Hey, Heartless Billionaire, Am in Charge!

Uneasy Alliances

The following morning dawned cold and gray, the sky heavy with the promise of rain. The events of the previous night weighed heavily on Sophia as she sat in her office, staring blankly at the mountain of paperwork on her desk. The intruder’s words echoed in her mind, a chilling reminder of the ruthless nature of the game she was now playing. Vanguard Holdings wasn’t just a faceless corporation—it was a predator, and she was its prey.

She had barely slept, her thoughts consumed by the growing threat to her company and her uneasy partnership with Liam. The man who had once broken her heart was now the one person she had to trust, and the irony was almost unbearable.

A soft knock at the door broke her reverie. Sophia looked up to see her assistant, Emily, standing in the doorway, her face pale and worried.

“Ms. Dawson, Mr. Blackwood is here to see you,” Emily said, her voice tinged with concern.

Sophia took a deep breath and nodded. “Send him in.”

Liam entered the room a moment later, his expression grim. He closed the door behind him and walked over to her desk, his eyes searching hers for any sign of how she was feeling.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice softening in a way that caught her off guard.

Sophia nodded, though she wasn’t entirely sure it was true. “I’m fine. Just trying to process everything that’s happening.”

Liam pulled up a chair and sat across from her, his gaze never leaving her face. “I’ve been thinking about what happened last night. We need to take this seriously, Sophia. Vanguard isn’t playing by the rules, and if we don’t do something soon, they’re going to destroy us both.”

Sophia couldn’t argue with that. The intruder’s words had made it clear that Vanguard was willing to go to any lengths to get what they wanted. But what troubled her more was the uncertainty that still lingered between her and Liam. She needed to know where he stood—whether she could truly trust him or if he was still keeping secrets.

“Liam,” she began cautiously, “we can’t afford any more surprises. If we’re going to fight Vanguard, I need to know that you’re being completely honest with me. No more secrets, no more half-truths. I need to know that you’re on my side.”

Liam’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he might deflect her question. But then he sighed, leaning back in his chair as if the weight of the world were pressing down on him.

“Sophia, I know I haven’t given you much reason to trust me,” he admitted, his voice low and filled with regret. “I’ve made mistakes—big ones. But I swear to you, I’m not hiding anything anymore. I’m all in on this. We can’t afford to be divided, not now.”

Sophia studied his face, searching for any sign of deceit, but all she saw was sincerity. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he had finally realized what was at stake. But even as she considered giving him the benefit of the doubt, a part of her couldn’t shake the fear that he might betray her again.

Before she could respond, her office phone rang, the shrill sound cutting through the tension in the room. She picked it up, her heart racing as she braced herself for whatever news might be on the other end of the line.

“Ms. Dawson, this is Eric Thompson,” came the voice of her private investigator. “I have some information you need to hear. It’s urgent.”

Sophia’s grip tightened on the phone. “What is it, Eric?”

“It’s about Vanguard Holdings,” Eric continued, his tone serious. “They’re planning something big—bigger than we thought. They’ve been quietly buying up properties in strategic locations around the city, all linked to both Dawson Industries and Blackwood Enterprises. They’re positioning themselves to cut off our supply chains and cripple our operations.”

Sophia felt a chill run down her spine. This was worse than she had imagined. Vanguard wasn’t just trying to take over their companies—they were trying to dismantle them piece by piece.

“Do you have proof?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“I do,” Eric confirmed. “But there’s more. I’ve been digging into the backgrounds of Vanguard’s key players, and I’ve uncovered something you’re not going to like. There’s a connection between Vanguard and someone close to you—someone who’s been feeding them information.”

Sophia’s heart skipped a beat. “Who?”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, and then Eric said a name that sent shockwaves through her entire being: “Gabriel Martinez.”

The name hung in the air like a dark cloud, and for a moment, Sophia couldn’t breathe. Gabriel—the charming, enigmatic entrepreneur who had become her ally, her confidant, even her lover—was a traitor.

Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of the revelation. How could she have been so blind? Gabriel had seemed so genuine, so supportive. But all the while, he had been playing her, using their relationship to gain insider information for Vanguard.

Liam, who had been watching her closely during the call, saw the change in her expression and leaned forward. “What is it, Sophia? What did he say?”

Sophia slowly lowered the phone, her hands trembling. “Gabriel,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “He’s been working with Vanguard. He’s been betraying us from the start.”

Liam’s eyes widened in shock, and then his expression hardened into one of fury. “That bastard,” he muttered, his fists clenching at his sides. “I knew there was something off about him.”

Sophia felt a wave of nausea wash over her as the full impact of the betrayal hit her. She had let Gabriel into her life, into her heart, and he had used that trust against her. The thought of how easily he had manipulated her made her stomach turn.

But there was no time to dwell on her feelings. If Eric was right, then Vanguard was already moving to execute their plan, and Gabriel’s betrayal had given them a significant advantage. They had to act fast if they were going to stop Vanguard and save their companies.

“Liam, we need to regroup,” Sophia said, her voice trembling but resolute. “We need to figure out how to counter Vanguard’s moves and expose Gabriel for what he is. This isn’t just about business anymore—it’s personal.”

Liam nodded, his expression fierce. “We’ll make them pay for this, Sophia. I promise you.”

As they began to discuss their next steps, a knock at the door interrupted them. Emily poked her head in, her face pale. “Ms. Dawson, there’s someone here to see you. He says it’s urgent.”

Sophia exchanged a worried glance with Liam. “Who is it?”

Emily hesitated before answering. “It’s Gabriel Martinez.”

The blood drained from Sophia’s face. The man who had betrayed her, the man she had just discovered was working with Vanguard, was here—at her office.

Her mind raced as she tried to process what this meant. Did Gabriel know that she was onto him? Was this a final attempt to manipulate her, or was he here to confess?

Liam’s expression was a mask of anger and suspicion, but Sophia held up a hand to stop him from reacting. “Let him in,” she said to Emily, her voice calm despite the storm of emotions raging inside her.

Emily nodded and disappeared from the doorway. A moment later, Gabriel walked into the office, his usual confident smile in place, but there was a tension in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“Sophia,” he said warmly, as if nothing were amiss. “Liam. I’m sorry to drop in unannounced, but we need to talk.”

Sophia forced herself to remain calm, her gaze steady as she met his eyes. “Yes, Gabriel. We do need to talk.”

She could feel Liam bristling beside her, ready to pounce at the first sign of betrayal. But Sophia needed to keep her cool—needed to find out what Gabriel was really after.

As she invited him to sit, the tension in the room was palpable. Gabriel took a seat, his eyes flicking between Sophia and Liam, as if assessing the situation.

“What’s this about, Gabriel?” Sophia asked, keeping her voice even.

Gabriel leaned forward, his expression earnest. “It’s about Vanguard. I have reason to believe they’re planning something big—something that could destroy us all.”

Sophia’s heart pounded in her chest as she listened to his words, every instinct screaming at her to be careful. Was this another layer of deception, or was Gabriel genuinely trying to warn her?

“What exactly are you saying?” she asked, her voice colder than she intended.

Gabriel hesitated, then looked directly at her. “I’m saying that I’ve been working undercover to infiltrate Vanguard. I’ve been feeding them misinformation to protect you, Sophia—to protect all of us. But now, they’re onto me. I don’t have much time.”

Sophia’s mind reeled. This was not what she had expected. Could it be true? Could Gabriel have been playing a dangerous double game all along?

Liam’s expression was one of deep suspicion. “You expect us to believe that?”

Gabriel looked at Liam, his gaze unwavering. “I don’t expect anything, Liam. I’m just telling you the truth. Vanguard is moving fast, and we need to act now if we’re going to stop them.”

Sophia felt torn, caught between the conflicting emotions of betrayal and hope. If Gabriel was telling the truth, then they had an unexpected misfortune.