Bound To The Broken Alpha (Amy and Daniel) novel Chapter 496

Chapter 496 Falling Out

MARK

Finished

I found out about the investigation from a message that wasn’t meant to alarm me, which was exactly why it

did.

It came from a junior analyst I’d mentored years ago. Short. Careful and careful.

“They’re widening the scope. Anyone tied to Clara is being reviewed.”

I read it twice, then locked my phone and stared at the wall of my office. The place felt smaller than it had an hour ago. Same desk. Same screens. Same framed insignia on the wall. Nothing had changed, yet everything had.

Widening the scope meant patterns. It meant cross–checks. It meant they weren’t just looking for what Clara did–they were looking for who benefited.

That included me.

I kept my face neutral when my assistant knocked and stepped in.

“Council liaison is on line three,” she said. “They want confirmation on your availability next week.”

“For what?” I asked.

“Preliminary interviews,” she replied. “Standard procedure.”

Standard. That word again.

“Tell them I’ll confirm by end of day,” I said.

She nodded and left. The door closed softly, but my pulse didn’t slow.

I had always told myself I was careful. That what I shared with the South was minimal. Controlled. Not damaging. Just enough to keep leverage on both sides. I never gave them full plans. Never gave them names that mattered.

At least, that was how I framed it.

The truth was simpler. I sold information because it kept me relevant. Because it kept my position insulated. Because power was easier to manage when no one believed you were desperate for it.

Now Clara was in holding, and suddenly relevance felt like a liability.

I stood and paced, then stopped and activated the privacy field around my office. Old habit. Useful one.

My phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn’t subtle.

Unknown number. Southern code.

I hesitated, then answered.

“You’re exposed,” a voice said. Calm. Male. Not Elias.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied.

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Chapter 496 Falling Out

“You do,” he said. “The North is cleaning house.”

“They won’t find anything on me.”

A pause. Then a quiet laugh. “That depends on how deeply they dig.”

I clenched my jaw. “You assured me my name wouldn’t surface.”

Finished

“And it hasn’t,” he said. “Yet. But Clara’s collapse accelerated things. They’re tracing influence chains.”

“You told me she was protected,” I snapped.

“She was,” he replied. “Until she wasn’t useful.”

That stung more than it should have.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“For now? Nothing,” he said. “But you should prepare.”

“For what?”

“For a question you won’t like,” he said. “When they ask who fed the South internal rhythm data.”

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone, then set it face down on the desk.

I needed to move. Not physically–strategically.

I pulled up recent transmissions, filtered through my personal encryption layer. Nothing obvious. No direct ties. No signatures that could be traced easily. I’d been careful to route everything through intermediaries.

But investigations didn’t work on certainty. They worked on probability.

A knock interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I said.

Daniel stepped inside.

ced myself not to stiffen.

He looked tired. Thinner. His eyes carried a focus that made people talk less around him.

“Mark,” he said. “Do you have a moment?”

“Of course,” I replied, gesturing to the chair. “What’s going on?”

He sat, studying me in a way that felt deliberate.

“You’ve heard about the investigations,” he said.

“Yes,” I answered. “Hard not to.”

Chapter 496 Falling Out

“They’ll be thorough,” he said. “Uncomfortable.”

“That’s usually how truth surfaces,” I said carefully.

His gaze stayed on me. “I want to know where you stand

I met his eyes. “With the North.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

1 exhaled. “Daniel, if you’re asking whether I supported Clara-”

“I’m asking whether you ever suspected she was compromised,” he said.

The truth hovered, sharp and dangerous.

Finished

“I thought she was ambitious,” I said. “I thought she overreached. I didn’t think she’d cross certain lines.

“Did you ever see her meet Elias?” he asked.

“No,” I said, which was true. “I heard rumors. Nothing concrete.”

He nodded slowly. “If you remember anything later, tell me.”

“I will,” I said.

He stood up. “These interviews won’t be friendly. Be ready.”

After he left, I sat still for a long time.

wasn’t accusing. That was worse. Accusations could be deflected. Scrutiny couldn’t.

hat day, I met with two council auditors. They were polite. Methodical.

you explain your communication patterns over the past six months?” one asked.

1. id. “Operational coordination. External risk assessment.”

“And your off–channel briefings?” the other asked.

“Legacy systems,” I replied. “Outdated but still in use.”

They exchanged notes.

“Any contact with Southern representatives?” the first asked.

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