The morning light was merciless. It pierced the thin curtains of Claire's apartment, striking her eyes as she lay sprawled on the couch, laptop still open on the coffee table. She hadn't slept much.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Leo at the rooftop railing, his words replaying in her head. You intrigue me. And that makes you dangerous.
Dangerous. The irony wasn't lost on her. She had chased dangerous men before, politicians who hid crimes, executives who swindled investors, but none of them had left her pulse racing like Leo Westbrook.
She pushed herself upright, groaning. The laptop screen was still on her half-finished notes from last night. Words stared back at her: Westbrook Empire thrives on silence. But what happens when silence is broken?
She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the fog.
The knock at her door startled her.
"Claire? You alive in there?" Maggie's voice rang out.
Claire sighed, rose, and opened the door. Maggie bustled in with two coffees and a bag of pastries, her expression sharp as always.
"You look like hell," Maggie declared, thrusting a cup into Claire's hand. "And before you lie, yes, I know exactly who you were with last night."
Claire scowled. "I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to." Maggie tossed her coat on a chair, then plopped down on the couch. "The dress, the circles under your eyes, the air of someone who's been playing verbal chess until dawn, it screams Westbrook."
Claire sat beside her, sipping the coffee gratefully. "It wasn't like that."
"Oh?" Maggie arched a brow. "Did he or did he not wine you at the Mondrian rooftop?"
Claire didn't answer.
Maggie smirked. "Thought so."
"It was business," Claire insisted.
"Business doesn't make you blush when you think about it."
Claire stiffened. "I don't blush."
"You're blushing now."
Claire cursed under her breath, setting the cup down. "Fine. He rattles me. But that doesn't change why I'm there. I'm after the story, Maggie. That hasn't changed."
Maggie leaned forward, tone softening. "And what about Danny?"
Claire's jaw clenched. "He's deeper than I thought. The money he borrowed links back to Westbrook's circle. If I get close enough, I might find leverage to get Danny out."
Maggie frowned. "Claire, you're mixing personal with professional. That's dangerous ground."
"I don't have a choice."
"You always have a choice," Maggie said firmly. "But if you let Leo Westbrook become the story, you won't see the trap until it's closed."
Claire bit her lip, remembering the way he had looked at her, steady and unflinching. "Maybe the trap's already closed."
The silence stretched.
Then Claire's phone buzzed. A message from Danny: They came again. I need you.
Her stomach dropped. She grabbed her coat. "I have to go."
Maggie stood too. "Claire, wait"
But Claire was already out the door.
Danny's apartment was worse than yesterday. The front door hung slightly ajar, and a chair was overturned in the corner. Claire shoved the door open, heart pounding.
"Danny?"
He emerged from the bedroom, pale, a bruise forming along his jaw.
"God, what happened?" she demanded, rushing to him.
"I told you," he muttered, wincing. "They want their money."
Claire touched his face gently, fury boiling beneath her skin. "Who?"
"A guy named Trent. Works for one of Westbrook's security firms. He said I had a week."
Her pulse hammered. Westbrook's shadow again. Always him.
"Why didn't you call the police?" she snapped.
Danny gave a hollow laugh. "And tell them what? That I borrowed from people who don't exist on paper? They'd laugh me out of the station."
Claire paced the room, mind racing. If Trent was tied to Westbrook's companies, then Leo had to know, or at least suspect, the kinds of men working under him. Maybe this was the thread she needed, the one that could unravel both Danny's debt and Westbrook's carefully crafted empire.
But confronting Leo directly now would be reckless. Too reckless.
Danny sank onto the couch, burying his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, Claire. I keep screwing up."
Her chest tightened. She knelt in front of him, gripping his hands. "Listen to me. I'll fix this. I don't know how yet, but I will. You just need to stay put. Don't make it worse."
Danny's voice cracked. "How do you always believe you can save me?"
"Because I have to." She squeezed his hands harder. "You're all I have, Danny. And I'm not losing you."
His eyes filled with tears, but he nodded.
Claire stood, forcing her voice steady. "I need to make some calls."
She stepped outside, pulling her phone from her pocket. The number on Leo's card stared back at her. She had told herself she wouldn't use it. But now…
Her thumb hovered over the screen. Maggie's warning echoed in her head: *If you let him become the story, you won't see the trap until it's closed.
She pressed the dial.
The line rang once before a familiar, calm voice answered.
"Claire."
Her breath caught. He had known it was her.
"I need to see you," she said. "Now."
A pause, then: "My office. One hour."
The line went dead.
Claire slipped the phone into her pocket, her heartbeat loud in her ears. She h
ad just crossed a line, and there would be no going back.