In the days after meeting Daniel, I was filled with a mix of excitement and fear. I was overwhelmed by the thought of uncovering Aiden’s secrets. Daniel had set up a meeting for me to see the evidence, and the anticipation of what I would discover made it hard for me to focus on anything else.
On the day of our scheduled meeting, I felt a mix of nervousness and resolve. I spent the morning getting ready, trying to calm the anxious energy that had been with me. As the time approached, I felt a mix of excitement and fear, knowing this was a crucial moment in my life.
The meeting place was an inconspicuous office building in a quiet part of town. The lobby was stark and functional, a sharp contrast to the opulence of my world.
Daniel was waiting for me in a small conference room, a steel briefcase on the table beside him.
“Layla,” he greeted me with a serious expression. “Thank you for coming.”
I nodded, my heart pounding. “Skip that. I’m ready to see what you have.”
Daniel opened the briefcase and pulled out a stack of folders and documents. He laid them out meticulously, his hands steady as he worked. “These documents contain everything you need to know about Aiden’s dealings. There are financial records, emails, and testimony from people who were involved. It’s a complex web, but it will make sense once you see it.”
My eyes scanned the documents, my hands trembling slightly. I took a deep breath and began to peruse the papers. The evidence was overwhelming—details of transactions, hidden accounts, and disturbing connections to shady deals that pointed directly to Aiden. The more I read, the clearer it became that Aiden had orchestrated a tangle of deceit, implicating himself in activities that were both illegal and morally reprehensible.
“Damn!" I screamed in shock. "This is...,” I was short of words. “How did you get all of this?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Daniel’s face was grim. “I had to dig through layers of obfuscation and lies. Aiden’s network is extensive, but I had a few allies who helped me piece this together. What matters now is what you do with this information.”
I looked up, my mind racing. “And what happens next?”
Daniel met my gaze, his expression serious. “You need to confront Aiden with this evidence. But be careful. He’s a dangerous man, and he won’t take kindly to having his empire exposed.
I was torn between revealing the truth and protecting my marriage and Aiden’s empire.
The evidence weighed heavily on me, feeling like a burden I couldn’t shake. I knew that coming clean could have devastating consequences, not just for my relationship but also for my own safety. The thought of facing the wrath of a man capable of ruthless retaliation made me hesitated.
Before I could respond, Daniel’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. He glanced at the screen, his face darkening. “It’s urgent,” he said, standing up. “I need to take this. I’ll be back in a moment.”
I was left alone with the documents, my thoughts spinning wildly. I felt as if I was standing at the edge of a cliff, staring into the abyss of my own making. The decision I had to make was monumental, and the consequences were terrifying.
As I reviewed the papers, a sense of urgency gripped me. I had to decide whether to confront Aiden immediately or to seek more advice. The decision was interrupted by the sound of the office door opening, and I looked up to see a figure entering the room.
My heart dropped as I saw who it was. It was one of Aiden’s personal security men—large, imposing, and with a look of determination on his face. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, his eyes locking onto me with an intensity that made my blood run cold.
“Ms. Hart-Black,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “I’m afraid you’re not supposed to be here.”
My mind raced as I tried to process the situation. Had Aiden discovered my meeting with Daniel? Was this a preemptive strike to intimidate me into silence?
Before I could react, the security man reached for his earpiece, speaking into it urgently. “We’ve got a situation. I need backup immediately.”
My pulse quickened as I realized the gravity of my predicament. The security man’s presence was a clear threat, and the mention of backup meant that I might be in imminent danger.
As I took a step back, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I fumbled to retrieve it, my hands shaking. The message on the screen was from an unknown number, and it was short but chilling: “I know what you’re planning. If you go on with it, you won’t like what happens next.”
My eyes widened as I looked up at the security man, my heart pounding. The message was a threat, and it seemed that Aiden was already aware of my actions.
AIDEN—"No. I won't stay and watch Layla have shady deals with Daniel, my opposition," I muttered, twitching my fingers as I regulated my thoughts while sitting down in my private room.My legs crossed, a glass of whiskey on the table in front of me.Impossible!I only makes use of this room when I have a critical issue to deal with which no one else should hear. Like, plotting against my oppositions and other shady deals I'm into.I didn't even know how or when Layla sneaked out to meet that rascal. I was in my study room having an executive meeting with my board of directors only to receive the shocking news from Maverick, my personal security man.I was still boiling in rage, gritting my teeth when my phone buzzed on the table, signifying an incoming text message.I picked it up and glanced at the screen. Upon realizing it was a message from Maverick, a smirk formed its way across my lips.Maverick: We found her boss, but he had already left before the backup could arrive.I exhaled
LAYLA—The next day, it was still morning when I hurried to leave the house before Aiden would return.Since he left yesterday after receiving that call, he has yet to come back, and I am relieved because the call saved me from a lot that could have happened to me yesterday.I was trying all means to avoid him until I comes up with a compelling story to lie to him about what I discussed with Daniel."I brought this on myself," I muttered, remembering how I ended up in Aiden's hands.I wasn't lacking anything to say I married him out of desperation to escape poverty. I'm the only daughter of the late city's renowned billionaire business mogul, Mr. Pascal Nightingale, so you should figure that out.In fact, Aiden wasn't even yet a billionaire when he met me, but he was successful to some extent.I must admit that marrying Aiden was my biggest mistake in life because it gave him the opportunity to inherit my father's billion-dollar company since I was his only child, leaving me worthless
LAYLA—I was still staring at the screen when the door abruptly swung open, and Aiden walked in."Good morning, Honey," I blurted out, trying to act neutral so he wouldn't suspect anything had happened and check my phone."Good morning, Layla," he replied, his tone lacking warmth and emotion as usual. He didn't even stop or look at me; his focus was on his room."Seems you're back? Welcome, you must be really tired," I remarked, pretending I missed him, though I was only trying to figure out if he had come back just to get something and would leave again.However, he didn't engage with me but proceeded to his room. As he shut his room door, I quickly switched on my phone and deleted my texts to Daniel.After that, I stood and headed to my room, knowing that being out of Aiden's sight would help avoid any trouble if he came out of his room.Inside my room, I received a message from an anonymous user.Anonymous user: He is back, right? If he comes to you raising the topic of our yesterd
DANIEL—"Sir, the hacker has managed to breach their system. He's currently accessing their data and will update us on the progress soon," the technician informed me."Great job. You all should be careful because Aiden and his team are extremely smart people," I replied, picking up my phone from the desk to check my messages while the man left."Why hasn't she texted yet?" I muttered, feeling restless.I was expecting a text from my spy in Aiden's crew, but he has yet to text, and this bothers me. He should have texted me earlier to keep me updated about his boss's plan for the day so I'd know how to follow him up.I dropped the phone and went to my study room to get my laptop and check my email. Apart from working on how to bring Aiden down, I still have my businesses to run, and I'm expecting many business proposals today.Upon getting to my room and unlocking my laptop, I was shocked to see a red light blinking on the search bar, signifying that someone attempted to hack into my sys
AIDEN—"Morris, what did you say is the problem?" I questioned my manager, my eyes wide open as I expected an answer.The fact he was looking pale contributed to my anxiety."I'm so sorry, sir, but I don't know how it happened," he blurted out, which infuriated me. Is that even an answer to what I asked him?"What is that supposed to mean?" I barked with an aggressive voice, confronting him."Tell me what happened. Has your incompetence resulted in this organization's downfall?" I roared, already grabbing his shirt collar and squeezing it tight, suffocating him."I'm sorry, sir. Let me explain," he pleaded, his hand twitching in the air as he pleaded for mercy."Now talk!" I dump him on the chair, and he gasps in relief. He breathed heavily for about ten seconds before gaining some strength to speak."I came to work today just to realize that a transaction was carried out on our portal, which I have no idea about. I and the directors didn't even have a discussion related to that durin
Layla—I couldn't shake off the thoughts about what has been trending in the media about my marriage with Aiden.Although I was somewhat happy that people would realize that my life isn't as cozy as they think, I was scared that Aiden would think I'm the one who did that because no other person knows about our marriage."It must be the handiwork of Daniel, as he's determined to uncover Aiden and bring him down," I mumbled, sighing in regret. Right now, I regret involving myself in this rivalry because I'm not certain if Daniel is doing this because of me or if he's only after what he'd gain.I was still lost in my reverie of thoughts when my phone awakened in sign of an incoming call.Upon glancing at the screen and noticing that it's Aiden, my heart sank into my stomach."Good afternoon, honey," I greeted him as soon as I answered."Where are you?" That was his first remark, ignoring to respond to my greeting. His voice was a mix of rage and ice."I—I'm at home, at the playground," I
LAYLA—My heart pounded in my chest at the question. I didn't know what to request to please him. It wasn't about choosing less expensive food. Aiden is a billionaire, so the most expensive food here isn't even up to a fraction of his wealth.I was afraid to request something less valuable to him because I'm sure everything we're going to eat here would be posted online so he could appear as the best husband who spoils his wife with lunch dates and more.I swallowed hard and randomly selected rice and chicken from the menu presented by the waitress.I expected him to react, but he was cool. He even chose the same thing I did, and the waitress left to get our orders."I believe you know why we're here." Aiden remarked, his nonchalant and icy tone creating a deep pit in my heart, reminding me of the reality of my marriage."Yes, I do," I stuttered, losing my appetite instantly. The food in front of me suddenly felt like a punishment."Good. Now eat. As time goes on, I'll tell you what t
Words cannot express how I felt upon returning from the restaurant. All my plans for damage control in the media have been shattered by Layla. However, I must find other ways to curb the rumors and protect my image and reputation.I tried as much as I could to prevent myself from setting my eyes on Layla, let alone confronting her, because it would not end well for her. Out of anger, I might strangle her, and her death would only prove the allegations in the press to be true. I don't want to add salt to injury.I was boiling with rage. How could she challenge me and have the audacity to leave before me during a lunch date I organized for a purpose?"It must be Daniel who's backing her up because the Layla I know has no say when I give her instructions at home, let alone outside where eyes are on us," I concluded, gritting my teeth with irritation.I took a deep breath and finally went to my wardrobe to undress. I had slumped on the mini cushion chair in my room upon returning from the
LAYLA —I must say this month is the worst month of my marriage, especially the past few days. It has been drama upon drama, trouble upon trouble.I was still happy that people were realizing that my life isn't really what they think it is when things took a drastic turn. The media blog, which has been posting about Aiden's dark side and how he kept me as his handbag, suddenly started debunking the news.It all started from the most renowned blog, CBC News, which claimed that their account was hacked at first and that they weren't responsible for spreading the rumors.I let out an exasperated sigh and stood up from my bed to go greet Aiden as usual before he leaves for work.Nonetheless, when I walked to his room door, it was still locked, but when I knocked, he stated that he's busy and doesn't need disturbance as if I came to disturb him.He didn't even allow me to say a word, so I just quietly turned back and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.Although we have a lot of maids
DANIEL—Just when I thought I had achieved a great win, I was devastated by the news that CBC News Channel had debunked the news about Aiden and even the one about his marriage to Layla."How much could he have paid them for the collateral damage?" I thought deeply, confused about what to do next.I took out my phone and called my adviser so we could discuss the matter and determine the next step. I didn't want to make any decisions on my own to avoid making a devastating mistake.The phone rang for a few seconds, and he picked up. "Hello, Mr. Daniel. Good morning. How are things going?" The young man on the other end of the call inquired in a friendly tone.I breathed a sigh and gulped hard. "Richard, I'm deeply disappointed to hear this question from you when you're aware of the issue we're tackling lately," I snapped, not masking the feeling of disappointment in my tone."I'm deeply sorry, Mr. Daniel. What's the matter this time?""Haven't you been online? Things are taking a drama
Words cannot express how I felt upon returning from the restaurant. All my plans for damage control in the media have been shattered by Layla. However, I must find other ways to curb the rumors and protect my image and reputation.I tried as much as I could to prevent myself from setting my eyes on Layla, let alone confronting her, because it would not end well for her. Out of anger, I might strangle her, and her death would only prove the allegations in the press to be true. I don't want to add salt to injury.I was boiling with rage. How could she challenge me and have the audacity to leave before me during a lunch date I organized for a purpose?"It must be Daniel who's backing her up because the Layla I know has no say when I give her instructions at home, let alone outside where eyes are on us," I concluded, gritting my teeth with irritation.I took a deep breath and finally went to my wardrobe to undress. I had slumped on the mini cushion chair in my room upon returning from the
LAYLA—My heart pounded in my chest at the question. I didn't know what to request to please him. It wasn't about choosing less expensive food. Aiden is a billionaire, so the most expensive food here isn't even up to a fraction of his wealth.I was afraid to request something less valuable to him because I'm sure everything we're going to eat here would be posted online so he could appear as the best husband who spoils his wife with lunch dates and more.I swallowed hard and randomly selected rice and chicken from the menu presented by the waitress.I expected him to react, but he was cool. He even chose the same thing I did, and the waitress left to get our orders."I believe you know why we're here." Aiden remarked, his nonchalant and icy tone creating a deep pit in my heart, reminding me of the reality of my marriage."Yes, I do," I stuttered, losing my appetite instantly. The food in front of me suddenly felt like a punishment."Good. Now eat. As time goes on, I'll tell you what t
Layla—I couldn't shake off the thoughts about what has been trending in the media about my marriage with Aiden.Although I was somewhat happy that people would realize that my life isn't as cozy as they think, I was scared that Aiden would think I'm the one who did that because no other person knows about our marriage."It must be the handiwork of Daniel, as he's determined to uncover Aiden and bring him down," I mumbled, sighing in regret. Right now, I regret involving myself in this rivalry because I'm not certain if Daniel is doing this because of me or if he's only after what he'd gain.I was still lost in my reverie of thoughts when my phone awakened in sign of an incoming call.Upon glancing at the screen and noticing that it's Aiden, my heart sank into my stomach."Good afternoon, honey," I greeted him as soon as I answered."Where are you?" That was his first remark, ignoring to respond to my greeting. His voice was a mix of rage and ice."I—I'm at home, at the playground," I
AIDEN—"Morris, what did you say is the problem?" I questioned my manager, my eyes wide open as I expected an answer.The fact he was looking pale contributed to my anxiety."I'm so sorry, sir, but I don't know how it happened," he blurted out, which infuriated me. Is that even an answer to what I asked him?"What is that supposed to mean?" I barked with an aggressive voice, confronting him."Tell me what happened. Has your incompetence resulted in this organization's downfall?" I roared, already grabbing his shirt collar and squeezing it tight, suffocating him."I'm sorry, sir. Let me explain," he pleaded, his hand twitching in the air as he pleaded for mercy."Now talk!" I dump him on the chair, and he gasps in relief. He breathed heavily for about ten seconds before gaining some strength to speak."I came to work today just to realize that a transaction was carried out on our portal, which I have no idea about. I and the directors didn't even have a discussion related to that durin
DANIEL—"Sir, the hacker has managed to breach their system. He's currently accessing their data and will update us on the progress soon," the technician informed me."Great job. You all should be careful because Aiden and his team are extremely smart people," I replied, picking up my phone from the desk to check my messages while the man left."Why hasn't she texted yet?" I muttered, feeling restless.I was expecting a text from my spy in Aiden's crew, but he has yet to text, and this bothers me. He should have texted me earlier to keep me updated about his boss's plan for the day so I'd know how to follow him up.I dropped the phone and went to my study room to get my laptop and check my email. Apart from working on how to bring Aiden down, I still have my businesses to run, and I'm expecting many business proposals today.Upon getting to my room and unlocking my laptop, I was shocked to see a red light blinking on the search bar, signifying that someone attempted to hack into my sys
LAYLA—I was still staring at the screen when the door abruptly swung open, and Aiden walked in."Good morning, Honey," I blurted out, trying to act neutral so he wouldn't suspect anything had happened and check my phone."Good morning, Layla," he replied, his tone lacking warmth and emotion as usual. He didn't even stop or look at me; his focus was on his room."Seems you're back? Welcome, you must be really tired," I remarked, pretending I missed him, though I was only trying to figure out if he had come back just to get something and would leave again.However, he didn't engage with me but proceeded to his room. As he shut his room door, I quickly switched on my phone and deleted my texts to Daniel.After that, I stood and headed to my room, knowing that being out of Aiden's sight would help avoid any trouble if he came out of his room.Inside my room, I received a message from an anonymous user.Anonymous user: He is back, right? If he comes to you raising the topic of our yesterd
LAYLA—The next day, it was still morning when I hurried to leave the house before Aiden would return.Since he left yesterday after receiving that call, he has yet to come back, and I am relieved because the call saved me from a lot that could have happened to me yesterday.I was trying all means to avoid him until I comes up with a compelling story to lie to him about what I discussed with Daniel."I brought this on myself," I muttered, remembering how I ended up in Aiden's hands.I wasn't lacking anything to say I married him out of desperation to escape poverty. I'm the only daughter of the late city's renowned billionaire business mogul, Mr. Pascal Nightingale, so you should figure that out.In fact, Aiden wasn't even yet a billionaire when he met me, but he was successful to some extent.I must admit that marrying Aiden was my biggest mistake in life because it gave him the opportunity to inherit my father's billion-dollar company since I was his only child, leaving me worthless