Chapter 3: The Deeper The Rabbit Hole

Ryan's POV

The silence of his office was deafening as Ryan leaned back in his chair, his hands steepled in front of him. He had been watching Noah for days now. The reporter was relentless—digging, searching, pushing deeper into a world he had no business knowing.

Ryan had underestimated him. He thought Noah would be just another reporter, a curiosity who would eventually back off when things got too dangerous. But Noah had a fire in him, a need to uncover the truth. And that made him dangerous.

The phone buzzed on his desk, pulling him out of his thoughts. He picked it up and read the message.

"The cleanup's complete. No trace left."

Ryan nodded and placed the phone back down. That wasn't the problem anymore. Noah was.

The man had started to ask the right questions. The kind of questions that could lead him to uncover everything. Ryan couldn't let that happen. Not yet. Not when everything was so close to falling into place.

He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and stood up. It was time to make sure Noah got distracted. He needed to understand that this wasn't just a story for him. This was his life now.

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Noah's POV

Noah wasn't the type to get scared easily. He'd faced death before. He'd stared down the barrel of a gun more times than he cared to count. But there was something about this case that was different. It wasn't just about the crime or the murder. It was about the people behind it—the men who ruled with an iron fist, controlling everything, making sure no one crossed them.

And Ryan Asher? Ryan was at the center of it all. The way he had stared at Noah that night at the crime scene, the way he watched him now—it was almost as if Ryan was daring him to get closer. He knew that Ryan was hiding something. But what?

Noah sat at his desk in the small office he rented, the dim light of his desk lamp casting shadows on the walls. He had gone through every piece of evidence again—looking for something, anything, that could give him a lead. There were whispers of a bigger organization, of a man who pulled the strings, but no one seemed to know for sure who that man was.

Noah's phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was a text from his friend, Alex.

"Stop digging into Ryan. This isn't just a story. It's dangerous."

Noah scoffed and tossed his phone aside. Alex was worried. He always was. But Noah wasn't going to stop now. He couldn't.

The door to his office creaked open, and Noah looked up to see a familiar face. It was his old friend, Jake, one of the few people who knew what Noah was really after.

"Still chasing ghosts?" Jake asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Always," Noah replied, his eyes narrowing. "But this one... This one's different."

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Ryan's POV

Ryan walked into the bar, the usual hum of chatter filling the air. He ignored the few people who recognized him and made his way to the back, where he had arranged to meet Leo.

"How's it going?" Ryan asked, his voice low as he sat down across from Leo.

Leo slid a manila folder across the table. "I've got some intel on Noah Thompson. He's been asking questions that hit a little too close to home. I've got eyes on him, but he's persistent."

Ryan leaned back in his chair, glancing through the file. "He's getting too close."

"We should shut him down before he digs any deeper," Leo suggested, his eyes dark with concern.

Ryan didn't answer right away. Instead, he took a long sip of his drink. The weight of the decision sat heavily on his shoulders. He'd handled problems before—made them disappear without a second thought. But Noah... Noah was different.

Ryan didn't know why. But there was something about him. Something that made Ryan hesitate.

"Not yet," Ryan said, his voice cold. "We keep an eye on him, but we don't make a move unless we have to."

Leo raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "You're the boss."

Ryan's mind raced, a thousand different plans running through his head. He couldn't let Noah get too close, but he couldn't let him slip away either. This was a game of control, and Ryan intended to win.

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Noah's POV

The night felt colder than usual as Noah walked toward his apartment, the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. His phone buzzed again, and he pulled it from his pocket. Another message from Alex.

"This is your last warning. Drop it, Noah. Before it's too late."

He shoved the phone back into his pocket, clenching his jaw. He didn't know why Alex was so insistent. Maybe he was right—maybe this case was bigger than Noah had realized. But he couldn't back down. Not when he was so close.

As he reached his building, a figure stepped out of the shadows, blocking his path. Ryan Asher.

"You're still on this, aren't you?" Ryan's voice was calm, almost amused, as he leaned against the brick wall.

Noah took a step back, his instincts telling him to be cautious. "What do you want, Asher?"

Ryan smirked, his eyes gleaming with something that sent a shiver down Noah's spine. "I told you before, Thompson. Some things are better left buried."

Noah held his ground, his gaze locking with Ryan's. "And I told you... I don't back down."

Ryan took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them. "That's what makes you dangerous."

Noah didn't flinch. "And what makes you think you're not?"

For a moment, the two men stood in silence, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. Then, without another word, Ryan turned and walked away, leaving Noah standing in the dark.

But Noah knew one thing for sure: this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

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