Chapter 10: The New Player
793 Words
The room felt like it was closing in on Eva. The noise from the city below was drowned out by the loud thoughts racing her mind. This was the moment she had to move, the point of no return. Alex had been adamant: "We fight this together." But was it really that simple?
The media storm surrounding Alex’s scandal was spiraling out of control. Every hour, a new headline surfaced, each more damning than the last. Eva’s firm had given her a clear directive: Distance yourself, or you’ll go down with him.
But Alex wasn’t backing down. His determination to clear his name only pulled Eva deeper into the mess. And now, she was teetering on the edge—her career, reputation, and the man she had tried so hard to keep at arm's length were all on the line.
Earlier that day, she had walked into the firm’s boardroom for an emergency meeting. The atmosphere was tense. Her colleagues, once supportive, now looked at her with suspicion as though she was already guilty by association.
“Eva,” her boss said sternly, “We need to know where you stand. This scandal is worsening, and your connection to Alex Grayson is becoming a liability. If you don’t distance yourself from him, I’m afraid we’ll have no choice but to reconsider your position here.”
Her chest tightened. She had worked too hard to get to where she was. Every late night, the deal she had closed and sacrificed had all been for this career. And now it was hanging by a thread.
“I understand,” Eva said, keeping her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her. “But I’m not ready to make a decision yet.”
Her boss exchanged a glance with the other partners. “You don’t have much time, Eva. The longer you stay silent, the more you risk your future here.”
Eva had nodded, but inside, she was already questioning everything.
In her apartment, Eva stared at the flashing headlines on her phone. “Grayson’s Secret Life Exposed.” “Playboy or Criminal? The Truth About Alex Grayson.” The articles painted him as a villain hiding a sordid past. But Eva knew there was more to the story.
Just as she was about to turn off her phone, a message from an unknown number popped up.
"You don’t know the whole story. Meet me tonight if you want to know the truth. 9 PM. The address will follow."
Eva’s heart skipped a beat. She re-read the message twice, trying to make sense of it. Was this a trap? Or was this her chance to finally uncover who was behind the scandal?
Without thinking, she quickly replied: "Who is this?"
No response.
By 8:45 PM, Eva was driving toward the address sent to her phone—a dimly lit restaurant on the city's outskirts. Her instincts screamed at her to turn back, but something deeper connected to Alex pushed her forward.
Inside, the restaurant was nearly empty. A lone figure sat in a booth at the far end, their face hidden in the shadows. As Eva approached, the figure looked up, and she recognized him immediately.
It was him—the new player. The man Alex had once warned her about was the one he had said was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
They exchanged pleasantries, but the tension was palpable. The man leaned back in his chair, studying her closely. “You’ve walked right into the lion’s den,” he said, smirking.
Eva’s heart raced, but she kept her expression neutral. “I’m here for answers. What do you know?”
He chuckled darkly. “More than you think, Miss Morris. You’re deeper than you realize, and if you don’t tread carefully, everything you’ve worked for will crumble.”
Eva leaned forward, her voice low and dangerous. “If you’re trying to scare me, it’s not working. Tell me who’s behind this.”
For a moment, the man seemed to consider her words. Then, his smile faded, and he reached into his jacket, pulling out a thin folder. He slid it across the table toward her.
“Everything you need to know is in there. But be warned, no going back once you open this.”
Eva stared at the folder, her fingers itching to open it. This was the moment of truth—the moment that could change everything. But as she reached for it, her phone buzzed.
It was Alex. “Eva, don’t trust anyone. I found something. I need to see you.”
Her hand hovered over the folder, torn between the man before her and Alex’s warning. Could she trust Alex, or had she been blind to the truth?
- Writer
