CHAPTER 17: SIMEON'S SOFT SPOT.The lights of the city blur as Simeon drives; the buzz of the motor is always there between them. Elizabeth wonders whether she is imagining it or if the silence between them has more weight than it ought to as the quiet drags on. Tonight feels different, yet she had anticipated him to be cold and aloof, the man who plans every action with a cold-blooded mentality.Simeon looks over at her and grips the steering wheel tightly, his usual confident look replaced by something calmer, more meditative. His jaw is fixed, and his customary manner is covered with a layer she can not quite understand.Simeon replies suddenly, his voice low and tinged with a calm fury, "You think I don't care." "But I do.."Elizabeth's heart pauses. His soothing voice surprises her. She had not expected this, had not expected him to be so transparent, so raw.She moves in her seat to attempt to understand his words. She probes, "You care?" the question hanging between them.His e
CHAPTER 18: ALEX’S OBSESSION Alex slants back in his office chair, his fingers pounding continuously on the glossy desktop. Elizabeth is the one idea that dominates his head besides Simeon. He is ready to untangle the web of lies and dishonesty they have spun together. It chews at him more than the jealousy, more than the treachery. He is sure that something more buried beneath Simeon's calm façade would provide him the advantage. He has to know the actual situation.His voice is icy and clipped, and he adds to the phone, "Get me everything." "Everything Blackwood allows you to do. Get down to business. And I mean deep.On the other end of the queue, the private investigator moves without delay. Although the individual had worked for Alex before, this is personal.Days pass with just bits of information arriving, but it keeps Alex on alert. Late one night, the phone rings after he has been reading over the mounting papers on his desk. Alex's gaze leaps to the screen as the investigat
CHAPTER 19: ELIZABETH’S FIRST BUSINESSMOVE.Elizabeth enters the modern, glass-walled conference room and clicks her heels with every stride. She resists letting the weight of the moment show on her chest. The executives are already sitting at the large table, all eyes on her as she stands at the head facing them. She tightens her hold on the presentation remote despite feeling the pulse surge.Simeon is clearly in the corner of the room; his eyes fixated on her, tracking every action like a predator. He has placed her at the centre of the corporate world, which has devoured and spit out many times. This is her time to prove herself, not only a conference.When Simeon asked her to give this, his voice had added, "You know what's at stake." You either sink or you swim.She inhales deeply and then exhales gently, her fingers caressing the cool, smooth tabletop. Her voice is calm and controlled, even if she is furious. The figures, forecasts, and data all fit quite nicely. She is not la
CHAPTER 20: THE SECRET SABOTAGE Elizabeth's fingers hover over the keyboard while she scans the financial report again. Though they should line up, they do not. No matter how often she examines the calculations, something is lacking—a sizable amount of money—millions, precisely speaking. She narrows her attention by clicking across several spreadsheets. No apparent reason or evidence of any transaction could explain the difference.Her tummy contracts and a knot of worry is beginning to develop. This cannot be happening. Once more, running the figures, the outcome is the same: The funds vanished.The office feels too tiny at once, and the air is too heavy. She tries to steady her breath by swallowing. She is in over her level. This surpasses all she has ever handled.She takes out her phone and diples Simeon's number. Her thumb quakes as she holds it to her ear. It sounds as though it were a countdown. He picks up with a pleasant but businesslike voice. "What is it??"With her voice
CHAPTER 21: ELIZABETH IS ACCUSED Elizabeth walks into the conference room and looks about at her coworkers. One can sense the suspense in the air. It's something different than the typical office meeting talk. She hears bits of conversation and words that cause her blood to stop cold as she gets to the table. Her name is Amounts. Writings. Everything seems to point precisely to her.Heart thumping, she settles in and tries to put events together. Sliding a hefty file in front of her, the austere man in charge of security has a keen look. His voice cuts through the quiet. These are the reports. They show your signature on the transactions. How, then, would you explain this?Elizabeth looks down at the papers before her, and her fingers shake. The figures are negative. Her signature is there, straightforwardly. She did not, however, approve anything. She knows that she seems guilty from everyone in the room's perspective.She searches, but nobody catches her gaze. Standing in the corne
CHAPTER 22: SIMEON’S PAINFUL DECISION Simeon sees Elizabeth leave the room, her back straight despite the despair across her face. Behind her, the door closes with a finality that seems to last a lifetime. The meeting had finished minutes ago, and the board members scattered with hardly more than cursory looks at him. Their eyes brim with doubt and incredulation. He is the one who has to live with the choice, though.She has left. He sent her away, and he still doesn't know how it happened.His eyes stay on the door, the weight of her absence squarely pressing into his chest. He had meant to believe her. He wanted to stand with her always and believe her. Still, the data suggested another direction. And now, albeit unproven, the intense sting of treachery leaves a bad taste in his mouth.Simeon inhales sharply, his fingers squeezing around the armrest of his chair, nails biting into the leather. His hand shakes just a little. Though he dismisses it, he feels the vibration. He makes h
CHAPTER 23 ELIZABETH’s HEARTBEAT Elizabeth's automobile hums throughout the city, and the consistent engine rhythm provides little solace. The world outside blurs; shadows of buildings, flashes of light, and faces she will never see again all vanish into the distance. She cannot concentrate on anything except the terrible quiet within her. Simeon's words weigh on her chest like a stone. He left her behind. Once he trusted her, she was nowhere. Nothing except a blemish on the business he created, a name to clear from his life. Her hands shake against the wheel, and she grabs it tightly to help her to ground herself. But it serves no use. Tears are starting to flow here. Not yet; she will not let them drop. Not while she is still driving and acting as though she is in charge. Every street she drives feels like a personal insult, and every brake squeal reminds her of her failure. She thought of him as trustworthy. She came to believe in him. And he has completely erased her from his
CHAPTER 24: ALEX TRIES AGAIN.Elizabeth expects less, but the knock on the door echoes louder than she could have imagined, rattling the empty flat and squeezing her chest. She cannot understand this tightness. She pauses, peering at the door half-hopingly for anyone else but him. She does, however, know deep inside. Only one individual would be brave enough to turn up without an invitation. She inhales deeply and then opens it with her fingers, caressing the handle. He exists when the door swings open. Alexander. Like a force of nature, he stood there staring at her with the kind of will she had not seen in a long time. "I know you're angry," he adds, his voice quiet but firm. But Elizabeth, you need not be alone in this. We can cooperate. We can mend everything. His comments felt to her like a tsunami slamming on the coast. He presented her with the same proposition before, but this time, it was tinged with urgency, as he believed it more than ever. She looks at him for a minute
Chapter: 53 The Wedding Plans Planning starts like a fantasy. Sitting at a little café, Elizabeth and Simeon talk about the wedding, their fingers interlaced. The sky is clear, and the sun has a gentle golden tone. Ideas rush, wild and uninhibited, the ceremony on a cliffside, the flowers bursting in every conceivable color, the attire as simple as it is magnificent. Every aspect of the guest list, who will sit on velvet pillows, is meant to show their affection.Yet under the thrill, a quiet dread simmers. The risks and danger constantly loom in the background, never letting them enjoy their moment. The idea of their foes still observing, waiting for a time to attack, keeps coming into their heads. Simeon sees the change in her demeanor and the frightened flash in her eyes.Though he is battling the same internal struggle, Simeon tightens his hold on her hand to comfort her. "El abeth, we'll have our day," he adds, his voice calm yet resolute. It will be ours." No one can rob us of
Chapter:52 The Final Decision The silence in the room is almost palpable, stifling, as if the weight of the world is pushing down on them. Elizabeth rests next to Simeon, her head tucked against his chest, the constant beat of his heart, a soothing cadence under her ear. The world outside is peaceful, and stillness is only found when all is on the verge of change. City lights' soft glow flows through the window, creating long shadows across the room.Once so unclear, their future lies before them like an uncharted map ready to be explored. Yet in this quiet, Elizabeth has a growing dread of the unknown that no degree of assurance or love can completely erase. Though the path forward is still uncertain, they have come a long way and battled through much.Her fingertips run over the outline of his shirt. She lets a gentle breath, and her mind is in a knot. She feels as though she is peering down into an abyss from the edge of a cliff. Beyond this now, what is there? What remains to be
Chapter: 51 The proposal The garden is silent, the gentle hum of faraway traffic almost reaching its isolated location. This is where it all started: a peaceful corner of the globe that seems sacred and safe. Behind the trees, the sun sets slowly, throwing a golden light over the flowers in full bloom. The aroma of roses fills the air, and leaves rustling in the soft breeze produce a calm symphony.Simeon stands beside Elizabeth, his hand barely inches from hers, yet an unseen wall separates them. Battling the internal maelstrom, he observes her, the moment's weight pressing on him. She is unaware of what lies ahead; she underestimates the depth of his purpose. Every inch of his anatomy tells him the need to correct this, the want, the hurry.Elizabeth moves a little, sensing the shift in the environment and the tension filling the space between them. Nervously, her eyes dart from the garden to Simeon's, looking for something, understanding, comfort, a clue that she is not alone.Dee
CHAPTER 50: The Future They Choose Elizabeth wakes up to the gentle, repetitive sound of Simeon's breath in her ear, anchoring her in the present. Her lashes are damp from the leftover sleep, her head is still hazy but peaceful, and she blinks slowly. The pandemonium that had previously threatened to engulf her seems like a distant memory today, as though it never existed.She moves to fit against him and feels the reassuring weight of his arm hanging over her. His skin's warmth on hers, the power he exudes, comforts her in ways nothing else could ever approach. She is present, alongside him, and secure.The storm within her has calmed for the first time in an eternity. No more running, no more heart-gnawing dread. It's only calm. All she needs now is Simeon's presence and quiet confidence. Inhaling the aroma of him—wood and cologne, like a secret she wishes to cherish for all time, she shuts her eyes.His lips touch her forehead, and she feels it deep in her chest. Soft and gentle,
CHAPTER 49: The Final Choice Begins Standing in front of Simeon, Elizabeth makes the room seem excruciatingly minor. The faint chandelier light highlights the distance between them by casting long shadows on the walls. Louder than the gentle hum of the air conditioning, every beat thundering in her chest makes her heart race. The silence's weight presses down on her; every breath she takes seems more complex than the previous.She knows what she must do—this is the last stage in a war that has been inside her for weeks. Still, the words choke her in the back of her throat. Fear of vulnerability, of throwing herself out there and hoping Simeon would catch her, twists in her gut.His eyes unreadable, he observes her. He has always been the strong one in charge; tonight, for the first time, she feels as though she is the one who controls. Fighting back the tears threatening to escape, she swallows hard. Not now; she cannot let them fall."Simeon," she begins, her voice quivering, but sh
CHAPTER 48: The Final Confrontation In the high-rise office, the crisis team toils away, phones ringing nonstop, laptops flashing with unrelenting updates. Standing near the window, Elizabeth gazes out over the vast city below, her mind a jumble of bewilderment and mounting annoyance.Calm yet relentless, Simeon speaks from behind her. Our media team is the finest in the world. They will shape the story.She ignores it. "The story? What remains under control? Though she tries for consistency, her voice quivers a little. "They've already made decisions about my identity. No PR team and no spin can reverse what has been done.Simeon moves closer and softly puts his hands on her shoulders; his warmth contrasts the frigid worry gripping her chest. Elizabeth, we cannot give up. You are not the individual they are portraying. You need not confront this by yourself.Pulling away from his contact, she exhales slowly, her breath trapped in her throat. You don't understand. I have spent my who
CHAPTER 47: The Media Frenzy Ringing in the hectic newsroom, the phone slices through the low hum of typing keyboards and fast discussions. The senior editor, a lady in her forties with short, pointed hair, picks up the phone, her fingers stopping mid-type. Listening closely, her brow creases as the speaker on the other end offers her the tip. The voice is a touch too silky, low, and cryptic.Elizabeth Carter has something about her. The caller, a breathless voice on the line, advises you to investigate. She is concealing something significant. Something that might ruin her profession.The editor's eyes narrow as she looks over the rows of live news feeds and headlines on screens. Elizabeth Carter, the name by itself, draws notice. Beloved by investors, consumers, and the public, she is the darling of the corporate world. But like all favorites, she has secrets; everyone has.With her fingers drumming the table, the editor sits up taller. Do you have evidence?" she enquires, attempti
CHAPTER 46: Alex’s Final Play Begins Resting in his leather chair, Alex lets the subtle glow of his desk lamp throw shadows all over the space. His mood is thick, burdened with the weight of his ideas. His eyes scan the file before him while his fingers tap against the table edge. It's crammed with specifics—too many for Elizabeth. Every second of her life was carefully recorded, every flaw revealed.Flipping over the pages of the large file, the paper crackles under his fingers. Reading, his lips twist into a devious grin; every line feeds his desire for power. He knows her better than she does. She has always been a riddle; now he has the solutions. Every mistake move she has ever made, every decision she has regretted—it is all here, set out in front of him like a weapon he is just waiting to use.He sees something, and his eyes narrow. A slight hint of a secret she had fought to suppress. Some private matter. Something that would shatter her should the world ever learn. He smiles
Chapter 45: Surrendering to Love As Elizabeth walks outside, the night is heavy with the scent of rain. The streets glimmer under the glow of streetlights, reflecting the dampened world around her; the air is chilly and crisp. Walking with her coat wrapped tightly around her, she creates visible clouds. She's been considering everything, the decisions, the worries, especially Simeon.A conflict between wanting to run and needing to stay fills her thoughts with a tornado of emotions. The weight of her hesitation crashing down like the gloomy clouds hanging above had never made her heart so heavy.She doesn't understand why she's out here or walking toward him—toward the one guy who can make her feel alive and afraid all at once.Then she spots him.Under the faint light of a nearby streetlamp, Simeon stands with his figure cut out against the darker sky and the rain pouring in sheets all about him. Standing motionless, his black coat clings to him, and his gaze is lost somewhere far a