine. He's just a spoiled, brilliant sociopath playing war with human lives. The devil… is the Dominion board."

Her breath hitched.

"Come again?"

"Eden wasn't just Bekett's pet project. He was front man. But the board? They signed off on every step. Including using Reena and Lovia. If you think exposing Bekett will end this—" he paused, "—you're tragically naïve."

Geraldine's spine stiffened. "Then why call me?"

"Because Bekett crossed a line. He went rogue. The board's panicking. They'll clean house—and if you're in the way, you'll go down with him. Unless you make a deal."

"I don't make deals with demons."

"Geraldine." Kaison's voice dropped, softer now. "You have two little girls sleeping under your roof. Don't be proud. Be strategic."

She ended the call without a word.

And blocked his number.

Three days later, the fire began.

Headlines leaked: Donovan Empire Under Investigation. Anonymous files appeared on obscure websites. Finance records. Medical data. Lab reports. Whistleblowers began to surface like mushrooms after rain.

Geraldine stood in her kitchen as Lovia spilled milk on the marble floor, Reena humming to herself in the corner, unaware of the growing chaos around them.

Then the doorbell rang.

Tracy opened it.

It was Dano. Luciano Valez's cousin. Now a ghost in the world of crime turned fixer for the elite. He passed Geraldine a note with no words.

A single line written in ink:

They've moved the children's data to Blackmoor Vaults. Get there first or lose everything.

She turned to Tracy. "Call the driver. I need to move now."

Tracy stared. "What about the girls?"

Geraldine looked back at her daughters—so innocent. So breakable.

"I'm not running anymore. I'm finishing this."

Meanwhile, in the heart of Donovan Global, chaos brewed.

Kaison slammed his hand on the conference table.

"Are you mad? You're starting a smear war against your own wife?"

Bekett stood, suited and smug, his eyes darker than Kaison had ever seen.

"She declared war the moment she went public with Dominion. She wants a war, she'll get one."

Kaison moved slowly around the table, deadly quiet.

"You forget, Bekett—I'm not your puppet. And this company doesn't belong to just you. I own 34%. You make a wrong move again and I'll—"

"You'll what?" Bekett sneered. "Expose me? Join her?"

Kaison didn't blink. "No. I'll replace you."

The room went silent.

The threat was no longer veiled.

It was real.

That night, Geraldine broke into the Blackmoor Vaults with forged codes and a decoy team. She retrieved files—digital copies, surveillance, and something she didn't expect.

A letter. Addressed to Bekett. From someone named Lachlan Valez.

The bastard had been selling information. Planning to leverage Eden against the Dominions themselves. Bekett wasn't just protecting his ego—he was covering for a deal with a rival cartel boss.

Geraldine swallowed hard.

Suddenly, it all clicked.

This wasn't just corporate.

It was criminal.

She left the vault with the files pressed against her chest and a newfound certainty in her veins.

If Kaison was right… Bekett was just the first boss.

The real devils were behind the curtain.

And she had just stolen their secrets.