The Hunter and the Hunted
Natalia sat in the dim glow of her apartment, her fingers drumming lightly against the wooden table. The events of the evening replayed in her mind, every moment a puzzle piece that refused to fit neatly into place. Damon had broken into her apartment, Langley had made his move, and now—more than ever—she felt the world closing in around her.
She turned the business card between her fingers, the embossed letters of Langley Group catching the faint light. A lifeline? A threat? A test? She had spent years planning every contingency, yet tonight, she felt dangerously outmatched.
Her phone vibrated against the table, snapping her from her thoughts. A message. The number was unfamiliar, but she knew who it was before she even opened it.
Damon Cross: We need to talk. Belmont Hotel. 11 PM.
A command, not a request.
She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to remain composed. She had no intention of following his orders, but ignoring him wasn’t an option either. Damon wasn’t the kind of man who accepted silence as an answer.
Her gaze flickered back to the card in her other hand. Two paths. Two powerful men circling her like wolves. The only question was which one would strike first.
The Belmont Hotel exuded old-money elegance, its grand chandeliers casting golden reflections over the polished marble floors. Natalia walked in as if she belonged there, her heels clicking softly, her presence commanding but unobtrusive. She had learned long ago that true power came not from demanding attention but from knowing when to blend in and when to strike.
Damon was waiting in a private lounge, seated in a corner booth, a glass of whiskey untouched before him. His posture was relaxed, but Natalia wasn’t fooled. Every move he made was deliberate. Calculated. He had seen her enter before she even reached him.
She slid into the seat across from him, keeping her expression unreadable.
“You have a habit of issuing orders, Mr. Cross,” she said, leaning back.
His lips quirked slightly, but there was no humor in his eyes. “And you have a habit of attracting the wrong kind of attention.”
She tilted her head slightly. “If you’re referring to Langley, I assure you, I don’t intend to take his offer.”
Damon exhaled, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “That’s not the point.”
She arched a brow. “Then what is?”
He leaned forward, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her pulse falter.
“The point is, Natalia—”
A chill ran down her spine. He had never used her real name before.
His voice dropped lower. “—you’re playing a dangerous game. And I don’t like not knowing the rules.”
Her mind raced, but she forced herself to hold his gaze, her expression cool. “Then perhaps you should stop trying to control the board.”
Damon let out a low chuckle, but there was no amusement behind it. “You think this is about control?” He leaned in further, his presence suffocating. “You have no idea what you’ve stepped into.”
She swallowed, unwilling to let him see the flicker of unease that crawled up her spine. “Then tell me.”
For a long moment, he didn’t respond. And then, just when she thought he wouldn’t answer, he murmured, “Langley doesn’t just want to recruit you. He wants to own you. And if you let him, there won’t be a way out.”
Natalia forced a smirk, despite the weight of his words. “You almost sound concerned.”
His jaw tensed. “Consider it a warning.”
She studied him carefully. Damon Cross wasn’t a man who gave out warnings lightly. If he was telling her to stay away from Langley, there was a reason. But that didn’t mean she could trust him either.
She stood, smoothing her dress. “I appreciate the concern, but I can handle myself.”
Damon’s gaze darkened, but he didn’t stop her as she turned to leave. His words, however, followed her.
“You’re underestimating him, Natalia.”
She hesitated for only a fraction of a second before walking out of the lounge, her heartbeat thrumming against her ribs.
She had come to Cross Enterprises to destroy Damon. But now, as the shadows lengthened around her, she was starting to realize something chilling.
She wasn’t just fighting one enemy.
She was caught between two predators.
And one of them was going to strike first.
Back in her apartment, she bolted the door and leaned against it, pressing her fingertips to her temples. She needed time to think, time to strategize. But time was something she no longer had.
Langley was circling. Damon was watching.
And the moment she made the wrong move, one of them would pounce.
She reached for her laptop, her fingers moving with practiced ease as she bypassed security walls and encrypted files. She had spent years perfecting this craft—learning to infiltrate without leaving a trace.
Within minutes, she was inside Langley Group’s internal network.
Surveillance logs. Employee records. Classified projects.
Her heart pounded as she scanned the documents, searching for a thread, a weakness. Anything she could use.
Then—
Her breath hitched.
A file. Her name.
She clicked on it, and the screen filled with information. Too much information.
Not just about her, but about her past. Her father. Their fall from power. Her disappearance.
Langley had been watching her for years.
She barely had time to process the revelation before her phone buzzed again.
A new message.
Unknown number.
Nice try, Natalia.
The laptop screen suddenly glitched. Files corrupted. Data erased. Within seconds, everything she had just accessed was wiped clean.
Her pulse hammered.
Langley knew.
She stared at the blank screen, her mind racing. This wasn’t just a game anymore.
She had made her move.
Now, it was their turn.
Across the city, Damon Cross sat in his penthouse, phone in hand.
A security alert had just flashed across his system.
Unauthorized breach detected.
He didn’t even need to read the details. He already knew who was behind it.
Natalia Greer.
He exhaled slowly, setting the glass of whiskey down on the table.
She had been reckless tonight.
And now, Langley knew exactly who she was.
Before it was too late.