Chapter 23

"I ran into someone today," Emily's voice cut through the silence in a sacarstic tone as soon as I stepped into the apartment.

I froze for a few moment before turning to face her. Her phone was on her lap as she sat on the edge of the couch, her face strained. The expression in her eyes told me that something was wrong. She was not only talking.

"Yeah? Who?" I threw my jacket onto a chair and asked, trying to sound casual.

"An FBI agent," she stated in a sarcastic tone. "Agent Richards." He stopped me outside earlier today."

I felt sick to my stomach. They had, of course, reached her. Emily was now being pulled into the problem by the FBI, who weren't backing down. I mumbled curses while maintaining a composed demeanor as I walked across the room.

"They've talked to you too?" Sitting across from her, I asked.

Emily's eyes never left me; they were fixed on me. "Yes, and he warned me about Monroe Enterprises. He hinted that I should be careful, especially around you."

I felt the stress building as I tightened my jaw. I was expecting more pressure from the FBI, but this? Everything could get considerably worse because of this.

I spoke evenly as I added, "Look, they've been on my case for weeks. They came to me too, asking questions, but I have no idea what they're looking for. They are merely looking for anything to blame Monroe Enterprises for. They don't have a case."

Emily's face furrowed as she gazed at me. "They didn't say that. They made it sound like they're deep into this investigation."

"Of course they did," I yelled, suddenly getting to my feet. "They want to frighten you. That's what they do. They want you to start doubting me and to freak out. But I'm telling you, they don't have anything solid."

Emily narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "They're looking at arms deals, Ethan. They think Monroe Enterprises is involved in something illegal."

I paced the room while shaking my head. "Emily, it's all crap. I'm aware that my father's history isn't flawless, but we're not criminals."

"So why do you seem to be hiding something?" Although Emily's tone softened, the distrust remained and persisted between us. "Why can't you just tell me what's really going on?"

I turned to her and stopped pacing. I lied, the words stinging my mouth, "I'm not hiding anything. They're trying to find shadows. There's nothing for them to find."

Emily took a while to reply. Her silence cut through me, sharper than any accusation. I could sense that she was losing faith in me, and it was getting worse every second.

She finally spoke, hardly raising her voice above a whisper, "You've been acting off for days. I'm not sure what I should believe anymore."

I wanted to tell her everything: that the FBI had set up bugs in my office, that Victor was breathing down my neck, and that I was caught between two forces that would ruin me if I did the wrong thing. But I couldn't. I couldn't drag her any deeper into this mess.

I forced myself to say, "I'm telling you the truth. There is nothing to be concerned about."

Emily stood with her gaze fixed on mine. "I'll find out if you're lying to me, Ethan. I won't let you pull me into something I don't understand."

She picked up her coat and made her way to the door before I could reply.

"Where are you heading?" My voice was sharper than I meant when I asked.

Without turning around, she whispered, "For a walk. I need to breathe."

I was left alone in the silent flat with my heart pounding as the door slammed behind her.

I knew that things were going crazy as the day went on. As the FBI kept on investigating my dad's past and fixing its hang on Monroe Enterprise, they now also had Emily in their sights. I understood that to keep up the presence of control, I needed to stay composed; however, it was turning out to be more difficult.

Sometime thereafter, I sat in my office and took a look at the heaps of reports, however, my mind was somewhere else.

Ben entered with a calm demeanor. "Are you okay, dude? You've been wound tight all day."

Without looking into his eyes, I mumbled, "I'm fine. I've got a lot on my mind,"

Ben sat down opposite me and arched an eyebrow. "You know, you don't have to pretend with me. I know what's going on."

My heart skipped a beat when I looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"The FBI," Ben murmured quietly. "They aren't leaving, are they?"

Even though I didn't answer, my expression must have been clear enough.

Ben rubbed the back of his neck and moaned. "You've got to be careful, Ethan. The last thing we need is for them to find something real. They're like sharks, if they smell blood in the water, they'll come after you hard."

"I understand that," I yelled, my annoyance erupting. "But Ben, I'm stuck. Victor is keeping an eye on everything I do, and the FBI is breathing down my neck. I can't do anything without being watched."

Ben crossed his arms and leaned back. "Is Victor still putting pressure on you?"

I gave a nod. "Yeah. He wants Emily to leave the organization. He thinks she's a liability."

Ben whistled quietly. "That's bad. Real bad."

I ran a hand through my hair and mumbled, "I know. But what am I supposed to do? I can't just... let her go."

"Perhaps not," Ben uttered in a reflective tone. "But you've got to figure out a way to keep both the FBI and Victor off your back. If either of them gets a hold of something solid, it's game over."

I inclined forward. "I don't know how much longer I can hold on."

My telephone pinged on the desk before Ben could reply. I looked at the screen and felt sick to my stomach when I noticed the Unknown Number message.

I read the message, "Your time is running out," as I swiped the screen. I don't care what you do with the FBI, but get Emily out of the company. Otherwise.

My blood froze. Victor had stopped playing games. This served as a last warning. Emily was going to suffer if I didn't comply with his wishes.