Page 31 of Ruthless Arrangement

“It’s… complicated,” I start, then stop.How do I explain the warehouse? The ear? The way Nico looked at me afterward? The choice he presented?“He’s showing me things, Sienna. How deals get made. How power works in this city. It’s…intense.”

“Intense?” Sienna’s grip tightens. “Lea, I know guys who used to cover the Outfit back in the day. They talk about Varela like he’s the devil himself, only smarter and quieter. People who cross him disappear. You saw what happened to your dad! Nico is not just intense, he’s fucking insanely intense.”

“That’s why I have to do this!” The words burst out, raw with grief and a conviction I cling to like a life raft. “For my father. I need to know what happened to him, Sienna. Nico might be the only one who has the answers. This access… it’s the only way. Period.”

Sienna studies my face, her expression softening with empathy but hardening with resolve. “Okay, I get the dad angle. I do. But this,” she gestures around the room, at the walls, at me, “this feels like more than that. This feels like a fucking obsession. He’s getting to you, isn’t he?” She leans closer. “Lea, be honest with me. Are you sleeping with him?”

“What? No! God, no!” The denial is vehement, immediate. The thought is both horrifying and shamefully, traitorously, not entirely repulsive. Heat floods my cheeks.

Sienna sees the flush, her eyes narrowing further. “Okay. But he wants to. And maybe part of you wants him to, too?” She holds up a hand as I protest. “I’m not judging. The guy radiates dark, dangerous sex appeal. But Lea, that’s how guys like him operate. They pull you in, make you feel special, chosen, privy to their secrets… and then, boom! They own you. This ‘access’ he’s giving you? It comes with strings you can’t even see yet. You need to walk away. Now. Before it’s too late.”

Her words resonate with my internal warnings.She’s right. Walk away. Tell Harrison you can’t do it.

“I can’t,” I murmur, the admission feeling like a betrayal of Sienna, of my father, of myself. “Not yet. I’m close to something.”Or maybe I just can’t let go of him.

Sienna searches my face for a long moment, then sighs, a sound heavy with resignation. “Okay. Okay, I see I can’t talk you out of this right now.” She releases my shoulders. “But you need to go see Harrison. Face the music about that report. And Lea, promise me you’ll keep your head on straight. Don’t forget who he is, what he’s capable of.” She glances at the wall again. “And maybe take down a few of the glamor shots? It’s creeping me out.”

Despite the tension, a small smile touches my lips. “Okay. Deal.”

After Sienna leaves, the apartment feels too quiet, her warnings lingering in the silence. I force myself to get ready, choosing armor once more. A sharp black pantsuit, heels high enough to signal confidence, hair pulled back.A warrior preparing for battle on two fronts: Harrison’s office and whatever Nico has planned next.

* * *

The walkto the Journal feels different. The morning hustle of downtown Chicago seems muted, distant. Every passing face feels like a potential threat, every dark sedan could be a possible tail.Paranoia? Maybe. Or maybe just a necessary adaptation to the world Nico Varela has dragged me into.

The newsroom crashes over my senses like usual since I started, a wall of sound, fluorescent glare, desperate motion. The clatter of keyboards seems louder. But moving toward my desk, the chatter doesn’t just dip; it flat lines. Eyes follow me, sharp and zeroed in, nothing like the idle speculation my first day just three weeks ago. My skin prickles under the weight of their scrutiny.

They fucking know. They might not know details, but they know I’m involved with Varela. The rumors must be flying; the exclusive access, being seen with him at Bellamy’s, maybe even whispers from Purgatorio staff. I’m no longer the rookie. I’m marked. Varela’s girl.The label clings like tar.

My small desk in the corner feels less like a refuge and more like an isolation cell.

The shrill ring of my desk phone makes me jump. Harrison’s extension. Predictable as sunrise.

“My office. Now.” Click.

Here we go.Taking a deep breath, I stand and begin the walk of shame, or maybe the walk of the damned, toward the glass box at the end of the room.

Harrison is pacing when I enter, radiating impatience. He doesn’t offer a seat. He just stops, turns, and jabs a finger at the printout of my email lying on top of the usual chaos on his desk.

“Song.” His voice is low. “Explain this garbage.”

I stand my ground, hands clasped behind my back to hide their tremor. “It’s my initial report, Harrison. As discussed. Covering the Bellamy’s meeting, the Riverside project financing?—”

“Financing?” He snatches the papers, rattling them in my face. “You think I sent you to shadow Nico fucking Varela to get insights on municipal bonds? ‘Key stakeholders discussed financing windows’? ‘Calloway expressed confidence’? Are you writing for the Journal or Varela’s goddamn newsletter?”

“Harrison, I have to build trust?—”

“Trust?” He laughs, a harsh, barking sound. “You build trust by bringing me something real! Something with teeth! This reads like you spent an hour at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon, not embedded with the most dangerous man in Chicago!” He throws the papers down, scattering them across the desk. “Where’s the grit, Song? Where are the backroom deals? The threats? The names?”

My throat feels dry. Nico’s warning, cold and absolute, rings in my ears.Nothing about tonight.

“The access I have is unprecedented, but it’s fragile,” I say, reciting the justification I’ve rehearsed. “Varela operates on loyalty and absolute discretion. If I report unverified details, if I burn sources this early?—”

“Sources?” Harrison leans forward, eyes narrowed. “Are you protecting him?”

The accusation lands like a punch to the gut.He sees it. He suspects.

“I’m protecting the story,” I counter, forcing conviction into my voice. “Long-term access requires short-term patience. The Bellamy’s meeting is significant. Seeing Calloway defer to him, the way the city officials hung on his every word, that shows his reach into legitimate power structures. That’s the foundation.”

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