Aiden's POV
Sitting in my office, I took another swig of whiskey, feeling the burn as it went down. The anger simmered beneath the surface, and I clenched my fist, trying to hold it back. Felix. That bastard was pushing me to my limit. He thought he could just walk all over me and take everything I had.
Not Jenna. He wasn’t going to take Jenna from me.
The memory of him standing outside his house, smug, thinking he could win, played over and over in my mind. He had no idea who he was dealing with. Felix wanted to play dirty? Fine. I could play that game too.
I grabbed my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found the investigator’s number. This wasn’t the first time I’d needed someone like him, and I was willing to go as far as I needed to expose Felix for what he truly was.
After a few rings, a gravelly voice answered. "Mr. Aiden, what can I do for you?"
“I need you to dig into someone. Felix. I want everything on him. Where he’s been, who he’s talked to, what secrets he’s hiding. I need dirt—something that will destroy him,” I said, my voice cold and calculated. I had to play this carefully. I couldn’t afford any more mistakes.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Consider it done. I’ll start immediately and keep you updated.”
“Good,” I muttered before hanging up the phone.
I leaned back in my chair, the weight of my anger still heavy in my chest. Felix didn’t deserve Jenna. She was being manipulated, blinded by whatever lies he was feeding her. I had to protect her—even if it meant going to extremes.
The thought of Jenna with Felix made my blood boil. I couldn’t let him win. I wouldn’t let him. Jenna needed to see who Felix really was—a manipulative bastard who only cared about himself.
And I was going to make sure she did.
I stared out the window of my office, the city lights flickering in the distance. Felix thought he was clever, that he could play with me like I was some fool. But he didn’t know what I was capable of.
I was going to expose him, and when I did, Jenna would come running back to me. And Felix would be nothing but a painful memory.
Taking another drink, I smirked. "You think you’ve won, Felix? We’ll see about that."
I opened the drawer, intending to grab something else, but my hand brushed against a frame lying face down. Curious, I picked it up and turned it over.
It was a picture of Aira and me—back when things were simple. We were at the beach, her laugh frozen in time, her hand in mine as the sun set behind us. We looked happy. I looked happy.
Aira…
I hadn’t thought about her in a while, but seeing this picture brought back memories I’d buried. The way we used to be, the way I used to feel. I ran my thumb over the glass, tracing her face, remembering the warmth in her eyes, the way she made everything seem less complicated.
But I had ruined it. Just like everything else.
I placed the frame back in the drawer, closing it a little too harshly. I couldn’t afford to think about Aira right now, not with everything happening with Jenna. Felix was my problem now, and I needed to focus. Yet, seeing that picture reminded me of how easily everything could slip through my fingers.
Jenna wasn’t Aira. And I couldn’t let what happened before happen again. I wouldn’t lose her like I lost Aira. I couldn’t.
Shaking off the lingering emotions, I stood up, grabbing my jacket and keys. I needed to clear my head, to come up with a plan. Felix thought he was winning, but he had no idea what I was capable of.
As I headed for the door, I glanced back at the drawer where Aira’s photo was hidden. I won’t make the same mistakes.
Not this time.
 
FELIX’S POV
Two days had passed, and finally, Jenna said yes. She’s sweet, caring, always there when I need someone. But deep down, I know this isn’t right. I can't let myself forget why I'm doing this. I have to make Aiden pay—for everything he did to Aira. The pain he caused her isn’t even close to what I’ve made him feel so far. There’s still so much more he has to lose.
I pulled out my wallet, taking out the small photo I kept of Aira. I stared at her smiling face, gently tracing the outline of her with my thumb. "I'm doing it, Aira... but it’s not enough yet," I whispered, feeling the weight of my promise to her pressing down on my chest.
Suddenly, a knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I quickly shoved the wallet back into my pocket and stood up.
When I opened the door, I saw Nikolai standing there, his usual serious expression in place. "You busy?" he asked, glancing around the room like he was checking for something—or someone.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "No, come in," I replied, stepping aside to let him enter.
Nikolai walked in, his eyes sharp as he studied me. "I’ve been hearing things, Felix. People are talking about you and Jenna... and about Aiden. You know this is getting dangerous, right?"
I clenched my jaw, trying to stay calm. "I know what I’m doing."
Nikolai didn’t seem convinced. "Do you really not have any feelings for Jenna?"
His question hit harder than I expected. I paused, the silence growing between us. Did I actually have feelings for Jenna? Or was it really just about revenge, like I kept telling myself?
I thought about her—the way she smiled at me, the way she cared for me, how she made me feel when we were together. It wasn’t part of the plan to get attached, to feel anything other than anger and the need for payback. But now… now it was complicated.
Nikolai studied my face as if he could see the war going on in my head. "Felix, if you're getting too deep, you need to step back. You can’t let your emotions mess up your plans."
I shook my head, trying to clear the confusion. "This is all for Aira. Nothing more." The words came out, but even I wasn’t sure if I fully believed them anymore. Jenna was starting to get under my skin, in ways that scared me.
Nikolai raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "If that’s true, you need to start acting like it. Aiden is watching every move you make, and if he finds out you’re serious about Jenna... he’s going to use it against you."
I swallowed hard, knowing he was right. Aiden wasn’t just some guy I could brush off. He was ruthless, and if he found a weakness in me—especially if that weakness was Jenna—he’d tear it apart.
"I’ll handle it," I said, more to convince myself than him.
Nikolai sighed and turned to leave. "Just remember why you’re doing this. Don’t lose sight of the goal."
As he walked out the door, I was left alone with my thoughts. I stared at the closed door for a long time, my mind racing. The goal was always clear: make Aiden pay for what he did to Aira. But now, things were different.
I pulled out my wallet again and looked at Aira’s picture. "I’m doing this for you," I whispered, though doubt gnawed at me. Jenna was becoming more than just a pawn in this game.
And that scared me more than anything.