Page 65 of Ardent Desires

“Alex,” he says, and the urgency in his voice makes me sit down. “It’s worse than I thought.”

“Just tell me,” I demand, crossing my arms. “What happened?”

“It’s Logan. He’s taken over Riviera.”

I stare at him, disbelief washing over me. “What do you mean, taken over?”

“He’s holding a meeting tonight to celebrate the new direction.”

“Celebrate?” My anger simmers just beneath the surface. “What the hell is he celebrating? This was my project! I’ve put everything into it!”

Marcus lowers his voice, leaning closer. “You need to stay away, Alex. This is dangerous for your reputation. Your face is on every single tabloid…”

“Dangerous? I don’t give a shit. I’m not going to let him walk away with what I’ve built!”

Marcus throws his hands up in frustration. “You’re just going to make things worse. I’m telling you; he’s got Jean Luc on his side.”

“Fine. Whatever. But I need to see this for myself,” I mutter, rising to my feet.

“Just think about it—”

But I’m already out the door, ignoring the nagging voice in my head. I can’t just sit back and let him take what’s mine.

The venue is a sprawling, glass-fronted conference hall, sleek and shiny. It’s buzzing with chatter, the kind that grates on my nerves as I push through the crowd. My gut twists as I navigate the sea of unfamiliar faces.

I slip into a seat at the back, just as LoganfuckingWest steps up to the podium, radiating confidence.

“Welcome, everyone!” he booms, and the crowd claps like trained seals. “Thank you for joining us on this exciting new venture for Project Riviera.”

I can’t help it; I roll my eyes. This guy is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

“Together, we’re going to revolutionize the industry,” he continues, gesturing widely as if he’s giving a TED Talk instead of hijacking my work.

Vanessa stands next to him, a bright smile plastered on her face. “It’s been a challenging few months for all of us, but Logan has been a true friend.”

My stomach twists at her words. Friends? I could scream.

Logan leans in closer to her, the way he looks at her—like he’s got some secret they’re sharing, and I’m not part of it. “I want to thank Vanessa for her unwavering support,” he says, and the audience claps again.

It’s sickening. My jaw clenches, and I force myself to breathe through the rising anger.

“We have some incredible plans ahead,” Logan continues. “I’m thrilled to announce that the project will be spearheaded by the three of us.”

My heart drops into my stomach. The three of us?

Then I see him. David, my best friend, stepping onto the stage, all smiles and applause. I can’t breathe. The betrayal feels like a punch to the gut.

“David!” I whisper, my voice filled with disbelief. How could he do this?

Logan’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “We’re going to make Riviera the flagship of innovation in our field. It’s a game-changer!”

The crowd erupts in applause, but all I hear is the pounding of my heart, the blood rushing in my ears.

“Logan has a vision,” David adds, standing proudly next to him, and I can’t take it anymore. Every little string is coming together.

Lena was never the mole.

It had been David all along, because other than Ellie, he is the only other person who knew what I was truly working on.

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