Chapter 5: The Power of the Lie

Ava felt her heart race as she held focus on Roman's phone screen. Her face was captured in the clearest photograph she has ever seen as she was seen leaving his penthouse. The article did not waste time to accuse her of having participated in her mother's alleged plots.

Her grip on the phone betrayed her, but her voice remained strong. "Who could have leaked this?"

Without flinching, Roman stared. "It has Malone's hand written all over it"

"This is deliberate. Their goal is to have me abandon you and the case." She said as she dropped the phone on the counter.

“And will you?” Roman’s question wasn’t silly. There was something raw in his tone, something that unsettled her.

“I don’t quit,” she said. “Not for Malone. Not for Evelyn. And most definitely not for you.”

He leaned closer, his presence stabilising her even as her mind raced. “Then we need to hit back hard. But this time, Ava, it’s not just about winning. It’s about survival—for both of us.”

They spent the remaining night working, breaking down the lies Malone had concocted. Roman’s penthouse was quiet except for the gentle hum of his laptop and Ava’s sharp, precise writing on her notes. She leaned forward, her concentration relentless as she joined the dots in a chain of financial transactions Malone was looking to bury.

Roman sat across from her, watching what she was doing. “You’re ruthless when you’re like this,” he said.

“Being ruthless is the only way to stay alive in this world,” she said without looking up.

His voice softened. “Is that what you’re doing? Surviving?”

Her pen stopped. For a minute, she didn’t answer. “I’m doing what I have to,” she responded finally, her tone harsh.

Roman slumped back in his chair. “And what happens when you don’t have to fight anymore? When it’s just... quiet?”

Ava raised her head, her eyes meeting his. “It’s never quiet.”

His lips fed into a slight smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe that’s why I need you. You don’t let the chaos win.”

She rolled her eyes, trying to deflect all the sweet praise from what he said. “You need me because I’m good at my job. Don’t make it personal.”

“It already is,” Roman answered, his voice lower.

The air moved between them, the lines she had boldy tried establishing blurring in ways she wasn’t ready to accept.

"I am going to rest my head" Ava said closing her eyes immediately as she tried to ruin the weird tension.

By morning, Ava’s phone buzzed with hundreds of messages. The article had gone viral, and the damage was spreading. Clara called first, her voice rigid.

“Three clients have already pulled out,” Clara said. “The board wants to meet by noon to discuss your future at the firm.”

Ava’s stomach turned. “I’ll handle it.”

“You can’t do this alone, Ava. Not this time.” Clara said, as she hung up.

When the call ended, she looked at Roman, who had been listening calmly. “Malone’s making it impossible to move. If the firm drops me—”

“They won’t,” Roman interrupted. “Not if we give them something bigger.”

“What do you mean?”

He pushed a file across the table. “This is everything I’ve been holding back. Proof of Malone’s ties to offshore accounts, bribery, and laundering operations. It’s explosive enough to bury him, but it’ll also draw fire.”

Ava examined the pages, her mind racing. “Why didn’t you give me this earlier?”

“Because once this goes public, it won’t just destroy Malone,” Roman replied. “It’ll drag your mother's name into the light, and she won’t forgive either of us for it.”

Ava clinched her jaw. “You’re asking me to take down my mother.”

“No,” Roman said. “I’m asking you to choose yourself. Your future. Your freedom.”

"Whatever... I'm no longer sure I can have that." Ava said as she left the penthouse.

When Ava arrived into her firm’s boardroom hours later, she carried Roman’s paperwork in her briefcase. The partners watched her with perfectly neutral expressions, but the tension in the air was evident.

Michael Carrington, the senior partner, folded his hands on the table. “Ava, we’ve been reviewing the situation. The charges against you—and the relationship you have with Roman Devereux—are putting the firm at risk.”

She looked straight into his eyes without flinching. “The allegations are false. And I can prove it.”

Carrington lifted an eyebrow. “And the photos of you leaving Devereux’s penthouse? The leaked emails?”

“Fabricated,” Ava replied, removing the file from her briefcase. “But the real story isn’t about me. It’s about Victor Malone.”

"Victor Malone.." Carrington asked as he leaned forward.

She lay the paperwork on the table, her voice steady as she outlined the connections, the payoffs, and the corruption Malone had spent years hiding. The partners exchanged glances, their suspicion giving way to something akin to respect.

Carrington slumped back in his chair. “This is... compelling. But it’s also risky. If we go public with this, we’re declaring war.”

“Then declare it,” Ava responded, her voice steady. “Because if we let Malone win, we lose everything we stand for.”

As Ava left the boardroom, her phone buzzed again. It was Roman.

“How’d it go?” he wondered.

“They’re in,” she said.

“Good.” His voice carried a calm pride. “Now we move fast. Malone’s already looking for his next move.”

Ava paused. “You’re putting a lot on the line for this.”

“So are you,” Roman said. “But that’s the only way to win.”

Before she could react, another call came through—this one from Evelyn.

Ava hesitated, then answered.

“Congratulations,” Evelyn spoke, her voice harsh. “You’ve forced my hand.”

“What are you talking about?” Ava asked.

“You’ll see soon enough.” Evelyn’s tone was colder than Ava had ever heard it. “But know this: I warned you, and now I won’t hold back.”

The call went dead.

Roman’s doorbell rang, cutting through their chat. He opened it to see a delivery man holding a sealed envelope.

“What’s this?” Roman asked.

The delivery man didn’t answer, giving him the envelope before leaving.

Roman tore it open, his expression deepening as he read the single piece of paper inside. 

"Who was that?.." Ava asked on the other end of the phone.

He took a photo of the envelop and forwarded it to Ava, his teeth tightly squeezed.

"What's this?" Ava asked confused wondering why.

It was a court summon naming them both in a federal investigation.