97

Liana Coleman sat behind her glass-topped desk, late afternoon light bathing her papers with amber glow. Jasmine Patel, her best assistant and closest confidante, hovered near the file cabinet, tucking behind her ear a wayward piece of hair. They had battled scandals together-boardroom coups, server hacks, never-ending lawsuits-but nothing like this nervousness.

Liana glanced up from her computer. "Jasmine, would you mind taking a glance at the investor deck? I'd like your honest opinion before I send it to Alex." Her tone was bright, the corners of her mouth curving up into a natural, habitual smile.

Jasmine nodded, crossing over. She sat down onto the stool next to Liana's chair, notebook open on her lap, pen poised. "Sure, Liana. Let's take a look."

As Liana scrolled through slides of projections and talking points, Jasmine offered concise feedback—phrasing tweaks here, a graphical suggestion there. Liana valued Jasmine’s input more than anyone’s; she trusted her instinctively. With each nod of approval Jasmine gave, Liana felt the weight on her shoulders lighten.

“Thanks,” Liana said, closing the deck. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Jasmine's cheeks flushed. "You'd be ideal, but I'd be happy to help."

Liana's phone beeped again. She glared at the screen: text from Alex—Want to break this down this evening? Valuable comments, as always. She responded with a thumbs-down, then focused on Jasmine. "If you can have it done at six, I owe you dinner."

Jasmine laughed. "Dinner would be great." She stood up, shutting her notebook and pen. "See you soon."

Liana watched her friend leave, heart raised by the ordinary exchange. But as Jasmine approached the corridor, her face flashed—an almost imperceptible shadow crossing her face. Jasmine paused, glanced left and right, then inserted her hand into her jacket to pull out a small recorder. A glance in the direction of Liana's office door, then she pressed "play" and listened to Liana's ringing outgoing message. Then she sent a quick text:

Got it. Forwarding now. Boss believes she's safe.

A chill of fear ran through Liana when she later discovered the draft investor deck had already been forwarded—unredacted budget vulnerabilities included. Panic swelled in her chest. She snapped open her laptop and called Jasmine's extension.

"Jasmine, did you send out the deck?" she asked, strained voice.

Jasmine's tone was silky, almost too silky. "Not yet. I was holding off to complete your edits."

"On your screen?" Liana's voice rose, a beat of accusation.

Jasmine hesitated. "Just my notes." She coughed. "I left it in draft. I swear."

Liana's gaze sliced across the room. "Check the shareholders' portal. It's there."

Jasmine paled as she opened her own computer. She swiped across tabs, then gasped. "I—I don't know…" Her voice broke.

Alex's message arrived seconds after: I'm seeing the same thing. Who leaked this? Liana closed her eyes, hands on her temples. This leak would kill the emergency investors. She shivered with a cold finger down her spine.

"Jasmine," Liana growled, voice low and deadly, "you're the only one who could have done it."

Jasmine's mouth opened, then closed. She swallowed. "Liana, I can explain—"

"Explain," Liana rasped. Her heart pounded.

Jasmine struggled to breathe. "They have my sister," she panted. "Malachi's men—he discovered my family debt. They threatened to destroy everything she's built—the clinic, her scholarship fund—if I didn't give him information."

Liana's world tilted. "You let him play you?" Her voice echoed in the vacant office.

Jasmine's eyes filled with tears. "I—I tried to fight it. I told him no, but he showed me the photos of my sister's hospital closing, the eviction notices." Her voice cracked. "I didn't have any other option."

Liana felt anger and pity turn inside her chest. "So you betrayed me," she said, every word calculated and icy. "You betrayed our work, our family—me.".

Jasmine sobbed, shoulders trembling. “I’m sorry.” She sank onto the stool, burying her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry.”

Liana rose, stepping back as though repelled by Jasmine’s confession. The warmth between them collapsed into a gaping chasm of betrayal. Jasmine’s tears sounded like shards of glass.

“Pack your things,” Liana said, voice hollow. “You’re fired.”

Jasmine looked up, eyes swollen. “Liana—please—”

But Liana shook her head, each syllable a recitation of sorrow. "Leave. Don't come back."

Jasmine stood up from her chair, knees shaking. She locked eyes with Liana for one last instant. "I never meant—I—" Her words dropped off. Then she left the office, the door slamming behind her.

Liana sank back into the chair, shaking. Her head fell to her hands. She had lost her best friend, the one person she trusted most in the world. Tears grazed her eyes—bitter and relentless.

A light step echoed in the doorway. Ruth Coleman stepped forward, wide, worried eyes. "Liana?" she said softly.

Liana lifted her wet face. "She was my friend," she whispered. "My assistant. I trusted her with everything."

Ruth moved to her side and wrapped Liana in an embrace. Liana sagged into her mother’s arms, the betrayal too raw to articulate. Ruth’s hand scraped lightly across her daughter’s back, comforting and resolute.

“You’ll never face this alone,” Ruth said, voice steady despite her own tears. “We’ll find another way. We’ll protect ourselves.”

Liana clung to her mother, the quiver in her heart gradually soothed by Ruth's embrace. "I despise him," she cried. "Malachi…he's ruined everything."

Ruth hugged her tighter. "He's ruthless," she answered. "But we're more resilient. We'll put the fragments together again."

Liana's head jerked against Ruth's shoulder. "I don't know whom I can believe anymore."

Ruth stroked her hair. "Believe me," she whispered. "Believe your family. We'll put the pieces together again, and we'll outsmart him."

Liana exhaled, shaky. The betrayal’s echo would reverberate for days, but Ruth’s vow was an anchor in the storm.

Later that evening, Alex Cole stood in the empty hallway outside Liana’s office, replaying Jasmine’s confession. He had caught Jasmine in a shadowy exchange in the parking garage: she had handed a flash drive to a dark-suited operative. When Alex intercepted her, she had collapsed in tears, revealing Malachi’s blackmail.

Alex pressed his hand against his forehead, feeling anger and guilt swirling together. He gently knocked against the frame to Liana's room. She looked up from her desk, eyes red, lip trembling.

"Alex," she stated tightly.

He moved in and closed the door. "Jasmine told me everything," he spoke quietly. "I am so sorry."

Liana stared at the table as though it held secrets. "She was the one I trusted most," she breathed. "She was like a sister."

Alex fell to his knees, his hands over hers. "He took advantage of her weakness." His voice softened. "She never intended to hurt you."

Liana closed her eyes. "I fired her," she said, each syllable laced with anguish. "I couldn't keep her—couldn't trust her."

He squeezed her hands. "You did what you had to do." His gaze locked with hers. "You're not alone." He left the words suspended between them.

She gasped for breath. "We're losing people—friends, allies—because of him." Her voice cracked. "How do we keep going?"

Alex stood and extended his hand. "Together," he said, and her eyes sparkled as she took it. "Together."

Below, Leo and Ruth sat side by side across the kitchen counter, sorting through the morning server logs and bank alerts. The room left empty by Jasmine's departure loomed largest: they had allowed a crucial battle planner to get away. But Malachi lost one of his pieces, too.

Ruth dropped the pen. "She didn't betray us," she breathed, an empty sound filling her voice. "He threatened to expose her.".

Leo massaged his jaw, fatigue and resolve mixed on his face. "We'll have to rebuild our staff," he stated. "Someone who won't break under pressure."

Ruth stepped over and took his hand. "We will. We have each other."

He clamped his hand around hers, finding a tentative comfort in her touch. "And Liana has us." He paused, then said quietly, "She has Alex."

Ruth nodded. "He's pulled through."

They fell into a determined silence as rain tapped the kitchen windows—a reminder that, though Malachi’s manipulations had driven a wedge into their hearts, their family’s core still held firm. The betrayal’s echo would linger, but it would not break them.

Late that night, Liana was in bed, Alex beside her, both of them awake. She stared into the darkness, replaying Jasmine's tearful apology and the feel of the flash drive in Alex's hand. He rolled over, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Sleep," he whispered.

She turned to him, eyes brimming. "I don't know if I can trust anything anymore."

He smoothed back her hair. "Believe this," he breathed, covering her hand over his heart. "And me."

Liana placed her hand on his chest, listening to the firm thump under her fingertips. She closed her eyes, her tears still stinging but hushed now.