Page 30 of The Player

The next morning dawned with a deceptive calm. The townhouse was bathed in soft, golden light as the sun rose over the London skyline, casting soft shadows across the quiet streets. Hope stood at the window sipping her coffee, her gaze distant as she tried to shake off the lingering tension from the night before. The adrenaline that had kept her alert in the dark hours had finally ebbed, leaving her feeling drained but resolute. They were closer than ever to uncovering the truth behind the Obsidian Cartel, but that also meant the danger was more real than ever.

Seth was in the kitchen, finishing his own breakfast before he had to leave for ‘work’—their carefully constructed cover as a married couple meant maintaining appearances, even when every instinct told them to stay together. Hargrove’s car was gone from his driveway, a small relief that eased some of the anxiety gnawing at Hope’s gut. Maybe they had managed to slip under the radar, at least for now.

Seth walked into the room; his expression serious as he joined her by the window. “Hargrove’s not around, so that’s a good sign,” he said, echoing her thoughts. “But we can’t let our guard down. If last night taught us anything, it’s that they’re watching us closely.”

Hope nodded, setting her coffee cup down on the windowsill. “I know. I’ll keep working on the data, but I’ll be careful. If anything seems off, I’ll alert you right away.”

Seth reached out and took her hand, his grip firm, reassuring. “I’ll be in constant contact. If you hear or see anything strange, anything at all, let me know immediately. And if I don’t get a response from you, I’m coming back home.”

“I will,” Hope promised, squeezing his hand in return. She didn’t want to admit how uneasy she felt about him leaving, but she knew they didn’t have a choice. Their cover had to be maintained, and that meant continuing to live their lives as though nothing was amiss.

Seth’s gaze softened as he looked at her, and for a moment, the weight of everything they were facing seemed to hang between them. “We’ll get through this,” he said quietly, his voice filled with a determination that gave her strength. “But we have to stay sharp. They’re going to make a move soon—one way or another, they have to.”

Hope nodded, feeling the same sense of impending danger. “I’ll be ready.”

With one last, lingering look, Seth leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead before turning to leave. Hope watched him go, her heart heavy with worry—not just for herself or for the world, but for Seth. He was far more than Club Southside’s resident joker. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving the house suddenly too quiet, too empty.

She stood there for a moment longer, trying to gather her thoughts, before moving to set the security alarms. The soft beeps as she armed the system were oddly comforting, a reminder that she wasn’t completely vulnerable. But she knew that if Hargrove or anyone else from the cartel decided to make a move, the alarms wouldn’t be enough to stop them.

Hope returned to the living room and settled herself at the small desk where she’d set up her laptop. The files she had managed to download were still waiting for her, a mind-boggling array of code that she had to decipher and then translate. It was painstaking work, but Hope was nothing if not meticulous. She knew that every keystroke could bring her closer to the answers they needed.

Time slipped away as she delved deeper into the files, her mind working at a frantic pace to make sense of the data. She was so engrossed in her work that the sudden, soft beeping of one of the perimeter alarms startled her. Hope’s heart leaped into her throat as she quickly checked the camera feeds, her breath catching when she saw Hargrove approaching the house.

Panic flashed through her, but she forced herself to stay calm. She sent Seth a quick message—‘Hargrove’s here’—before shoving the laptop behind a hidden panel in the bookcase. It wasn’t a perfect hiding spot, but it would have to do for now. She couldn’t let him find it.

A knock on the door made her jump, and Hope took a deep breath, smoothing down her clothes before heading to answer it. When she opened the door, Hargrove stood there with a smile that was both oily and suspicious, his eyes glittering with something she couldn’t quite place. His eyes had a reptilian quality that made her want to recoil from him.

“Good morning, Mrs. Conway,” he greeted, his tone smooth but laced with an undercurrent of something darker. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

Hope forced a polite smile, blocking his entry into the townhouse even though her nerves were jangling. “Good morning, Mr. Hargrove. Not at all, but I must admit, I wasn’t expecting company.”

Hargrove’s smile widened; she stared, wondering if a forked tongue might come out and test the air. “I was in the neighborhood…”

“You live two doors down, Mr. Hargrove.”

“Ah, yes. What I meant to say was that I had to come back to the house and just thought I’d stop by. I wanted to check in after last night’s little… excitement.”

Hope’s heart pounded in her chest, but she kept her expression neutral. “We’re fine. Thank you for your concern. I hope you don’t mind, but I don’t invite men into the house when my husband isn’t home. It wouldn’t be proper,” she said, stepping out more fully onto the porch and pulling the door nearly closed behind her with deliberate care.

Hargrove’s eyes flicked to the blocked entry, then back to her. “Of course, I understand,” he said smoothly, though there was a hint of annoyance in his tone. “But I thought it might be nice to chat, just the two of us.”

Hope tilted her head, feigning curiosity. “Chat? About what, Mr. Hargrove?”

He shrugged, his gaze never leaving hers. “Oh, you know… just neighborly things. I was curious if you happened to hear the alarm that went off at the Citadel last night. It was quite the disturbance.”

Hope felt her stomach twist with anxiety, but she kept her voice light. “I did hear it, actually. It was quite loud. Do you know what it was?”

Hargrove’s smile didn’t waver, but there was something predatory in his eyes. “Yes, a cyber-security alert. Nothing to be worried about.”

Hope feigned ignorance, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Oh, is that like when someone tries to steal information from a computer system?”

His smile widened just a fraction, the hint of a predator sensing blood. “Exactly. When someone attempts to hack into our system and obtain information that doesn’t belong to them. We take such breaches very seriously.”

The hackles on Hope’s neck went up, but she forced herself to stay calm, to play the role. “That sounds terrible. I hope you caught the person responsible.”

“Not yet,” Hargrove replied, his tone now carrying a subtle threat. “But we will. It’s only a matter of time. And when we do, they’ll face the consequences.”

Hope’s heart was pounding so loudly she was sure Hargrove could hear it, but she maintained her composure. “Of course. That kind of crime should be prosecuted, and the person responsible should be locked up.”

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