CHAPTER 151: THE ONES BEING HUNTED

~LAYLA~

"Sign here, here, and here." Brennan tapped the pages with his pen, each spot marked with a small yellow arrow. "Once you do, it’s done."

I stared at the document spread across my desk. All that Cassandra had built: three factories, forty-seven retail leases, five million dollars in inventory, patents, trademarks, supplier contracts... everything was right here in black and white, ready to become mine.

Brennan hadn’t wasted a single second. The court order was barely a week old, and he’d already processed the entire asset seizure.

"This is really happening," I murmured.

"It is. All legal, all above board. The court awarded you these assets as part of the restitution package. Cassandra’s empire is yours now."

I picked up the pen, my hand hovering over the first signature line. With three quick strokes, it would be done. Eclipse Beauty would swallow its biggest rival whole.

"Thank you, Brennan. I’ll have the signed copies sent back to you after we go through everything in detail."

"Take your time. Though honestly, there’s not much to review. It’s pretty straightforward." He gathered his briefcase. "Congratulations, Mrs. O’Brien. You’ve earned this."

After he left, I sat there staring at the document.

Axel leaned back in the chair across from me, arms crossed, pride evident in his eyes. "What do you think? I was considering rebranding the flagship store as Eclipse Flagship. We could have a grand opening in ten days. Make a real statement."

I froze, pen still in hand. "Don’t you think that’s too soon?"

Axel blinked. "Too soon for what? We own it now. Might as well use it."

"I mean... the cartel is watching us. That phone call wasn’t a prank, Axel. Just because they haven’t made a move doesn’t mean they aren’t planning to do so. They want ninety million dollars. If we open a big flashy store, host some grand opening event, we’re basically painting a target on our backs."

"We’re already targets," Axel countered. "They know who we are, where we are. Hiding won’t change that. But you know what might? Showing strength. Showing we’re not afraid of them."

"That’s not showing strength, that’s showing stupidity. There’s a difference between being brave and being reckless."

"Layla..."

"No, listen to me. I want to open the store too. I want to celebrate this victory. But not if it means putting everyone at risk. Our employees, our customers, ourselves. We need to be smart about this."

Axel opened his mouth to argue.

But then there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door burst open without warning. Helena walked in, looking flustered and annoyed.

"Mr Tye’s outside," she announced in a clipped tone. "Says, and I quote, ’Tell them I’m waiting in his office.’" "Like he owns the place," she said the last part in a lower voice but I caught it.

I bit back a smile at her irritation.

"Thanks, Helena. Could you bring some coffee to Axel’s office? We’ll head over now."

Helena nodded curtly and spun on her heel, muttering something under her breath about entitled men with too much confidence.

Axel and I exchanged a glance. "She doesn’t seem to like him much," I observed.

"Or she likes him too much and doesn’t know how to handle it."

"You think?"

"I know that look. Seen it before."

We left the boardroom and made our way down the hall to Axel’s office. The door was already open, and Tye was leaning against Axel’s desk like he owned it, scrolling through his phone with casual confidence.

Helena appeared moments later with the coffee tray. She set it down on the side table with more force than necessary.

Tye looked up, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Princess seemed annoyed today? That’s cute."

Helena’s eyes flashed with anger. "Call me princess again, and I’ll spill this coffee on your expensive boots."

Tye pushed off the desk and stepped closer. "Promise?"

Helena’s cheeks flushed pink, but she held her ground. She grabbed one of the coffee cups and shoved it at him. Hot liquid splashed over the rim onto his wrist.

"Oops."

Tye didn’t even flinch. He just brought his hand to his mouth and licked the drip off his thumb, his eyes locked on hers the entire time.

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Helena’s blush deepened. "Enjoy your coffee," she said tightly, then turned.

When she saw us, she paused. "I’ll be outside if you need anything."

Axel and I exchanged a look, both of us fighting smiles despite everything we were dealing with.

"Is that what I’m thinking?" I whispered.

"Oh, you have no idea," Axel murmured back.

Tye straightened his jacket, completely unbothered by the coffee incident. "Well, well. Mrs. O’Brien." He executed an exaggerated bow. "Congratulations on your hostile takeover. Very impressive. Very ruthless. I approve."

"Thank you, I think."

"It’s definitely a compliment coming from me." He grabbed his coffee and took a sip.

"Well, I’m guessing you didn’t come here to congratulate us in person. What’s wrong?" Axel asked.

Tye’s expression turned serious. "I’ve got news. The kind you’re not going to like."

Axel moved closer to me instinctively. "Talk."

"I’ve been doing some digging on who exactly called you that night. Making inquiries through my contacts, seeing who’s moving money where, who’s talking about what." He paused. "The cartel that’s after you? It’s the Sinaloa."

"Uhmm... who are they?" I asked.

"Mafias are ruthless; Sinaloa? They’re different... More aggressive, less forgiving. And they don’t negotiate. They take what they think is theirs, and they don’t care who gets hurt in the process."

My stomach dropped. "How bad are we talking?"

"Bad. They’ve already started surveillance on both of you. I’ve spotted three different teams watching your house, your offices, and even following your cars. They’re patient, which means they’re planning something big."

"Can you call them off?" Axel asked.

"I have no idea. But here’s the problem... Charles didn’t just frame you with forged documents. He actually stole money from them, then framed Eclipse Beauty... just like he framed your dad, Axel."

"Jesus Christ," Axel breathed.

"So even if I convince them you’re innocent, they’re still going to want their money back."

"This is insane," I said, my voice shaking. "We didn’t do anything, and we’re the ones being hunted?"

"Welcome to the world of organised crime. Fair doesn’t exist here."