Page 7 of Taming the Lion
And then I hear it—Alex’s voice.
I duck behind a curtain, heart suddenly pounding in my chest. I shouldn’t eavesdrop. I know that. But there’s something in his tone, something serious and cold, that sends warning signals through me. This isn’t the Alex I know.
I edge closer, pressing myself against the fabric, listening.
“...I’m getting closer,” he says, his voice low but clear. “Whoever’s behind these thefts knows what they’re doing. But it’s not just Rajah. This is organized.”
A chill runs through me. What thefts? I catch a glimpse of Dante, nodding, his arms crossed as if he’s in on something. My pulse quickens, confusion mixing with the unease.
“Once we have the final pieces, we can shut this down,” Alex continues. “I’m just not sure how long we can keep this quiet.”
I freeze.
Shut this down? Keep it quiet?
Dante leans closer to Alex, his voice quieter, but I can still hear the words that make my stomach drop: “You sure you can handle it on your own, Detective?”
Detective.
The world tilts under my feet. I press a hand against the side of the tent, trying to steady myself, but nothing feels steady. Detective? My mind scrambles to piece it together, but it doesn’t make sense. Alex—Alex isn’t just a performer? He’s… undercover?
I stumble backward, my breath coming faster, harder, as reality crashes down on me. Everything—everything between us—was a lie. I’ve been played. The moments I thought were real, the vulnerability I let slip, the connection I thought was there… it was all a game. A strategy. I was nothing more than a pawn in his investigation, something to get closer to the truth.
I feel sick. My chest tightens, and I press a hand to my ribs, trying to catch my breath, but it’s no use. The betrayal hits hard, sharper than any wound. How could I have let him in? How could I have been so stupid?
I push away from the curtain, forcing my feet to move, trying to get as far from that conversation as possible. But the words keep playing over and over in my head.
Detective.
He was lying the whole time.
I break into a run, my vision blurring as rage and hurt collide in a storm inside me. I can’t believe it. I won’t believe it. But the truth is staring me in the face, undeniable. The man I was starting to trust, the man I thought might actually care about me—he’s been lying to me since the moment we met.
I stop near the animal enclosures, gripping the fence so hard my knuckles turn white. Zeus watches me, his calm gaze the only thing that keeps me from completely falling apart.
How could I have let him in?
I feel the tears burning at the back of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I’ve been here before—vulnerable, exposed—and I swore I’d never let anyone get close enough to hurt me again. But I let Alex in. I let him under my skin. And now, I’m paying the price for it.
I trusted him. And it’s destroyed me.
I take a deep breath, pushing back the tears, forcing myself to find some semblance of control. There’s only one thing I can do now—confront him. I need to hear it from his lips. I need to see the truth in his eyes, no matter how much it breaks me.
Because if I don’t, I’ll never be able to move on from this.
I find him near the trailers, his back to me, shirt off, preparing for his next act. The afternoon sun glints off the sweat on his skin, his muscles flexing as he checks his firebreathing equipment. To anyone else, he looks like just another performer—strong, confident, magnetic. But I know better now. I know the truth, and it burns in my chest like a fire I can’t put out.
Every step I take toward him feels heavier, my pulse pounding in my ears. The noise of the circus fades into nothing as I close the distance. My breath comes in sharp, furious bursts. My anger is a living thing, crawling up my throat, threatening to choke me, but underneath it, there’s something darker. Something that hurts more than I want to admit. Betrayal.
“Alex.”
He turns at the sound of my voice, and for a split second, I see that smile—the one that used to make my heart race, the one that made me feel like I was the only thing that mattered. But it fades quickly when he sees my face. His expression shifts,confusion creasing his brow as he straightens. “Sophia? What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” I snap, my voice cold, sharper than I’ve ever heard it. “You tell me, Detective.”
The word hits him like a punch. His eyes widen, and I can see the realization wash over him. He knows. He knows I heard everything.
I take another step forward, unable to keep the fury contained anymore. “You’re not just a firebreather, are you? You’ve been lying to me this whole time.”
