First Rule: Don't Fall For The Enemy

CHAPTER 20

MIRA’S POV

Jesse's call came while I was reviewing contract amendments in Adrian's office, trying to focus on work instead of replaying every moment from the night before. The sound of his ringtone made my stomach clench with dread.

"I need to see you," he said without preamble when I answered. "Now."

"Jesse, I'm at work—"

"Café Luna. Twenty minutes." His voice was cold, professional. The voice he used when emotions couldn't be allowed to interfere with the mission. "Don't make me wait."

The line went dead before I could respond. I stared at my phone, knowing I couldn't avoid this conversation forever. Last night I'd lied to him about the dress, claimed I'd been rushing to get changed and put it on wrong in my hurry. We had a huge fight and I slept out, with Aidan in his penthouse.

Aidan got me a dress ready before I woke this morning and asked me to wear it to work.

"I'm stepping out for lunch," I told Adrian, poking my head into his office.

He looked up from his computer, and the warmth in his smile made my chest tight. "Where are you going? I was thinking we could grab something together."

"Just... meeting a friend. I won't be long."

"A friend?" Something flickered in his expression. "Anyone I know?"

"No, just a college friend who's in town." The lies were getting easier, which terrified me. "I'll be back in an hour."

"Of course." But I could see the questions in his eyes as I left.

Café Luna was crowded with the lunch rush, which I hoped would keep Jesse from making a scene. I found him at a corner table, his back to the wall, a tactical position that let him see everyone coming and going. Old habits from our training.

"You look like hell," he said as I sat down across from him.

"Thanks. You're a real charmer."

He signaled the waitress for coffee. "Busy falling deeper into whatever fantasy you've created with Adrian Roth."

"Jesse—"

"Do you remember why we're here?" His voice was quiet, but I could hear the steel underneath. "Do you remember what this mission is really about?"

"Of course I remember."

"Do you? Because lately, it seems like you've forgotten that we're here to honor your father's sacrifice."

The mention of my father hit like a physical blow. "Don't you dare—"

"He died trying to expose Roth's crimes, Mira. He died because he believed in justice, in doing what was right." Jesse leaned forward, his blue eyes blazing. "And you're throwing all of that away because you think you're in love."

"I am in love."

"With a criminal. With the man responsible for your father's death."

"Adrian didn't kill my father—"

"Didn't he? The financial schemes, the bribes, the corruption, all of it leads back to Roth Corporation. Your father uncovered the truth, and look what happened to him."

I closed my eyes, trying to block out the memory of that phone call three years ago. My father, the investigative journalist who'd spent his career exposing corporate corruption, found dead in what the police called a mugging gone wrong. But Jesse and I both knew better.

"That's why we're here," Jesse continued relentlessly. "That's why you agreed to this mission. To get justice for him."

"I know why we're here."

"Then act like it. What have you found? What evidence do you have?"

I stared at my untouched coffee, knowing I should tell him about the files I'd accessed, the financial records that could bring down Adrian's empire. But the words wouldn't come.

"Things have been busy lately," I said finally. "Adrian's been keeping me close, watching me. I haven't had many opportunities."

"Busy." Jesse's laugh was bitter. "You mean busy playing house with the target."

"It's not like that—I need more time."

"Time for what? To fall deeper in love with him? To find more excuses not to do your job?"

Heat flared in my chest. "I am doing my job—"

"Are you? When's the last time you tried to access his private files? When's the last time you gathered actual intelligence instead of just... whatever it is you do during those late nights at his office?"

"Jesse, please—"

"He's making you weak, Mira. He's making you forget who you are, what you stand for."

"That's not true."

"Then prove it." He reached across the table, his hand covering mine. "Come home with me tonight. Skip whatever romantic dinner he has planned and remember what's really important."

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed with a text. Adrian's name on the screen made my pulse spike.

“What would you like for lunch? I could have something sent to your desk”. - A

The message was simple, caring, the kind of thing a man in love would send. But seeing it while Jesse was talking about my father's death, about justice and duty, made everything feel impossibly complicated.

"Is that him?" Jesse asked, his voice dangerous.

"It's just work—"

"Show me."

"Jesse—"

"Show me the message, Mira."

I hesitated, and that hesitation told him everything he needed to know. His expression hardened, and I saw something cold and calculating flicker in his eyes.

"You're choosing him," he said quietly. "After everything we've been through, after everything your father sacrificed, you're choosing the enemy."

"It's not that simple—"

"It is that simple." He stood abruptly, and I could see other diners starting to look in our direction. "You've forgotten what matters."

I stood too, desperate to get out of the café before we caused a scene. "I haven't forgotten anything—"

"Haven't you?" He followed me toward the exit, his voice rising. "Because it looks to me like you've forgotten who you are. Who we are."

"Jesse, please, people are staring—"

"I don't care if people are staring." We were outside now, on the busy sidewalk, and he grabbed my arm to stop me from walking away. "I care that you're betraying everything we've worked for."

"I'm not betraying anything—"

"You're betraying your father's memory. You're betraying the mission. You're betraying me." His grip on my arm tightened, and I could see the desperation in his eyes. "But it's not too late, Mira. We can fix this."

"Jesse, you're hurting me—"

"Tell me you'll refocus. Tell me you'll remember why we're here."

"I remember—"

"Then prove it. Get me something concrete on Roth by the end of the week, or I'll tell him everything."

My blood turned to ice. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" His hand moved from my arm to my neck, his fingers pressing into my throat hard enough to make breathing difficult. "I'll tell him exactly who you are, exactly why you're really here. I'll destroy whatever fantasy you've built together."

"Jesse, let go—"

"Will I?" The pressure increased, and I could feel panic starting to claw at my chest. "Because right now, it seems like that's the only way to get your attention."

"Please—"

"Let her go."

The voice came from behind Jesse, calm and deadly. We both turned, and my heart stopped when I saw Adrian standing there, his dark eyes blazing with fury.

"Now," Adrian continued, taking a step closer. "Before I make you."

Jesse's hand dropped from my throat immediately, but I could see him calculating, measuring the distance between himself and Adrian. For a terrible moment, I thought he might actually try to fight.