The Betrayal Code

Allegra was overwhelmed by the glass doors of CrossTech Tower, the scent of polished steel and expensive cologne slammed into her like a gauntlet, daring her to survive the Machiavellian world within. With eyes blazing like ice and a spine forged from steel, she strode into the heart of enemy territory, her confidence a ticking time bomb waiting to unleash its fury.

She had rehearsed this moment a hundred times. Every detail of her new identity, every fabricated credential, every precisely crafted mannerism had been fine-tuned to perfection. Elena Blake, the efficient, highly qualified assistant. Not Allegra Graham, the woman whose father had died in ruin because of this empire.

The towering lobby hummed with the low murmur of business dealings, the sharp clicks of heels against marble, the beeping of security scans. CrossTech wasn't just a company—it was a fortress, a kingdom ruled by one man.

Adrian Cross.

She tightened her grip on the leather portfolio in her hands as she approached the reception desk, where a woman with sleek brown hair and sharp eyes met her with a practiced smile.

"Name?"

"Elena Blake," Allegra answered smoothly. "I'm here for my first day."

The receptionist barely glanced at her before tapping a few keys on her computer. "Ah, Mr. Cross's new assistant. You'll need to go through security clearance. Step over to the scanner, please."

Allegra did as instructed, barely flinching as a red light swept over her body. Her new identity had already been tested against every known security database. She was clean.

"Cleared." The guard nodded at her and handed back her ID badge.

"Take the private elevator to the executive floor," the receptionist continued. "Mr. Cross is expecting you."

Of course, he is.

Allegra turned toward the row of elevators, her pulse steady, her mind sharp. The next time she stepped into this building, she would no longer be an outsider.

She would be inside Adrian Cross's world.

The Executive Floor was eerily quiet compared to the lobby. A sleek, open-concept office space stretched before her, floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the city skyline.

Allegra barely had time to take it all in before a deep voice cut through the silence.

"Ms. Blake."

She turned, and there he was.

Adrian Cross.

He stood near his office doorway, dressed in a tailored charcoal suit that fit him with effortless precision. Sharp, calculating blue eyes locked onto her, assessing, measuring. He was taller than she had expected, with an air of quiet command that seemed to bend the space around him to his will.

For a moment, Allegra felt the weight of all the stories she had built in her head about this man—the villain in her father's downfall, the cold strategist, the destroyer of legacies.

Then she reminded herself why she was here.

She forced a polite smile and extended her hand. "Mr. Cross, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Adrian shook her hand briefly, his grip firm, controlled. "Follow me," he said, already turning toward his office.

She obeyed, stepping into a space that was just as refined as its owner. Dark wood accents, minimalistic design, a glass wall overlooking the city. The desk was devoid of clutter—only a laptop, a single notepad, and a black pen rested on the smooth surface.

"Sit," he instructed, motioning to the chair across from him.

Allegra settled in, keeping her posture professional as Adrian studied her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.

"I expect efficiency," he said, his tone cool and businesslike. "I have no patience for incompetence or wasted time. Your job is simple—ensure that doesn't happen."

Allegra met his gaze evenly. "Understood."

His lips quirked slightly, as if amused by her confidence. "We'll see."

He leaned back, tapping a finger against the desk. "You'll have access to my schedule, personal correspondences, and internal reports. Discretion is mandatory. Trust is earned, Ms. Blake. And I don't give it easily."

"Neither do I," she replied before she could stop herself.

A flicker of something—curiosity, perhaps—crossed Adrian's face before he nodded. "Then we won't have a problem."

He slid a folder toward her. "Your first task—organize the logistics for next week's investor summit. My previous assistant left things in disarray. Fix it."

Allegra picked up the folder, flipping through the details. "I'll handle it."

Adrian nodded once before returning his attention to his laptop. "You're dismissed."

Allegra rose, gripping the folder like a lifeline as she walked out.

The moment she stepped into the hallway, she exhaled slowly.

She had just walked into the lion's den.

And she was going to burn it from the inside out.

Allegra moved through the executive floor of CrossTech like a shadow, absorbing everything. The controlled hum of quiet conversations, the subtle glances exchanged between employees, the wary respect that surrounded Adrian Cross—it was all information. Information she would use.

Her desk sat just outside Adrian's office, a vantage point that allowed her to monitor his movements and those who sought his attention. The power structure was clear. Some approached with confidence, others with hesitation. Adrian commanded absolute authority, and everyone knew it.

She spent the next few hours familiarizing herself with his schedule, reviewing internal reports, and cross-referencing names. A battlefield, Adrian had called CrossTech. He wasn't wrong. The deeper she looked, the clearer it became—this company wasn't just fighting external competitors. It was eating itself from the inside.

And then she saw it.

A single handwritten note buried under a stack of acquisition reports on Adrian's desk. Just a few words, but they sent ice through her veins.

Graham file remains unresolved. Continue monitoring.

Her father's name. Here. In Adrian's office.

"Ms. Blake."

Allegra tensed, swiftly returning the reports to their original position before turning. Adrian stood in his doorway, his sharp gaze flicking over her before settling on his watch.

"Come inside."

She followed him into his office, forcing herself to breathe. The note sat just inches away from where she had been looking. Did he notice? Did he suspect?

Adrian leaned against his desk, arms crossed. "How familiar are you with CrossTech's internal operations?"

"Enough to know that it runs like a well-oiled machine—at least on the surface," she replied carefully.

A flicker of something—approval, or maybe curiosity—passed through his expression. "Then you'll understand why I have little patience for inefficiency. I need someone who anticipates problems before they exist. Someone who doesn't wait for instructions."

Allegra tilted her head. "And you think I fit that mold?"

"That's what we're about to find out," Adrian said. "A situation has come up, and you're going to handle it."

She sat straighter. "What kind of situation?"

Adrian reached for a folder and handed it to her. "We have an issue with Ethan Hale, our COO. He was scheduled to finalize a partnership agreement with a foreign investor. Instead, he missed the meeting entirely."

"Why?"

"That's what I need you to find out," Adrian said. "Ethan hasn't answered his phone, and I don't tolerate disappearing acts. Locate him, figure out what the problem is, and fix it."

Allegra nodded. "I'll handle it."

She turned to leave, but Adrian's voice stopped her.

"And, Ms. Blake?"

She turned back.

"If you uncover anything... inconvenient," he said, his gaze razor-sharp, "I expect to know about it first."

A challenge. A warning.

Allegra smiled. "Of course, Mr. Cross."

Ethan Hale's office was on the same floor, though his door was conspicuously closed. Allegra knocked twice. No answer. She checked her watch. If Ethan was avoiding people, he'd have left long before now.

A quick scan of his desk revealed no immediate clues—just the usual clutter of a man who hadn't planned to vanish. But when she checked his computer screen, her pulse jumped.

An email, still open.

From: Diana Cross

Subject: Urgent.

We need to talk. If you do something reckless, we all go down.

Allegra's grip tightened on the edge of the desk. Diana.

Adrian's estranged sister. The one person inside CrossTech who had as much power as he did—if not more, given how willing she was to sabotage him.

And now, Ethan Hale was missing.

Allegra quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Jace's number.

"You've got two minutes before I vanish again," Jace answered.

"I need you to track a phone," Allegra said.

A pause. "Legal or illegal request?"

"You already know the answer."

Jace sighed. "Give me the number."

She rattled off Ethan Hale's contact information. "I need to know where he is and who he's been talking to in the last twenty-four hours."

"Got it," Jace said. "But, Allegra… be careful. If Ethan's in trouble, you might be next."

She ended the call and exhaled slowly.

She was supposed to be digging into Adrian's secrets. Instead, she had just stumbled into something even bigger.

And now, she had Diana Cross in her sights.

Allegra paced near her desk, phone in hand, eyes darting between Ethan Hale's office and Adrian's closed door. The email from Diana Cross was still seared into her mind, each word a flashing red warning. If you do something reckless, we all go down.

What the hell had Ethan done? And why was Diana so desperate to contain it?

Her phone buzzed. Jace.

"Tell me you found him," Allegra said, lowering her voice.

"You owe me a damn favor for this one," Jace muttered. "Your boy Ethan turned off his primary phone, but lucky for you, he's not the paranoid type. Secondary device pinged a location twenty minutes ago—The Kingston Hotel, suite 1104."

Allegra frowned. "That's nowhere near CrossTech."

"Yeah, and guess who else was at that hotel this morning? Diana Cross."

Her stomach tightened. "You're sure?"

"Hotel records show her checking in under an alias. She left an hour ago, but Ethan never checked out."

Allegra exhaled sharply. "Something's wrong."

"No kidding," Jace said. "And Allegra… whatever's happening, it's messy. Ethan's been making encrypted calls to an offshore account. That's not standard rich guy nonsense—that's 'I'm about to disappear' behavior."

Allegra's grip tightened on her phone. First Diana, now offshore accounts? This wasn't just about a missed meeting—this was sabotage.

"I need more time to dig," Jace continued. "But if you're going after him, watch your back. People who try to leave the game don't always get to walk away."

Allegra nodded, already grabbing her coat. "Send me the hotel's security feed if you can."

"Copy that," Jace said before hanging up.

She barely made it to the elevator before Adrian's voice stopped her cold.

"Going somewhere, Ms. Blake?"

Allegra turned slowly, schooling her expression into something neutral. Adrian stood a few feet away, arms crossed, gaze unreadable.

"I was about to grab coffee," she said smoothly.

Adrian glanced at her coat, her phone still gripped tight in her hand. "And you need your jacket for that?"

Damn it.

She forced a polite smile. "I like to walk. Helps clear my head."

Adrian didn't blink. "Try again."

For a second, she considered lying. But Adrian Cross wasn't the kind of man who bought easy answers. Better to give him a version of the truth.

"There's something off about Ethan's disappearance," she said, lowering her voice. "I looked into it, and it led me to the Kingston Hotel. That's where he was last seen."

Adrian's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "And you thought it best to investigate alone?"

"I thought it best to investigate quickly," she corrected.

Adrian studied her for a long moment before exhaling sharply. "Fine. Let's go."

Allegra blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You want to investigate? Then we do it right," Adrian said, already walking toward the elevator. "I'm coming with you."

The Kingston Hotel was sleek, discreet—the kind of place where high-profile figures handled business they didn't want the world to know about.

Adrian strode in beside Allegra like he owned the place, exuding an authority that made even the front desk clerk straighten.

"Suite 1104," Adrian said smoothly, flashing his CrossTech credentials. "Ethan Hale is expecting us."

The clerk hesitated. "I—Mr. Hale hasn't left his room all day."

Adrian's jaw ticked. "Then he'll be happy to see us."

Allegra pressed closer to Adrian, lowering her voice. "You really think flashing your name will get us in?"

Adrian's lips curled into a faint smirk. "No. But intimidation works wonders."

The clerk swallowed hard before hesitantly nodding. "Go ahead."

Allegra barely had time to process how effortlessly Adrian took control before they were heading up the elevator.

"What do you expect to find?" she asked quietly.

Adrian's expression darkened. "Answers. And if I don't like them, consequences."

The hallway outside suite 1104 was eerily silent. Adrian knocked twice. No answer.

Allegra exchanged a glance with him before trying the door. Unlocked.

Her stomach turned. Not good.

They stepped inside cautiously. The air was thick with the scent of expensive whiskey and something sharper—fear.

Ethan Hale sat slumped in a chair near the window, his face pale, his hands gripping a half-empty glass. A briefcase sat open beside him, stacks of cash spilling out.

His head lifted slowly, and when he saw Adrian, his entire body went rigid.

"Shit," Ethan whispered. "You're not supposed to be here."

Adrian's gaze flickered to the cash, then to Ethan. His voice was ice. "Clearly."

Allegra took a slow step forward. "Ethan, what's going on?"

Ethan let out a rough laugh, shaking his head. "You don't get it, do you? It's over. I'm done."

Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Done with what?"

Ethan let out a shaky breath. "Diana. CrossTech. All of it. I made a deal, and now I'm getting out before everything burns."

Allegra's blood ran cold. "A deal with who?"

Ethan's gaze flickered toward the briefcase, then back to them. "You don't want to know."

Adrian stepped closer, his voice lethal. "You're going to tell me anyway."

Ethan met his gaze, something desperate in his eyes. "Then I hope you're ready, Adrian." He exhaled, the weight of his next words settling over the room like a noose.

"Because you're standing on a sinking ship."

A heavy silence settled over the hotel suite, thick with the weight of Ethan Hale's words. A sinking ship.

Allegra's pulse quickened as she exchanged a glance with Adrian. His expression remained impassive, but his posture had shifted—tense, coiled, ready to strike.

Adrian folded his arms. "Start talking."

Ethan let out a hollow laugh and took another sip from his glass. "You think you can fix this, don't you? Like CrossTech isn't already rotting from the inside?"

Adrian's jaw tightened. "You still work for me, Ethan. That means you answer my questions."

Ethan met his gaze, something close to pity in his eyes. "Not anymore."

Allegra took a step closer, her voice steady. "You made a deal. With who?"

Ethan exhaled, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Diana," he admitted. "She came to me months ago. Told me Adrian was driving CrossTech straight into the ground. That it was only a matter of time before everything collapsed."

Adrian's expression didn't change, but Allegra could feel the temperature in the room drop.

"She convinced you to betray me," Adrian said, his voice quiet but dangerous.

Ethan gave a bitter smile. "She convinced me to survive."

Adrian stepped forward, his presence overwhelming. "Survive what?"

Ethan hesitated, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "Do you know how many people want to see you fail? How many are waiting for CrossTech to implode?"

Adrian didn't move. "Enlighten me."

Ethan glanced toward Allegra, as if debating whether to speak in front of her. Adrian noticed. "She stays," he said firmly.

Ethan sighed. "It's bigger than Diana. Bigger than you. I don't know all the players, but I know Victor Navarro is in on it."

Allegra's breath hitched. Navarro. The CEO of CrossTech's biggest rival.

"Diana made promises," Ethan continued. "That if I helped her, she'd secure me a position with Navarro before things blew up." He motioned to the briefcase of cash. "This is my exit package."

Adrian stared at him, unreadable. Then, in one sharp movement, he knocked the glass from Ethan's hand, sending it shattering against the floor.

Ethan flinched, but Adrian didn't raise his voice. "You were supposed to be one of the few I could trust."

Ethan's laugh was bitter. "Trust? In this business? That's a myth, Adrian."

Allegra stepped in, her mind racing. "What exactly did Diana promise Navarro?"

Ethan hesitated again, and Adrian grabbed the briefcase, flipping it open. He rifled through the stacks of cash before pulling out a sleek black USB drive.

Adrian held it up. "This."

Ethan's face paled. "Don't—"

Adrian plugged the drive into his phone and scanned the contents. His fingers tightened around the device. Whatever he was seeing, it wasn't good.

Allegra moved closer, peering over his shoulder. The screen displayed a series of confidential CrossTech documents. Internal financial records, project blueprints, classified client information.

And one file that sent a chill through her veins.

Graham Case.

Allegra's world tilted. Her father's name. Again.

She masked her reaction as Adrian turned his full attention back to Ethan, his expression dark. "You stole corporate secrets and planned to sell them to Navarro."

Ethan swallowed hard. "I didn't have a choice."

Adrian's voice was like steel. "You always have a choice."

Ethan let out a ragged breath. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't just a hostile takeover. It's a coordinated attack. Diana, Navarro, the politicians backing them—they want to bury you, Adrian. And they're going to do it from the inside out."

Allegra felt her stomach twist. This was bigger than she had anticipated. She had come to CrossTech to destroy Adrian, to expose his corruption and take him down.

But what if she wasn't the only one hunting him?

Adrian stared at Ethan for a long moment before shoving the briefcase back at him. "You want to run? Fine. But if I find out you handed over anything else to Navarro, I'll make sure you regret it."

Ethan exhaled sharply, nodding. "You won't see me again."

Adrian didn't reply. He turned, his gaze locking onto Allegra's.

"We're leaving."

Allegra followed him out of the suite, her mind racing. Ethan Hale was gone. Diana Cross was making moves. Navarro was circling like a shark.

And somewhere in the middle of it all… was her father's name.

She stole one last glance at the briefcase full of money before stepping into the elevator beside Adrian.

"Do you believe him?" she asked.

Adrian's jaw was tight. "I believe that I need to find out just how deep this betrayal goes."

Allegra nodded, keeping her expression unreadable.

So did she.