Chapter 125

**Philip**

Ethan's brow furrowed as he contemplated our conversation. After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice laced with confusion. "But I always thought you had already met Mariano."

"That's what I thought, too, Ethan. But now, I'm not so sure. I'm Luminary Productions' President, and the man I've always met is probably an actor hired by the real Mariano. Everyone thinks I've met the real him, but I'm starting to doubt if that person was real either."

An image of Mariano flashed in my mind-a distinguished man in a business suit, always with a cigar between his fingers. The scent of expensive tobacco seemed to linger in my memory.

I'm genuinely confused, or perhaps the real Mariano has been manipulating my understanding.

"Now that I think about what you said, you met Mariano during your first marriage with Sarah. There's a possibility he was keeping a close eye on you because of Sarah," Ethan commented.

I nodded slowly, pieces starting to fall into place. "And Madam Olsen, I think she had suspicions, which is why she tried to invite Sarah away when I was in a coma. It makes more sense now."

Recounting the events, "I stole Sarah's file from Madam Olsen, and that's where I found out the truth about her identity. Mariano's assistant-that snake- took action, ordering their people to kill Sarah. But Sarah was safe, and that assistant ended up dead instead."

Ethan added, "But Mariano punished you, assigning you to ensure Sarah would join the race."

I responded to Ethan, "But Amir spoke to me when I went to Dubai. He made sure I wouldn't involve Sarah in my recklessness. Grandpa Mitchell did the same. They were protecting my wife Mariano ordered me to ensure Sarah would join the race, fully aware that I would carefully consider it.

"That's why I was compelled to participate in a death-defying race as punishment, which I believe was his true intention. He created this elaborate illusion of targeting Sarah, but she was never in danger. I'm the one who's frequently at risk."

Ethan pondered deeply. "And let's not forget, when Sarah made her escape to find you in Romania, Josh was there. They both encountered Amir at the airport. It's like he was always one step ahead."

Precisely! Amir was in the picture even when Sarah divorced me the first time. But here's the thing: I don't think Amir could be Mariano. The person behind Mariano's identity... I get the sense they're much older and more experienced than any of us.

"Grandpa Mitchell has a reputation in business, and so does Mariano! Sarah's grandfather was a brilliant economist, and Mariano taught me how to manipulate prices and create artificial demand to maximize profits. The only other person I know with that level of expertise is Grandpa Mitchell."

Ethan let out a heavy sigh, his face etched with concern. "Whatever it is, please ensure your safety. I'll protect Sarah, but you must return safely. What's your plan exactly? Why are you meeting with Mariano's team?"

"It's protocol since Josh is under my team. I disagreed with Josh to leave without facing consequences from Mariano's whole organization. And I'm not alone in this-Mariano's advisor and some of his top men share my sentiment. They want Josh to face repercussions."

"What kind of consequences are we talking about here? This isn't just a slap on the wrist, is it?"

"Anything's possible."

Ethan's curiosity was palpable. I had already shared a dangerous amount of information with him, and I didn't want to burden him with more.

"Mariano sent me to a dangerous place after I retrieved a document from Madam Olsen, which landed me in a coma. He shouldn't make things any easier for Josh either."

The helicopter's blades quieted as we landed on the island, the mansion standing prominently atop the hill. My thoughts spun with the recent events: my mother's funeral and the cryptic conversation with Ethan.

Mariano's new assistant greeted me and escorted me into the conference room inside the mansion.

The conference room exuded luxury with dark mahogany panels, plush leather chairs, and a prominent round table. At the center, a modern speaker system surrounded by microphones awaited. As I settled into my chair, I locked eyes with Josh. Tension filled the air between us, a silent battle of determination.

Orlie, my racing manager, sat beside me. "I heard about your mother. My condolences," he muttered.

I stayed quiet, allowing the gravity of recent events to linger. The room gradually filled, each newcomer adding to the tension and uncertainty in the air.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Mariano's voice filled the room. It was unmistakably him but altered-more powerful, more authoritative. It was the real Mariano, not the impersonator I'd grown accustomed to. "We are gathered here to vote on whether to discipline Josh for his desire to leave Philip's team."

Raising my hand, I sought clarification.

"Yes, Philip?" Mariano's voice responded. I glanced around, noticing cameras strategically placed in each corner of the room-Mariano could see every twitch, every glance.

I cleared my throat before speaking up. "I want to clarify my position. I support removing Josh from my team."

Casting a sidelong glance at Josh, I couldn't shake the concern over his close proximity to my wife and its potential complications. The thought alone made my blood boil.

"However," I continued, "I also question his loyalty to our organization as a whole. Allowing him to leave so easily might lead Josh to divulge sensitive information to the public."

"I don't know much! All I know is to watch you wherever you go!" Josh retorted loudly.

Tension filled the room, and I felt everyone's eyes on me. Something inside me snapped.

"If he can leave that easily," I said, my voice rising, "then I want to get out, too!"

Orlie gasped audibly beside me, his mouth hanging open in shock. The room fell into stunned silence.

I'm earning more now, yes. I've learned a lot about business under Mariano's guidance. But leaving this fuckery-this constant tension and danger- that's what I truly desire right now!

My thoughts raced to Sarah and the twins she was carrying. I wanted to build a family with her the right way, be present, and be the father my children deserved.

Josh's potential departure had inadvertently sparked my buried desires, but I knew full well the impossibility of my request. But I had to do this for my growing family.

"Fine!" Mariano's voice crackled through the speaker. "I will allow you to leave, Philip. But you have to fight against Josh."

My eyes narrowed, muscles tensing as I locked gazes with Josh across the table.

"You will go against each other in a battle to the death. The survivor earns their freedom from the group." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "And it all must be resolved within two hours."

We filed out of the conference room in silence. Mariano's assistant swiftly prepared the battleground located in the sea. Mariano's business partners began placing bets and prepared to watch online as they gambled on our lives. The two-hour deadline now made sense; Mariano aimed to maximize his profit from the situation.

Orlie grabbed my arm, his face a mix of fury and disbelief.

"Philip! What madness is this?!" he hissed.

"I want to leave, too, Orlie! That's what I mean! You know I want out of here!"

"But are you out of your mind? You just recovered from a coma! You escaped death once, and now you're willing to try again?"

I didn't tell him that I had anticipated this outcome. That's why I had instructed Ethan to take care of Sarah if anything happened to me. Locked in a fierce gaze with Josh, my fist clenched, I was driven by the desire to retaliate against him for kissing Sarah.

But this was no simple fistfight. One of us would be dead in two hours.