Chapter 2
Two
ZENO’S WARNING
DAPHNE
I could have sliced through the tension with a knife. Sitting across from Zeno and his chief strategist, Helena, I struggled to breathe. I was sure they could hear my every thought, as ridiculous as that sounded.
The Olympus penthouse didn’t feel like home; it was a high-altitude kill box.
Every surface was glass or polished stone, cold and reflective, a designer’s way of ensuring there were no shadows for a girl like me to hide in.
I’d memorized the sweep of every security camera in this room, knowing the blind spots better than Zeno knew his own heartbeat.
Zeno built a fortress, that was a stage where he played God, and right now, I was the only audience member he cared about. The neon lights of the Strip bled into the room like fresh bruises, but they couldn't touch the clinical chill Zeno radiated.
I used to think the lack of color was a design choice.
Now, looking at the gray-on-gray perfection, I realized it was a warning. There was no warmth here because warmth was a weakness Zeno had long ago cut out of his chest.
The bulky, oppressive furniture felt like it was closing in on me, pinning me to my chair before the interrogation even began.
The two of them peered at me intimidatingly, both scrutinizing me closely. Zeno’s sharp gaze seemed to see right through me. I looked away, unable to bear the suspicion flickering in his dark eyes. I was terrified he’d see my true emotions, despite my best efforts to stay neutral.
It was crucial that he believed my loyalty was with him.
“So, you saw Thal at the tournament?” he asked.
I forced my hands to stay still in my lap, resisting the urge to claw at my dress. I kept my voice low and respectful, the voice of the perfect ward he’d spent years training.
“I did. He was at the center table, exactly where you expected him to be. He didn’t seem to notice me at first.”
Helena watched me, her eyes narrowed as if searching for a flicker of a lie, but I didn't give her one. I couldn't afford a single crack in my mask. Snapping at Zeno was a luxury I didn't have, surviving him was my only priority.
“Did you gather any other information?”
I tried to keep my voice even, though my heart was a frantic drum against my ribs. “Zeno, I went to the tournament. He was there. We barely spoke. I was an observer, just like you asked.”
Zeno didn’t answer. Instead, he stood slowly, his presence expanding to fill the room until the air felt thin.
He walked around the mahogany desk with the slow, deliberate grace of a man who had never lost a fight.
He stopped inches away from me, invading my personal space until I was forced to look up at him.
He didn't look at my face. He looked at the hollow of my throat.
“Your pulse is racing, Daphne. Is it the excitement of the cards or the man playing them?”
He reached out, his cold fingers tracing the line of my diamond choker. I froze. This wasn’t a simple touch, more of an assessment. “You were always a terrible liar. You have a tell. You hold your breath when you’re hiding something.”
He leaned down, his nose grazing the curve of my neck.
My blood turned to ice. Please don't smell him. Please don't smell the expensive whiskey and the dark cedar-scent that had clung to me when Thal pressed me against that velvet curtain.
“You smell ... different,” he whispered, a low vibration of threat. “Like smoke and something expensive. Something that doesn't belong in my house.”
He pulled back just enough to let me breathe, though the threat remained.
“Did he win?”
“No,” I replied, my voice slightly breathless. “He was beaten by someone you know.”
"Really? Who?”
"Cass. She mentioned she was an old friend.”
Zeno’s eyes widened, slicing through the air like shards of flint.
“Cassandra or Cass?” He didn't ask the question, he spat it.
“Cass,” I replied, keeping my voice steady.
He looked at Helena, and a dark, silent communication passed between them, making my skin crawl. It was the look of two generals realizing a ghost had stepped onto the battlefield.
“The woman is a vulture,” he said, turning back to me.
“If she told you to be careful, it’s because she’s already decided where she’s going to bury you.
She doesn't have ‘friends,’ Daphne. She has assets and corpses. Don't let her charm you. She’s the only person in this city more ruthless than I am.”
Corpses? Vulture?
I kept my expression carefully blank, but my pulse ticked a confused rhythm. The woman who had playfully beaten Thal at the card table didn't match the terrifying phantom Zeno described. He had jumped to the wrong conclusion, confusing the Cass I met with some demon from his past.
But correcting him now would only invite more scrutiny. If Zeno wanted to be terrified of a ghost, I wasn't going to stop him. Let him chase the wrong shadow.
He exhaled roughly, the mention of his Cassandra clearly rattling his composure.
“Did Thal give you any indication of his next moves?” he asked, his voice tighter now, eager to move on.
“No, other than licking his wounds after such a big loss.”
Zeno shook his head.
“I still don’t trust him.”
“As well you shouldn’t,” Helena agreed. “Need I remind you of the risk that would be?’
“No, you don’t need to remind me of that, Helena,” he said, clearly irritated with her suggestion. “Thal is ruthlessly ambitious, and I wouldn’t put anything past him in his quest for power.”
“Is he really that bad?” I asked. “Are you sure you aren’t being paranoid?”
“Paranoid?” he growled. “No, I’m just cautious. You should be too, Daphne. Trusting people comes at a high cost. Most people aren’t worth it.”
I sighed, sitting back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest.
“I feel like there’s something you aren’t telling me, Daphne.”
Zeno’s words hung heavy in the air between us, confirming his suspicions.
“You know my loyalty is with you, Zeno,” I reminded him, hoping it would ease his worries.
“I’m sorry,” he said, running an exasperated hand through his long hair. “I’m still stinging from Esme’s betrayal.”
I winced at Esme’s name. Zeno’s half-sister had manipulated him, turning him against Aidon, and stealing critical details about his operations.
She had taken a dangerous gamble by letting that information fall into Rhea’s crime syndicate’s hands.
Zeno felt betrayed, and it would take a long time for the pain of his sister’s disloyalty to fade.
Now, I bore the consequences.
“Thal’s goals and ambitions will ruin him one day, Daphne,” he warned. “Make sure he doesn’t ruin you, too.”
The pointed look he shot at me made me wonder if he already knew the truth. Did he know what happened in the Caribbean? Did he know I’d already slept with Thal? The expression on his face sent a shiver down my spine.
Zeno sheltered me for a long time, always watching over me with a steady hand. But I knew that his protection wasn't unlimited. Someday, it would end. The thought was unsettling, but I forced myself not to dwell on it too much.
He was capable of anything, from silent strength to ruthless fury and unpredictable actions. Sometimes I wondered if I should be the one protecting myself from him. If he discovered Thal, I was sure everything would change. The danger would become real and immediate.
I realized I needed to cooperate, go along, and keep my secrets hidden behind a facade. Otherwise, I’d find out just how far he was willing to go, and I wasn’t sure I was prepared for that.
“Tell me what you want me to do, Zeno. Is there specific information you’d like me to extract from Thal?”
“I want everything you can uncover. I need to know who he’s doing business with, both on and off the books.
I want details about his investments, his employees, and who he trusts the most. Hell, find out who he’s sleeping with too.
Any information is vital, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. ”
“You want me to get close to him to obtain this information?”
“I want you to crawl under his skin, Daphne. I want to know his secrets, his weaknesses, and his bed partners.”
He gripped my chin, his thumb pressing into my jaw just hard enough to border on pain. He wanted me to tremble. He wanted me to break.
Instead, as I leaned into his space, my free hand grazed the underside of his mahogany desk, my fingers finding the magnetic USB port I’d rigged weeks ago.
I slid the injector in with a silent click.
While Zeno ranted about my “leash” and my loyalty, my device was already bypassing his local encryption, ghosting his personal ledger.
“I remember exactly what I am to you, Zeno,” I whispered, looking him straight in the eye as the tiny LED on the device in my palm pulsed green. Uploading. “I’m the only investment you have that knows how to bite back.”
He didn't see the device. He only saw the defiance in my eyes, which he mistook for a ward’s spirit. “Remember who you belong to when the sun comes up,” he growled, releasing me with a flick of his fingers as if discarding trash.
If he knew I’d already slept with Thal, he’d have lost it. He’d see it as betrayal itself.
I swallowed hard. “May I make a suggestion, Zeno? It seems to me the bigger threat is Rhea. She could step out of the shadows at any time. More than likely, she’s planning her next move while we're focused on Thal.”
“Let me worry about Rhea,” he said, his arrogance flaring like a physical heat. “I can handle her. You focus on the task I gave you.”
“Right,” I acknowledged, understanding arguing was futile. He relished the idea of having absolute control and ignored opinions that didn't align with his own.
“So, do we have an understanding?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I suppose so,” I said. “I’ll do my best.”
“Excellent.” He returned to his desk and sat back in his leather chair. “You're dismissed, Daphne. Don't disappoint me.”
For a few moments, I stayed there on trembling legs, my jaw still aching from his grip.
I didn't wait for a second invitation. I turned and headed for the heavy mahogany doors, my heels clicking a frantic, uneven rhythm across the marble floor.
I was halfway to the exit, almost tasting the freedom of the hallway, when a shadow fell over me.
I didn't even hear him move. One second he was behind his desk, and the next he was a wall of cold granite blocking my path. His hand clamped firmly on my upper arm. Less an embrace and more a restraint. He pulled me close, his eyes boring into mine.
“I’ve spent ten years shaping you into the perfect weapon, Daphne. I saved you from the wreckage of your parents' lives.” He leaned in, then whispered in a lethal tone. “I trusted Esme once. I won’t make that mistake again. Don't make me break you because you forgot which hand holds your leash.”
He abruptly released me, turning his back to look out the window at the city he thought he owned. I stumbled back, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
Helena stood by the door, her face a mask of polite indifference, but her eyes were sharp.
As she opened the door to walk me out, she leaned in, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“Be careful with Thal, Daphne. He’s too charming to trust. Don’t make a mistake you’ll regret for the rest of your life. ”
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I pressed the elevator button and breathed a sigh of relief as the doors closed, cutting off my view of Zeno's cold, golden fortress.
As the elevator doors hissed shut, I didn't slump. I pulled my phone from my clutch, watching the progress bar on the secure app.
I had Zeno’s private payroll. I had the names of his silent partners. He thought he was sending a lamb to Thal’s slaughter, but he’d forgotten one thing.
He was the one who had taught me that information is the only currency that matters in Vegas. I wasn't just trapped between two monsters anymore. I was becoming the one they should both be afraid of.