Chapter 61: Rebuilding Trust

The aftermath of the warehouse standoff was nothing short of chaos. We barely made it out of there alive. Mikey was bruised, I was shaken, and the trust I had in the people around me felt more fragile than ever. My company was hanging by a thread, my allies scarce and skeptical.

I sat in my office, staring blankly at the papers scattered across my desk. Each document felt like a reminder of how far I’d fallen, how vulnerable I was after the betrayal. Trust—once the foundation of everything I’d built—was now a crumbling tower. And I had no idea how to rebuild it.

I picked up my phone, hesitating over Oliver’s number. The silence between us after the warehouse incident had been deafening. I couldn’t blame him. I had led him into a trap. And while we had escaped, the damage was done.

I pressed the call button, holding my breath as the line rang.

"Emily?" His voice sounded cautious, distant.

"Oliver... I—" The words stuck in my throat. How do you apologize for something like this?

"We ne