Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“Orchid’s not the enemy,” I say again, louder this time. “Serafina wasn’t behind today’s kidnapping. Those people, Marlo, Tammy, and Mark. They’re not part of Goldenbell.”
Gage nods from the back seat. “We’ll sort everything out once we get back to Maddox HQ. Right now we need to get you somewhere safe.”
Ozzy’s voice is calm but firm. “We’ve got her, Poe. She’s in custody. No one is going to hurt her. We’ll figure out the rest at HQ. For now, just breathe. You’re safe. Enley’s safe. That’s what matters.”
I stare out the window as the industrial park blurs past, the SUV speeding down the highway. My mind’s still reeling. Orchid is FBI. She’s been playing a dangerous game inside Goldenbell for over a year. She was trying to take Serafina down from the inside. And I had her. I had her in my arms, in my bed, trusting me with her body if nothing else.
I care about her. Deeply. More than I ever expected to in this mess. And now she’s in Maddox custody, and I have to let them know she’s not a part of Goldenbell.
The SUV keeps moving, carrying me away from the warehouse, away from the chaos, but my thoughts stay with her. With the woman who took control of me so completely and the woman who’s been fighting the same war I’ve been fighting, only from the other side of the fence.
I lean my head back against the seat and close my eyes, the weight of everything settling heavy on my chest.
Whatever happens next at Maddox HQ, whatever questions they have for her, whatever secrets still need to come out, I know one thing for certain.
I’m not letting them take her away from me.
Not without a fight.
The road stretches ahead, the SUV eating up the miles, but my mind races toward whatever comes next.
Because Orchid isn’t the enemy.
She never was.
And I’m going to make sure everyone knows it.
THIRTY
ORCHID
The fluorescent lights in the interrogation room buzz overhead like angry insects, casting a harsh, sterile glow that makes everything feel too sharp, too exposed. My wrists are still raw from the zip-ties, and my shoulder throbs where one of the henchmen had manhandled me into the van. I sit at the metal table, back straight, chin lifted, trying to hold onto the last scraps of the enforcer mask I’ve worn for so long. But inside, I’m unraveling.
Marlo took advantage of me.
The realization burns like acid in my chest. All those late-night calls, the careful guidance, the promises that we were doing the right thing by taking Serafina down from the inside. I trusted her. I risked everything for her. And now I’m sitting here in Maddox custody while she sits across from Dean Maddox in another room, spinning whatever story keeps her looking clean. I want to expose her. I want to scream the truth until someone listens. But right now, I’m the one in cuffs, and she’s the one playing the perfect federal agent.
Where’s Poe?
The question loops in my head on repeat. They separated us the moment we arrived at Maddox HQ. I caught one last glimpse of him being led down a different hallway, his eyes finding mine with that fierce, protective look that makes my heart ache. He’s safe. He has to be safe. But the not-knowing is torture.
The door opens with a soft click. Dean Maddox steps in, tall and imposing in a dark suit, his presence filling the small room. He looks exactly like the man I’ve studied in files for months: calm, controlled, dangerous in that quiet, calculated way. He pulls out the chair across from me and sits down, placing a thick folder on the table between us. His eyes are sharp, assessing.
“Orchid Lin,” he says, voice even. “Or should I say, the woman who blackmailed Poe for Goldenbell, right?”
I meet his gaze without flinching, even though my stomach twists. “I was never truly working for Goldenbell. I was undercover for the FBI. Marlo was my handler. I was tasked with infiltrating Serafina’s operation from the inside. I’ve been feeding information back for over a year.”
Maddox leans back slightly, studying me. “Convenient story. Especially since your handler is currently in the next room telling us a very different version of events.”
Of course she is. Marlo’s always been good at saying the right things. My hands clench under the table, the metal cuffs biting into my wrists. “She’s lying. I didn’t know she was dirty. I thought we were both trying to take Serafina down. She used me. She played me the same way she’s playing you right now.”
He doesn’t react visibly, but I can see the wheels turning behind his eyes. “Tell me about the hack. What did Serafina want Poe to do?”
I take a slow breath, forcing myself to stay calm and clear. “She wanted him to crack your core systems. Full access. Client data, security feeds, financials, everything. She was planning to sell it or use it to dismantle Maddox Security from the inside. I tried to stall. I tried to keep him from going too deep, but I couldn’t risk blowing my cover without putting Enley in immediate danger. That’s why I stayed close to him. That’s why I…” My voice falters for a second. “That’s why things got complicated between us.”