Chapter 11 – The Deal with the Devil

Lyra stared at Ethan Vaughn, her mind racing.

"Join me… or be exposed."

His words still lingered in the air between them, like a loaded gun waiting to be fired.

She should have seen this coming.

Ethan Vaughn never played fair.

Her fingers curled into fists under the table, but outwardly, she remained calm, unreadable.

She had two choices:

Accept his offer and step into the lion’s den.

Refuse—and risk him uncovering the truth.

Neither option was safe.

Which meant she had to create a third one.

Lyra leaned back, crossing her legs with a lazy smirk. "You sound so confident, Mr. Vaughn. What makes you think I’d even consider working for you?"

Ethan’s lips curled slightly. "Because you don’t have a choice."

His voice was calm, amused—but merciless.

"Let’s be honest, Miss Xian," he continued, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t hiding something. And I don’t like mysteries."

His gaze sharpened. "I prefer to solve them."

Lyra’s pulse spiked.

He was too close. Too damn close.

She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay composed.

"So what exactly does this ‘job’ of yours entail?" she asked, feigning boredom.

Ethan’s eyes gleamed.

"You’ll be my personal intern," he said smoothly. "You’ll work directly under me—shadowing my meetings, handling research, assisting in confidential projects."

His smirk deepened. "And, of course, I’ll get to keep an eye on you."

Ah. There it was.

The real reason.

This wasn’t a job offer.

This was surveillance.

A way for Ethan to watch her every move, study her, dismantle her secrets piece by piece.

She tilted her head. "You really don’t trust me, do you?"

Ethan chuckled, setting his glass down. "I don’t trust anyone, Miss Xian."

Their gazes locked.

A slow, dangerous game unfolding between them.

Lyra’s mind worked fast. She couldn’t refuse outright—it would be too suspicious. But she also couldn’t let him control the terms.

So instead, she did what she did best.

She bluffed.

"I’ll consider it," she said smoothly, standing up.

Ethan raised a brow. "That’s not an answer."

Lyra smirked. "It’s the only one you’re getting tonight."

She turned on her heel and walked toward the door.

But just as she reached it, his voice stopped her.

"Careful, Lyra."

Her breath hitched.

Slowly, she turned back.

Ethan was watching her with dark amusement.

"If you play too hard to get… I’ll have to chase you."

Her stomach tightened.

Because something about the way he said it—low, smooth, dangerous—felt like a promise.

She forced a smirk, ignoring the sudden heat in her veins.

"Then I hope you can keep up, Mr. Vaughn."

And with that, she walked out.

Only once she was inside the elevator, away from his piercing gaze, did she let herself exhale.

Damn him.

He was dangerous.

But so was she.

And this game?

It was only getting started.

Lyra arrived home and immediately locked her doors.

She wasn’t paranoid.

But she also wasn’t stupid.

Ethan Vaughn was watching her now.

Which meant she had to be one step ahead.

She powered on her laptop and quickly scanned for any traces of surveillance.

No bugs. No tracking software. Good.

But just as she was about to relax, a notification flashed across her screen.

A new message.

From Red Phantom.

Her stomach clenched as she opened it.

The words were simple.

"You shouldn’t have gone to him."

Lyra’s fingers tightened around her mouse.

She typed back. "It wasn’t my choice."

A pause.

Then—another message appeared.

"Ethan Vaughn doesn’t just play games, Lyra. He plays to win."

Her breath caught.

She stared at the screen, a cold feeling creeping over her.

Because she already knew that.

The real question was—

Could she beat him at his own game?

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End of Chapter 11

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