Page 15 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

The thought churns in my gut. Eva isn’t just chasing a story; she’s been pulled into something far bigger, a pawn in a game she doesn’t even know she’s playing.

“Double her surveillance,” I say after a moment, my tone steel. “I want every move she makes monitored. If anyone gets too close to her, I want to know before they breathe in her direction.”

“Understood,” Adrian replies. “And what about the email?”

“Send me the complete analysis by morning,” I order, ending the call.

The office is silent except for the faint hum of the city outside, the lights of skyscrapers casting fragmented reflections across the glass walls. Normally, this view centers me, a reminder of what I’ve built. But tonight, it feels distant. Cold.

Eva’s face lingers in my thoughts, her expression as she pored over the folder from Heller, the way she clutched her bag like it held something priceless. She’s close to something—something she doesn’t understand.

And someone else knows it.

I return to my laptop, the email glaring back at me like a challenge.“Your empire is crumbling, Kane. Time to watch it burn.”

Whoever sent this knows I’m watching her, knows she’s integral to unraveling the chaos surrounding Kane Enterprises. They’re goading me, using her as bait to draw me out.

But they’ve underestimated me.

I replay the surveillance footage from earlier, zeroing in on Heller. His body language is guarded, his shoulders hunched like he’s bracing for a blow. Whatever he gave Eva wasn’t just information—it was a lifeline. He knows he’s in too deep, and now he’s dragged her into his mess.

I pause the video on Heller’s face, a flicker of recognition stirring in the back of my mind. There’s something familiar about the way he carries himself, the nervous glances he casts over his shoulder.

My phone buzzes again, and Adrian’s voice comes through the line without preamble.

“We’ve just confirmed Heller’s movements,” he says. “After meeting with Eva, he disappeared. His phone went offline, and his apartment is empty.”

“Empty?”

“As if he never lived there,” Adrian explains. “Cleaned out. No trace left behind.”

The knot in my stomach tightens. Heller’s disappearance wasn’t voluntary.

“They got to him,” I say, the words sharp and cold.

“Possibly,” Adrian agrees. “Or he knew they were coming and ran.”

Neither scenario bodes well. If Heller ran, it means he was scared enough to abandon everything. If they got to him, it means whoever’s behind this is cleaning up loose ends.

“Keep digging,” I say, my voice low. “Find him, dead or alive.”

The weight of the night presses heavier as the hours tick by. The pieces are aligning, but the picture they form is jagged, incomplete. Someone is pulling strings from the shadows, orchestrating this chaos with a precision that’s both infuriating and dangerous.

And Eva is caught in the middle of it.

My chest tightens at the thought of her being used, manipulated by forces she can’t even see. It would be so easy to walk away, to let her face the consequences of her curiosity. But the idea leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

I pour another glass of whiskey, the amber liquid catching the glow of the city lights. I’ve built my life on control, on knowing every angle, every threat. But Eva Stone is an unknown variable, one I can’t predict or contain.

And that makes her dangerous.

Dangerous to herself. Dangerous to me.

The clock on my desk reads 3:14 a.m. when I finally rise, the weight of the night coiled tight in my shoulders. My reflection stares back at me in the glass, sharp and unyielding.

I’ve faced threats before—competitors, saboteurs, even governments. But this is different. The stakes aren’t just corporate. They’re personal.

As I shut down my laptop, one thought anchors me: If I don’t protect Eva, she won’t survive this.

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