The billionaire's secret guardian

The rain fell like a relentless curtain, dark and unforgiving.

Cassidy Lane's heels clicked sharply against the marble floor as she entered the high-rise office building of Cross Industries, the company she had been investigating for months. The city skyline stretched before her, lost in a blanket of fog and downpour. She pulled her coat tighter around her body, her breath shallow, but her determination stronger than ever.

Inside, the building was as cold as its owner, the elusive CEO, Alexander Cross. She had never met the man face-to-face. But his name echoed through the corridors of the corporate world like a siren call-powerful, dangerous, and untouchable. Tonight, she would get the answers she needed.

Cassidy's job as an investigative journalist had led her into many dark corners of the business world, but this-this felt different. There was something about Cross Industries that reeked of corruption, deceit, and hidden motives. And Cassidy was determined to expose it all. The mysterious death of a whistleblower, the shady financial deals, the clandestine meetings-all of it pointed back to Alexander Cross.

As she approached the elevator, her heart thudded in her chest. She wasn't just here for information. She was here to confront the man who might be responsible for ruining lives, including her own. She wasn't naïve enough to believe it would be easy. Alexander Cross was no ordinary man. He was ruthless, cold, and made of iron, or so the rumors said.

Cassidy entered the elevator, the steel doors closing with a hiss. As the elevator ascended, she looked at her reflection in the polished metal. Her dark hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, her makeup carefully applied, and yet, her eyes betrayed the weight of the mission ahead. She was playing with fire-and she knew it.

The elevator stopped, and the doors slid open, revealing the vast lobby of Alexander Cross's penthouse office. The building smelled faintly of polished wood and expensive cologne. The receptionist behind the desk smiled, but it was a polite, detached smile-one that said she had seen countless guests come and go.

"Good evening, Ms. Lane. Mr. Cross is expecting you," the receptionist said, her voice as smooth as the marble beneath Cassidy's feet.

"Thank you," Cassidy replied, forcing a polite smile despite the nervous knot in her stomach. She had prepared for this meeting for weeks, but now that it was happening, the reality of what she was about to do hit her like a cold slap.

The door to the private office swung open before she could knock, revealing a large, dimly lit room. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city was a blur of rain-soaked lights. Behind a massive mahogany desk sat the man himself-Alexander Cross. His back was to her, but Cassidy knew it was him before he even turned. There was something magnetic about him, something that commanded attention without a word.

He stood, his broad shoulders filling the room. His suit was tailored to perfection, the fabric dark and luxurious, just like the man. Cassidy had seen countless photographs of him over the years-his sharp jawline, his calculating gaze-but none of them compared to the real thing.

Her breath caught in her throat. This was him. The man who held the power to destroy everything she believed in, the man who might be responsible for the downfall of so many lives.

When he turned to face her, his gaze locked with hers, and for a brief moment, Cassidy felt the world tilt on its axis. There was a coldness in his eyes-an impenetrable wall.

"Ms. Lane," he said, his voice deep and controlled. "I've been expecting you." His gaze didn't waver as he gestured to the chair opposite him. "Please, sit."

Cassidy swallowed hard. Her pulse quickened, but she didn't let it show. She was here to get answers, not to succumb to the magnetic pull he clearly exuded.

As she took her seat, she noticed the faintest flicker of amusement in his eyes, as though he could see through her façade. She was an unknown variable, an outsider-and in his world, outsiders were nothing more than a nuisance.

"Your reputation precedes you, Ms. Lane," Alexander said, folding his hands neatly on the desk. "I assume you've come here for answers. But I'm curious-what makes you think you'll get them?"

Cassidy's lips curled into a tight smile. "I'm not here to ask for answers, Mr. Cross," she replied. "I'm here to give you a choice: tell the truth, or have it exposed."

He leaned back in his chair, assessing her with a calculating look. His expression was unreadable, but Cassidy could sense the tension in the air-the unspoken challenge between them.

"Exposed?" He raised an eyebrow. "Are you threatening me, Ms. Lane? Because if you are, you should know that threats have consequences. I'm not someone you want as an enemy."

Cassidy's pulse raced. She had to remain calm, composed. This was exactly the kind of confrontation she had prepared for-manipulation, intimidation, and power plays. But she wasn't afraid of him. She had a job to do, and nothing-nothing-was going to stop her.

"I'm not threatening you, Mr. Cross," she said, her voice steady. "I'm simply offering you a choice. You can tell me everything-about the company, the lies, the corruption-or I will expose it all to the world. It's not just your reputation at stake. Lives are at risk, and I won't let you get away with it."

There was a long pause, and for a moment, Cassidy thought he might laugh at her. But instead, he just watched her, his eyes intense, almost too intense.

"I don't respond well to ultimatums, Ms. Lane," he said quietly, his voice dark and measured. "And I certainly don't take kindly to being blackmailed. You'll find that out soon enough."

Cassidy held his gaze. She knew she was walking a fine line. The information she had could destroy him-his empire, his legacy-but it could also destroy her. If she didn't play this carefully, she would become a casualty of the very battle she had started.

"Then let's get to the point," Cassidy said, her voice a little firmer now. "I know what you're doing, Mr. Cross. I know about the offshore accounts, the illegal dealings, the destruction of your competitors. I know about your family's ties to the biggest criminal syndicates in the world. And I know what you've done to silence those who try to expose you."

Alexander's eyes flickered briefly-just a flicker-but it was enough. She had struck a nerve. He didn't flinch, but Cassidy could tell she was getting under his skin.

"You're very bold," he said, leaning forward slightly. "But boldness can be dangerous."

Cassidy didn't back down. "And so can you, Mr. Cross."

For a moment, there was a dangerous silence between them. Neither spoke, but both knew what hung in the air. Alexander's eyes narrowed, and a shadow passed over his expression. He was calculating, evaluating her next move. But Cassidy held her ground. She couldn't afford to show weakness, not now.

Finally, he stood up, his movements deliberate and slow. "You're out of your depth, Ms. Lane. But I'll play your little game-for now."

Cassidy's heart skipped a beat. This was it. The game had begun.

But what neither of them knew was that their encounter tonight would change everything. The storm they were about to endure would test them both, forcing them to confront the lies they had built their lives on-and the love they had never expected to find.