The Memory Broker

Chapter Six: The Betrayal

<Rivas Thoughts>

The walk to Crawford's compound had been tense, but something about Kellan's silence unsettled Riva more than usual. He'd always been calm under pressure, but tonight, his quiet felt different—calculated. His eyes, usually sharp with focus, seemed distant, as if his mind were somewhere else entirely. When she glanced at him, she caught a flicker of something in his expression that was gone before she could name it.

At one point, they stopped at a street corner, waiting for the light to change. Riva caught Kellan watching her out of the corner of his eye, but when she turned to meet his gaze, he quickly looked away, his jaw tightening. A pang of suspicion crept into her gut. She brushed it aside, convincing herself it was just the gravity of the situation weighing on them both. Yet, deep down, a small voice whispered that Kellan wasn't telling her everything—that something darker lingered behind his familiar face.

<Story>

Riva had felt tense during the meeting with Crawford and Melville, something seemed off... Something wasnt right. But before Riva could react, she felt Kellan shift beside her. A hand clamped down on her wrist—his hand.

Her heart skipped a beat as she turned to look at him, confusion flashing across her face. "Kellan?"

But Kellan's expression had changed. The calm, determined look he'd worn was gone, replaced by something colder, more ruthless. His grip on her wrist tightened, and his eyes met hers with a strange, detached cruelty.

"I'm sorry, Riva," Kellan said quietly. "But you've always been a step behind."

Riva's mind spun. "What are you—?"

Before she could finish, Kellan twisted her arm, forcing her to drop the data drive onto the table. In an instant, Crawford's guards moved in, one grabbing her other arm while another shoved her roughly into the chair.

"No!" Riva gasped, struggling against their grip, but it was no use.

Crawford stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "You didn't really think you could walk into my house and dictate terms, did you? Kellan's been with us from the beginning."

Riva's breath caught in her throat. "Kellan... what have you done?"

Kellan's expression remained impassive, even as he leaned down, inches from her face. "You were always so focused on NovaTech that you didn't see the bigger picture. Crawford and Melville—they're the only real players here. NovaTech's dangerous, sure, but this city is theirs. It was never about stopping NovaTech. It was about making sure you didn't interfere."

Riva's world spun as the truth hit her. Kellan had played her from the start, feeding her just enough information to keep her going, to keep her in the game—but always under their control.

"You... you were working for them?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Always," Kellan said, his tone flat. "And now you've outlived your usefulness."

Crawford chuckled darkly, nodding to his guards. "Take her downstairs. We'll deal with her after we finish this little NovaTech problem."

The guards hauled Riva to her feet, dragging her toward the door. Her heart raced, but her mind was already working, searching for any possible escape. She had been betrayed, but she wasn't beaten. Not yet.

As the door closed behind her, leaving Crawford, Kellan, and Melville behind, Riva's eyes narrowed. She had come too far to let it end like this. Somehow, she would find a way out.

And when she did, there would be hell to pay.