Chapter 11

The morning sun peeked through the curtains as I dressed, my mind racing with thoughts of Drew’s cryptic message. What had he found? Was it proof of my innocence or something else entirely? I glanced at my phone on the dresser, rereading his words for the what seemed like the hundredth time.

Drew: I found something that you should know, be in my office by 7:30. We need to talk.

That was the content of his message.

His tone had been curt and businesslike, offering no hints. My stomach churned with unease as I grabbed my bag and headed out the door.

By the time I reached the office, the usual buzz of activity hadn’t started yet. The building was very quiet, and my footsteps echoed in the hallway as I made my way to Drew’s office. The large oak door loomed ahead, and for a brief moment, I considered turning around and leaving.

But I needed answers.

I knocked lightly before stepping inside. Drew was seated behind his desk, his laptop open, and several papers spread out in front of him. He looked up as I entered, his expression unreadable.

“Close the door,” he said, his voice firm.

I obeyed, my heart pounding as I sat in the chair opposite him. “What’s this about?”

He leaned back, his sharp eyes scanning me. “I spent most of last night going through the documents related to the breach. And I found something.”

My breath hitched. “And?”

Drew slid a folder across the desk toward me. “Take a look.”

With trembling hands, I opened it. Inside were detailed logs of email activity, timestamps, and IP addresses. My eyes widened as I realized what he was showing me.

“This…” I stammered, looking up at him. “This proves the emails didn’t come from me.”

He nodded, his expression still stoic. “They were sent from a masked IP, but my IT team was able to trace it to a device registered under one of our employees.”

“Who?” I asked, leaning forward.

He hesitated, his jaw tightening. “We traced it to John Miller.”

My heart sank. John was a senior team member and one of the loudest voices accusing me during the meeting.

“John?” I whispered, disbelief washing over me. “Why would he do this?”

Drew folded his arms, his gaze intense. “I don't know, jealousy, ambition take your pick. He’s been vocal about his disapproval of you handling the project. I suspect he thought framing you would discredit you enough to get you removed.”

I sank back in my chair, my mind reeling. “I can’t believe this…”

Drew’s expression softened slightly, and he leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. “I’m handling it.”

“Handling it how?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He paused for a moment before replying. “John doesn’t know we’ve traced it back to him yet. I want to confront him directly, but I also want to be strategic about it. If this goes public, it could damage the project’s reputation.”

I nodded slowly, though my nerves were far from settled. “So what happens now?”

“For now, you stay focused on your work,” he said firmly. “Let me deal with John. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get away with this.”

His confidence was reassuring, but a part of me couldn’t shake the fear that things could still go wrong.

“Thank you,” I said quietly, meeting his gaze.

He didn’t respond immediately, just gave a small nod. His piercing gaze lingered on me, making it hard to look away. For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his expression, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

I turned toward the door, my heart heavy with the weight of the morning’s revelations. But as I took a step forward, the edges of my vision blurred, and the room began to tilt.

“Whoa…” I muttered, reaching out for the nearest surface to steady myself.

“Lila!” Drew’s voice cut through the haze as I felt strong hands grip my arms, keeping me upright.

I blinked, trying to focus, and found myself looking into his concerned eyes. The cold, distant man I had come to know was gone, replaced by someone who looked genuinely worried. His touch was firm but gentle, and for a moment, I let myself lean into him, grateful for the support.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice low but urgent.

“I’m fine,” I managed to say, though my voice trembled. “I just… I must’ve stood up too fast.”

“Lila, you don’t look fine,” he said, his brows furrowing as he steadied me. “You’re pale, and this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed. Are you eating? Sleeping?”

Before I could answer, the door to his office swung open, and his secretary stepped in, holding a tablet. Her eyes widened when she saw Drew holding me, his hands still on my arms as if to stop me from collapsing.

“Mr. Sinclair…” she started, clearly startled by the sight before her.

Drew’s jaw tightened, and in an instant, the concern on his face vanished, replaced by the cold, aloof demeanor I was all too familiar with. He let go of me, stepping back as if nothing had happened.

“Lila was just leaving,” he said briskly, his tone clipped.

The abrupt change in his behavior hit me like a slap, and I took an unsteady step toward the door, feeling the heat of embarrassment creep up my neck.

“Yes,” I said quietly, my voice barely audible. “Thank you, Mr. Sinclair.”

He didn’t respond, his attention already on the papers spread across his desk.

As I stepped out of the office, I couldn’t shake the whirlwind of emotions coursing through me; confusion, frustration, and something else I couldn’t quite name. But one thing was clear; I needed to figure out what was happening and sort out this dizziness and tiredness before Drew or anyone else found out my secret

As I pressed a hand to my stomach, a wave of unease washed over me. The dizziness, the nausea, the exhaustion they were becoming harder to ignore.

I needed to see a doctor, I thought as my steps quickened while I headed toward the exit.

But even as I resolved to take control of the situation, one question lingered in my mind, haunting me with its implications: What happens if Drew finds out the truth?