The office door clicked like a gunshot in the silence. My heart pounded against my ribs, threatening to burst out of my chest.

In my pocket, the phone was burning with the screenshot of Victoria's incriminating email, a secret too explosive to handle lightly.

Then the door opened completely.

Marcus was there, his bulky figure filling the doorway. His eyes locked on mine instantly; surprise flickered across his sharp features before melting into that cold, predatory darkness I knew all too well. My stomach sank.

"Elena." Her voice was low, controlled, laced with danger. "What exactly do you think you're doing in Isabella's office?"

Panic clawed at my throat, choking me. I was trapped. Completely exposed. If I told Isabella, or worse, Victoria, my job would disappear. My fragile facade of security would crumble. Everything I'd built here would shatter. The bruise on my wrist from the night before throbbed painfully beneath my sleeve, a fresh reminder of their cruelty, their iron grip tha