Fate's Unwritten Path

Chapter Four

Sasha's POV:

The tension in the room was almost suffocating. I sat at my desk, my fingers tightly gripping the edge as I tried to steady my breathing. Across from me, Lucas Carter leaned back in the chair, his expression unreadable, yet there was a cold intensity in his blue eyes that made it impossible to look away.

The incident with Richard was still fresh in my mind, my skin crawling at the memory of his hands on me. But now, with Lucas sitting here, it felt like I was jumping from one fire into another. My pulse was racing, and my chest felt tight, the anxiety building with each passing second.

Lucas was silent, his gaze fixed on me as if he were studying my every move, calculating, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The quiet stretched on, making my nerves fray further until I couldn't take it anymore.

"What do you want from me, sir?" I asked, my voice sounding small, even to my own ears.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk as he stared me down. "I'm going to tell you some things," he began, his voice low and controlled. "And you're never going to speak a word of it to anyone. Understand?"

A shiver ran down my spine at the seriousness in his tone. I nodded slowly, my mouth suddenly dry. "I understand," I whispered.

"Good." He sat back again, his eyes never leaving mine. "You know about my sister, what she was involved in. At least I know you know what she does is a cover-up for the illegal stuff she's done. Not much illegal but you know. But what you don't know is the full extent of who I am, who we are. The Carter family isn't just another wealthy, powerful family in New York. We're part of something much bigger, something that operates in the shadows."

My heart thudded in my chest as his words sank in. I had suspected as much after everything with Ashley, but hearing it confirmed—hearing the unspoken word "mafia" hang in the air—was different. It felt like the walls were closing in on me.

"This isn't just a job, Sasha," Lucas continued, his voice taking on a hard edge. 

"This is an opportunity. You're going to be very well compensated for your work with us. Money, power, protection—you'll have all of it. But in return, I expect absolute loyalty. Whenever I need you, whether it's for me or for someone who works for me, you'll step in and take care of it. No questions asked."

I could feel the blood draining from my face. The enormity of what he was asking hit me like a ton of bricks. This wasn't just about being a lawyer. This was about stepping into a world where the rules were different, where the stakes were higher than anything I had ever faced before.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. I hesitated, the weight of the decision pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe.

Lucas's eyes narrowed as he watched me struggle, and then, without warning, he reached down and lifted the hem of his shirt just enough to reveal the cold, metallic glint of a gun tucked into his waistband.

My breath caught in my throat, and a wave of sheer terror crashed over me. The sight of the weapon triggered something deep inside, a buried trauma that I had spent years trying to forget. Memories of fear, pain, of helplessness flooded my mind, and I felt my body go cold.

Lucas didn't miss the reaction. His gaze sharpened, but he didn't say anything. He didn't have to. The message was clear: there was no way out of this.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to push the panic down, to keep my voice steady even as my hands began to tremble. "Alright," I said, the word barely audible. "I'll do it."

For a moment, Lucas just stared at me, as if assessing whether I meant it. Then, slowly, he lowered his shirt and sat back in the chair, the tension in the room easing just a fraction. "Good," he said, his tone softening just slightly. "You're making the right choice, Sasha."

I nodded, trying to regain some semblance of control over my emotions. "We'll need to discuss the terms," I said, my voice steadier now, though my heart was still pounding in my chest.

"Of course," Lucas replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black business card, sliding it across the desk to me. "My number's on there. Use it if you ever need to reach me. I'll do the same."

I took the card, my fingers brushing against his as I did, and felt another shiver run through me. "And if something happens—if I can't..."

"You'll be fine," Lucas interrupted his voice firm. "You're one of the best in this city. That's why I came to you. And as long as you keep your end of the deal, you'll be protected. No one will touch you."

The words should have been reassuring, but they only added to the weight pressing down on my chest. I nodded again, slipping the card into my pocket. "I understand."

Lucas stood up, his towering presence casting a shadow over the desk. He looked down at me, his expression unreadable. "Don't make me regret this, Sasha," he said quietly.

"I won't sir," I promised, though I wasn't sure if I was reassuring him or myself.

He nodded once, then turned and walked to the door. Just as he reached it, he paused and looked back at me. 

"Lock the door behind me," he said, and there was a hint of something softer in his voice—almost like concern.

I didn't respond. I couldn't. I just watched as he left, the door clicking shut behind him.

The moment he was gone, the dam broke. I rushed to the door, locking it with trembling hands before sinking down onto the floor. My breath came in short, sharp gasps, and I felt the tears welling up in my eyes as the full impact of the day's events crashed over me.

Richard's harassment, Lucas's demands, the gun—it was all too much. My body shook with the force of my sobs as I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to hold myself together. But it was impossible. The stress, the fear, the unhealed trauma—it was all-consuming.

I had been through so much to get where I was, but nothing could have prepared me for this. Nothing could have prepared me for the darkness that had just walked into my life.

I didn't know how long I sat there, crying, but eventually, the tears slowed, and I was left feeling empty and exhausted. My mind was numb, the only thought running through it was how I was going to survive this—how I was going to navigate the dangerous path I had just been forced onto.

And at that moment, sitting on the floor of my office, I realized something: I wasn't just scared. I was trapped.

The weight of that realization settled heavily in my chest as I slowly got up and walked over to my desk, my legs shaky beneath me. I wiped my tear-streaked face with the back of my hand and tried to take a deep breath.

There was no going back now. I had made a choice, and I would have to live with it—no matter what it cost me.

But as I sat back down at my desk and stared at the papers scattered across it, I couldn't help but wonder if I had just made the biggest mistake of my life.