Chapter 4 Chapitre 4

There was no return possible. Jade knew that she had to sail in this world of lies and false smiles, hidden flaws under layers of silk and broken promises. Each movement, each word she pronounced, every gesture she made, locked her a little more in the canvas than Liam had woven around her. But what he was unaware was that she was watching him. He was not aware that each part of this mafia network, every detail, each decision, each meeting was an opening to a flaw that it could exploit.

This world which he thought was unwavering was in reality only a fragile construction that she was going to deconstruct little by little.

She started to observe. Each member of this organization was a room in a complex puzzle, but most were too absorbed by their roles and ambitions to see the cracks that were starting to train. Jade had learned to read them, to understand their gestures, to capture their faults. The perfection of the illusion they had created was a mask. She realized that she could see the cracks. Each error was an opening, each misstep a lever.

Through these silent moments, Jade began to understand the extent of Liam power. It was not just the money or the influence that gave him control, but the shadows behind him. His allies, his enemies, his manipulation strategies - everything was calculated, planned. And she, in her golden cage, did not seem to be only a simple victim, but of a spectator carefully engaged in this macabre staging. This world of corruption attracted her as much as he pushed her back. It was a complexity that nothing and no one seemed to be able to alter, but she now saw each piece, each movement.

That evening, during dinner, Jade felt the weight of the challenge in her. It was an opportunity. Liam, in all his glory, had not yet understood that he did not hold the reins of his power as firmly as he believed it. This dinner was not going to be a simple meal. It was a disguised battle, a duel of wishes, and she intended not to be dominated.

She sat down at the table, her eyes riveted on Liam who was already there, her impassive face as always, her piercing gaze observing each movement of the room. He had no patience for the pretenses, and yet he wore a heavy burden every day. Jade knew that his simple presence, his measured silence, attracted him to a power game in which he would not have the advantage. That evening, she was going to push him. A look would be enough to wave his control. She was not yet ready to break her cage, but she could at least sow the seed of doubt in her mind.

Dinner began in almost total silence, a silence that was only the preamble to a storm. Jade ate without really taste the refined dishes, without being interested in the food and perfection of each dish served. All that intended was that precise moment.

Finally, Liam broke the silence, his cold and direct voice perceived the tense atmosphere.

- You seem quieter tonight, Jade. Did you eat well?

She looked up, the challenge in her gaze. It was a game, and she knew very well how to play it.

- Why this question ? Do you want to know if I ate enough to be docile, or just to assure you that I don't intend to escape? She asked in a scathing tone.

A flash of amusement crossed Liam's eyes, but he did not respond immediately. He knew she was going to provoke him, that this dinner was going to turn into something else. But he was not the type to go back to a challenge.

- You are smarter than you admit, Jade. But you should know that each gesture here has a consequence. If you think I'm going to let you play this little game without repercussions, you are heavy heavily.

She leaned slightly forward, her gaze planted in hers. The words escaped from his lips as needles, each more sharp than the previous one.

- What if I decided to have fun with you, Liam? If I decided that it is you who will feel the weight of your own arrogance? I'm not a woman you can handle without it cost me.

A thrill passed into Liam's eyes, a glimmer of anger that he did not let, however. He considered it, analyzed it, looking for the fault, a moment of weakness. But he didn't find her. She was much more solid than he imagined.

- You underestimate me, Jade. But that's good. Continue to believe that you are more malignant. This is what will make your fall even more ... spectacular.

He got up slowly, his gaze always fixed on her, measuring each word, each gaze, each tension in the air. But he did not turn away, he did not let her win this first round.

- This world, Jade, is mine. And I control every aspect of what you can and cannot do. Don't forget that.

She got up in turn, her tense body, but her mind already on the lookout for the following movements, the flaws to be exploited. Each word from Liam was only an additional step towards the end of this part. He did not yet understand that, although he controls the game, he did not control the outcome.

She approached him slowly, her burning look of a new will.

- I'm going to surprise you, Liam. You will see. Nothing is frozen in this world, not even the control that you are trying to maintain.

A silence settled, heavy, threatening. But deep down, something had changed. She was ready to fight, ready to bring down this empire. And she was going to start with the first spark of her rebellion.

Liam didn't need words to impose his will. As soon as he turned to her, his gaze determined, the challenge was launched. Jade knew what he was going to ask him would not be a simple formality. Each Liam decision was a test, a test of his endurance, his patience and his submission. Today he was going to test his limits.

- You come with me, he said in a low voice, almost indifferent. We will meet one of my rivals.

Jade felt her heart tighten, but she didn't let anything appear. She knew that he had no choice. No real freedom, just an illusion of power. She was nothing more than a spectator in her game, a pawn on her chessboard. However, she also knew that such an encounter could be the key. A moment of opportunity when, even for a moment, she could grasp what escaped her control. It was not the moment of a blind rebellion, but that of analysis. Calculation.

She followed Liam without asking questions, without revealing the intensity of her thoughts. He had already warned her. It was up to her to understand the world in which she was locked up, and this meeting was the first step.

The journey was short, but every minute seemed to stretch in tense silence. Liam did not exchange a word, and Jade, although used to tension their relationship, once again felt like a foreigner in this world of cruel rules.

When they arrived, she saw the man before he even speaks. His gaze was as cold as Liam's, but without the same depth. This man did not bear the weight of his opponent's life. It was lighter, almost dangerous in a different way, like a cage beast ready to free itself. Jade felt a wave of mistrust invade her, but she kept calm. She was there to observe, not to get involved.

Liam exchanged a few words with this man, but it was the latter's gaze, piercing and mean, who captured his attention. It was obvious that the tension between them was not just that of a fight for power, but of a personal rivalry. Jade had the impression of looking at two predators gauging, each waiting for the other to make a mistake.

She knew that this moment could be useful to her, that she had to collect each detail, each word pronounced, each nuance in Liam's gestures. But what troubled her more was the way Liam looked at her for a moment. It was not a cold or indifferent look, as he used to. It was ... different. Fragile, almost human. A fleeting shine, a brief spark in his gaze, which Jade grabbed in a flash before he hides it again behind his ice mask.

She remained silent, not knowing if she had dreamed of this glow, if she had imagined this moment. But what she felt was a destabilization. A disorder. She had always seen an inflexible man in Liam, a being of power, a machine to crush his enemies. But this moment, this simple look, forced her to reconsider what she thought of knowing him. Maybe he was not just a heartless monster. Perhaps there was something else, something strangely human. But she was not naive. What she had seen was only a mirage, a moment of weakness that she should not let it alter it.

She took a deep inspiration and concentrated again on the meeting. Everything, in Liam's body language, said that he dominated the situation, even if his gaze, a fraction of a second earlier, had betrayed an emotion that he did not want us to perceive. Jade knew he was dangerous, but perhaps he was more than she imagined. She was going to have to understand this complexity if he wanted her to survive this world.

The meeting intensified, the words fusing like blades hidden under polite smiles. Liam showed no weakness, even when he made visible concessions. He kept control, as always. But Jade couldn't help but rethink this glow, this fragility that his gaze had betrayed. It was not the image she had of him. It was not the ruthless machine that he was forced to be. There was something more in this confrontation, something that was going beyond power strategies.

She walked away for her thoughts for a moment, wondering if this was not a point of vulnerability that she could exploit. A moment when she could make him flank. But how? How ? She was not ready to face her head on, not yet.

As the conversation continued, Jade realized that she was not just a spectator. She was more than that. She had a role to play, but he was not yet clear in her mind. She had to observe, listen, and wait. Each movement of Liam, each reaction of the man in front of him, was a piece of the puzzle which she had to resolve.

Then the meeting ended abruptly, like everything that was going on in this ruthless world. Liam, once again, seemed to be the one who held all the sons. He knew when to leave, he knew how to control the game. But when they went away, Jade could not get rid of the image of this fleeting look. She knew that this spark of humanity, although tiny, could mean much more than it had imagined.

She followed him silently, his mind tormented by this unexpected discovery. But she knew that, even if this moment of vulnerability existed in him, she could not afford to forget reality: Liam was dangerous, ruthless. And she, as a prisoner in this world, was to survive her own rules.