Chapter 11: A Shattered Trust
842 Words
Eva sat frozen in her car outside the restaurant, her phone clenched tightly in her hand. Alex’s text lingered on the screen: “Don’t trust anyone. I found something. I need to see you.”
Her heart raced. Inside the thin folder resting on the passenger seat, the answers she’d been desperately seeking were waiting for her, but Alex’s message tugged at her like a warning bell ringing inside her mind. Was he protecting her, or was he hiding something even darker?
The man inside the restaurant had looked too confident, too sure that whatever was in that folder would change everything. His words echoed in her ears: “Once you open this, there’s no going back.”
Eva stared at the folder for what felt like an eternity, unsure of her next move. She had come this far, wading through deception and lies—was she ready to face the truth, whatever it was?
With a deep breath, she finally reached for the folder. The paper inside rustled as she slid it out, the words printed there stark against the white background. It took her only moments to realize that her worst fears were about to come true.
Earlier that Day
The day had started like any other, filled with back-to-back meetings and endless emails. But a nagging feeling had clung to Eva from the moment she woke up. Something was wrong. She didn’t know what.
She had spent hours reviewing the details of Alex’s case, trying to figure out how everything had gone so quickly. The media had painted him as a reckless playboy, but they didn’t know how deeply Alex cared about his family’s legacy—about her. He had opened up to her about his past, his fears, and the one thing he had promised her: he was innocent.
But as Eva dug deeper into the mounting evidence against him, doubt started creeping into her mind. She had fought those doubts, convinced herself that it was all a setup. Alex wasn’t capable of such betrayal. But now, the world around her seemed to unravel faster than she could keep up.
Inside the folder, the first few pages outlined financial transactions that were hard to trace, hidden behind layers of shell companies and offshore accounts. Alex’s name was nowhere to be found, but the ties to his family’s business were undeniable. The deeper she looked, the worse it got. Deals that Alex had assured her were above board now looked suspicious, and some of the names involved were people Eva recognized—influential people. Dangerous people.
The final page was the most damning: a signed contract. It was a deal between Alex’s family and a notorious developer known for using shady tactics to push through projects—at any cost. The project had been blocked before, but it was suddenly moving forward again, with Alex’s family at the center of it all.
Eva’s head spun as the realization hit her. This was it. The scandal would destroy Alex and drag her down with him. If this got out, her career would be over, her reputation in shambles.
She knew she needed to see Alex and hear his side of the story. But as she sat there, phone in hand, another message came through.
It was from the man in the restaurant: “I warned you. You’re in too deep. Walk away now, or I’ll ensure you never work in this city again.”
Eva felt the walls closing in on her. She was trapped. Alex’s world was falling apart, and now hers was too. The pressure from her firm was mounting. Her boss had made it clear: they would cut ties with her if she didn’t distance herself from Alex soon.
But Alex’s voice echoed in her head. He had been desperate, pleading with her to trust him. “I found something.” What had he discovered that was so important? Could it change everything?
Her phone buzzed again, this time with a call. Alex’s name flashed on the screen.
“Eva,” his voice came through strained, hurried. “You need to listen to me. I found out who’s behind this.”
Eva’s breath caught in her throat. “Alex, I—” She hesitated, looking at the documents in her lap.
“Please,” Alex’s voice was filled with urgency. “Don’t believe what they’ve told you. There’s more to this, and I can prove it.”
Before Eva could respond, a knock came at her car window, startling her. She looked up to see a familiar face staring back at her—the same man sitting in the restaurant just moments ago.
His expression was calm and collected. But the threat in his eyes was unmistakable. “Time’s up, Eva,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “You have a choice to make.”
Eva’s heart pounded as she ended the call with Alex. Everything she had built—her career and life— was slipping away. And now, she had to decide.
- Writer
