Hey, Heartless Billionaire, Am in Charge!

The Edge of Trust

Sophia’s office had never felt smaller. Gabriel sat across from her, his eyes pleading for her to believe him, while Liam stood rigidly by the window, every muscle in his body tense with suspicion. The air was thick with tension, and Sophia could feel it pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

Gabriel’s claim echoed in her mind—*he was working undercover to protect her, to protect them all*. But the sting of betrayal was still fresh. How could she trust him after everything she’d just learned?

Sophia leaned back in her chair, forcing herself to stay composed. “Gabriel,” she began slowly, her voice carefully controlled, “if what you’re saying is true, then why didn’t you come to me sooner? Why keep me in the dark until now?”

Gabriel’s eyes softened, and for a moment, he looked almost vulnerable. “I wanted to, Sophia. But it was too risky. Vanguard has eyes everywhere, and if they even suspected that I was working against them, they would’ve come after you—after everyone you care about.”

He glanced at Liam, who was still glaring at him, before turning his attention back to Sophia. “I know I’ve put you in an impossible position, and I’m sorry for that. But I swear to you, everything I’ve done has been to protect you.”

Sophia studied him closely, searching his face for any sign of deception. She wanted to believe him—wanted to believe that the man she had let into her life wasn’t a traitor. But doubt gnawed at her, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was still something he wasn’t telling her.

Liam broke the silence, his voice low and dangerous. “You expect us to take your word for it? After everything we’ve just learned?”

Gabriel met Liam’s gaze head-on, his expression resolute. “I know how it looks, but I’m telling you the truth. Vanguard is planning to take both of your companies down, and they’re closer than you think. If we don’t act now, it’ll be too late.”

Sophia’s heart pounded in her chest. The stakes were higher than ever, and she knew she couldn’t afford to make a mistake. But how could she trust Gabriel when everything was so uncertain?

“I need proof,” she said finally, her voice firm. “If you’re really on our side, then show me something that proves it. Otherwise, I can’t take your word for anything.”

Gabriel nodded, as if he had expected this. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a flash drive, placing it on the desk in front of her.

“This has everything you need,” he said. “Emails, documents, recordings—all the evidence I’ve gathered while working with Vanguard. It’ll show you that I’ve been feeding them false information, trying to delay their plans and buy us time.”

Sophia hesitated for only a moment before taking the flash drive. The metal felt cold against her palm, a stark reminder of the cold, hard truth she needed to uncover.

She glanced at Liam, who gave her a barely perceptible nod, signaling that he would be ready for whatever came next.

With a deep breath, Sophia plugged the flash drive into her computer and began to open the files. The room fell silent as the screen filled with documents—emails between Vanguard executives, financial reports, strategic plans, and more. The evidence was overwhelming, and as Sophia scrolled through it, she began to see the bigger picture.

Gabriel hadn’t been lying. The information he had provided was damning, and it painted a clear picture of Vanguard’s plans to dismantle Dawson Industries and Blackwood Enterprises from the inside out.

But as Sophia continued to review the files, something else caught her attention—something that made her blood run cold.

There was a recording, buried deep in one of the folders, labeled only with a date and time. With trembling hands, she clicked on it, and the sound of a familiar voice filled the room.

“You’ve done well, Martinez. Keep her close, and make sure she doesn’t suspect a thing. Once we have control of both companies, we’ll take care of Dawson and Blackwood for good.”

Sophia’s heart dropped. The voice was unmistakable—it was Vanguard’s CEO, Richard Sterling, giving orders to Gabriel.

Gabriel’s face paled as he realized what she was hearing. “Sophia, wait—”

But Sophia couldn’t listen. Her mind was reeling, the shock and betrayal hitting her like a freight train. Gabriel had been working with Vanguard all along, playing both sides to his advantage. The evidence was right in front of her—there was no denying it now.

Liam moved quickly, stepping between Sophia and Gabriel, his expression one of pure fury. “You lying son of a—”

Gabriel raised his hands in surrender, his eyes wide with panic. “It’s not what it sounds like! I can explain—”

“Explain what?” Sophia’s voice was icy, her trust shattered beyond repair. “That you’ve been playing us this whole time? That you’ve been feeding Vanguard information while pretending to help us?”

Gabriel took a step toward her, but Liam blocked his path. “I was trying to protect you,” Gabriel insisted, his voice desperate. “Sterling forced me into this—I had no choice! But I never wanted to hurt you, Sophia, I swear.”

Sophia’s hands were shaking as she rose from her chair, her gaze locked on Gabriel. “You betrayed me,” she whispered, the words heavy with pain. “You made me believe I could trust you, and now everything we’ve worked for is in jeopardy.”

Gabriel’s eyes were pleading, but Sophia couldn’t let herself be swayed. The damage was done, and there was no coming back from it. She turned to Liam, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her.

“Get him out of here,” she said coldly. “And don’t let him anywhere near me again.”

Liam didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Gabriel by the arm and dragged him toward the door, ignoring the man’s protests.

“Sophia, please! You have to believe me—I was trying to save you!” Gabriel’s voice echoed down the hallway as Liam forced him out of the office, slamming the door behind them.

As the sound of their footsteps faded away, Sophia collapsed back into her chair, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt numb, as if the ground had been ripped out from under her, leaving her to fall into an endless void.

She had trusted Gabriel. She had let herself believe in him, even when everything had warned her not to. And now, she was paying the price.

But there was no time to dwell on her mistakes. Vanguard was closing in, and she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. With shaking hands, she began to sift through the remaining files on the flash drive, searching for anything that could give her an edge in the battle to come.

As she worked, a new resolve began to take root in her heart. She had been betrayed, manipulated, and deceived, but she wasn’t going to let that break her. If Vanguard wanted a fight, she would give them one.

And she would make sure they regretted ever underestimating her.

The storm was coming, and this time, Sophia Dawson would be ready.