Alexander lounged in his study, a cigar between his fingers, puffing on it.
The meeting had wrapped up, and the encrypted phone on his desk was a constant reminder of the choice he'd made.
Help them take down Alpha Dark.
Turn on the man he'd been loyal to for years.
All to protect Emma.All to keep his secret under wraps.All to maintain the fragile lie that he was her father instead of her kidnapper.
He took a deep drag from the cigar and blew the smoke out slowly in the dim light of his study.
The house was quiet. Emma was probably in her room, either texting Zayn, studying, or doing whatever twenty-three-year-olds usually do when they aren't stressing about their fathers falling apart.
She had no clue what was coming.
No idea that in two days, her whole world would fall apart.
He closed his eyes, trying to shove aside the guilt that never really left him.
Then something clicked in his mind.
