Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Max’s Point of View

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and I stepped into the sleek, glass-walled office floor. My chest felt tight, each step echoing with purpose. The opulence of the surroundings, with its polished floors and abstract art lining the walls, didn’t faze me. My focus was singular: Eva.

The assistant at the front desk barely looked up from her computer as I approached. “Mr. Grave,” she said in a professional tone, her hands still busy typing, “Mrs. Brown is in a meeting. She’s not available to see anyone right now.”

I clenched my jaw. The cold dismissal felt like a slap. “I’m not just anyone. Let her know I’m here.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, sir.”

Her calm demeanor only fueled my frustration. I leaned on the desk, narrowing my eyes. “You do realize who you’re talking to, don’t you?” My voice was low, sharp, and dangerous.

She finally looked up, her expression unflinching. “Mrs. Brown left strict instructions not to be disturbed unless it’s an emergency. If you’d like to schedule a meeting...”

“Schedule a meeting?” I snapped, my voice rising. “Do I look like someone who schedules meetings to talk to my....” I stopped myself, biting down the words.

Heads turned from nearby cubicles. A murmur rippled through the office as people whispered and peeked at the scene unfolding.

“Sir,” the assistant said, still maddeningly calm, “please lower your voice. This is a workplace.”

My blood boiled. I straightened, taking a step back, but the fire inside me was raging. “Fine,” I growled. “If she doesn’t want to see me, I’ll make sure she hears me.”

I turned and stalked toward the glass doors that led to her private office. Two security guards stationed nearby stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

“Mr. Graves, you can’t go in there,” one of them said firmly.

“Move,” I barked, my patience snapping.

The guards didn’t budge. My fists clenched at my sides, and for a moment, I considered pushing past them. But then, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

“Let him through.”

The guards stepped aside as Eva emerged from her office. She stood tall, her expression a mask of calm indifference. She wore a tailored black dress that hugged her figure with precision, exuding power and control. Her eyes, however, betrayed nothing.

“Max,” she said, her tone icy but composed. “What’s so important that you felt the need to disrupt my office?”

I took a step toward her, the sight of her igniting a mix of emotions I couldn’t contain. Anger. Frustration. Something else I didn’t want to name.

“You know exactly why I’m here,” I said, my voice tight.

Her brows arched slightly, a flicker of amusement—or was it irritation?—crossing her face. “Enlighten me.”

“Don’t play games, Eva,” I snapped. “Did you do it?”

She crossed her arms, tilting her head as if assessing me. “Do what, Max? You’ll have to be more specific.”

I took another step forward, closing the distance between us. “Don’t act innocent. Did you slander Sara?”

The room seemed to hold its breath. The murmurs from the employees faded into silence, the tension crackling like static electricity.

Eva’s gaze didn’t waver. She held my eyes with a calm that only infuriated me further. “Are you here to accuse me, or do you actually want the truth?”

My jaw tightened. “You think this is a game? Her reputation is in shreds, and everyone knows it. It has your fingerprints all over it.”

She smirked a small, almost imperceptible curl of her lips that sent a jolt of rage through me. “And what makes you think I had anything to do with that?”

“Because I know you,” I said, my voice low and heated. “You’ve been waiting for this moment. Don’t pretend you’re above it.”

Her expression hardened. “You’re right, Max. I have been waiting for justice. But if you think I’m the one pulling the strings, maybe you should ask yourself why Sara’s so easy to expose.”

The weight of her words hit me, but I refused to show it. My hands curled into fists at my sides. “So, you’re denying it?”

Eva sighed, a soft exhale that somehow carried more disdain than any words she could have spoken. “Believe what you want, Max. But if you’re here to defend her, maybe you should start questioning why you’re so quick to stand by someone who’s never deserved your loyalty.”

The words were like a punch to the gut, but I didn’t falter. “This isn’t about loyalty. This is about you going too far.”

“Too far?” she repeated, her voice laced with incredulity. “After everything Sara has done to me, I’m the one who’s gone too far?”

“Yes,” I said, the word coming out harsher than I intended. “Whatever you’ve done, it ends now.”

She shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “Typical Max. Always ready to protect Sara, no matter what. But when it comes to me...”

Her voice trailed off, leaving the unspoken words to hang between us. The air felt heavy, charged with emotions neither of us were willing to name.

“Answer me, Eva,” I demanded, my voice quieter now but no less firm. “Was it you?”

She met my gaze, her eyes cold and unflinching. For a moment, I thought she might actually answer.

But instead, she turned away. “If you’ll excuse me, Max, I have work to do.”

“Eva”

She halted mid-step, her heels clicking against the tiled floor as she spun around to face me. A smug smirk tugged at the corners of her lips, her eyes glinting with something dark and unreadable. Slowly, deliberately, she made her way back toward me, her gaze locked onto mine as if she could see right through me.

When she stopped just a few feet away, she tilted her head, examining me like a predator sizing up its prey. Her voice was low and mocking as she spoke, her words cutting through the tense silence like a blade.

“Do you want to know the truth that badly?” she asked, her words dripping with disdain. She paused, dragging out the moment, letting the tension build as her eyes bore into mine. Finally, she continued, her tone colder than before.

“Then sign the divorce papers. I can see you’re eager to spend every waking moment with your precious mistress.”

The accusation hit me like a slap to the face, leaving me momentarily stunned. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe, let alone speak. I clenched my fists, swallowing the surge of frustration that threatened to spill over, and forced myself to regain control. Changing the topic seemed the only way to diffuse the situation or at least shift the focus.

“So, is that why you’re doing this to your sister?” I asked, my voice calm despite the storm raging inside me. “Because you hate her? Because you think she’s taken everything from you?”

Her smirk faltered, just for a second, but it was enough to reveal a flicker of something vulnerable beneath the bravado. She quickly masked it, straightening her posture as her expression hardened.

“And what makes you think I’m behind it all?” she shot back, her tone icy and dismissive. “She isn’t worth my time.”

The denial felt rehearsed, her words too smooth, too calculated. I stepped closer, searching her face for cracks in her armor, for any sign that she was lying.

“Then answer me this,” I pressed, my voice firm now. “Are you the one behind everything that’s happening to Sara?”

She stared at me, unblinking, her lips pressed into a thin line as the seconds stretched on.