Secrets and Lies

CHAPTER 13

The office felt heavier that morning.

Not the usual deadlines-and-emails kind of heavy. Something else. Quiet tension. Shadows that lingered even in sunlight.

I tried to focus on my desk. On my emails. On my spreadsheets. But my mind kept drifting. To Ivy. To Reign. To the way the air seemed different when he was near. Protective. Dangerous. Warm.

I pressed my fingers to my temples. Focus, Maya. Just focus.

Reign appeared before I could get lost in my thoughts.

“Morning,” he said, voice calm but serious.

“Morning,” I replied, though my voice felt small.

He didn’t sit. Didn’t smile. Just leaned against the edge of my desk, eyes scanning the room. Calculating. Watching. Protective.

“You handled yesterday well,” he said quietly. “But today… expect complications. And not all of them are visible.”

I nodded, swallowing. Complications. Visible or not, I can handle it.

The morning was a blur. Calls, emails, minor errors, corrections, clarifications. But there was something under the surface. Something unspoken.

Reign was quieter than usual. Not absent. Just… thoughtful. Distracted. And for once, not entirely unreadable.

At lunch, I found him alone in his office. The door was slightly ajar.

I hesitated. Should I knock? Leave him alone? But curiosity—and something else—pulled me forward.

“Sir…?” My voice sounded cautious.

He looked up. Eyes sharp. But soft in a way I hadn’t seen before. Vulnerable. Careful.

“Maya,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from him. “Sit.”

I did. Heart hammering. Something in the air felt… different. Heavy. Personal. Dangerous.

He didn’t speak immediately. Just stared at something on his desk. Then back at me.

“You’re learning fast,” he said finally. “Faster than I expected. And… resilient. That’s rare.”

I swallowed. “Thank you… sir.”

He gave a tiny shrug. “Resilience isn’t enough.”

I frowned. “It’s not?”

“No.” His eyes darkened. Intense. “You need awareness. Insight. Understanding. Not just numbers or reports. People. Their motives. Their secrets.”

I nodded slowly. Tried to hide the shiver that went down my spine. His words were calm but sharp. Dangerous.

Then he leaned forward, voice dropping. Quiet. Personal. Almost… intimate.

“There are things you don’t know about me,” he said. “About the company. About… the past. And not all of them are pleasant.”

My pulse quickened. “I… I’m not sure I should—”

“You should listen,” he interrupted softly but firmly. “Because knowing matters. Understanding matters. And it will affect… you. Eventually.”

The weight of his words pressed against me. Heavy. Uncomfortable. But thrilling.

Ivy wasn’t around yet, but I could feel her influence. The office whispered of her. Every glance, every murmur, every subtle shift felt like a test.

Reign’s expression darkened slightly. “She’s persistent. Dangerous. And clever. Pay attention, Maya. To her and… to everything else.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, voice trembling slightly.

He studied me for a long moment. Then he leaned back, running a hand through his hair. Frustration. Or fatigue. Or something more personal.

“I’m not usually this… open,” he said finally. “But I trust you. Carefully. Tentatively. And I need you to see the patterns. The lies. The secrets hiding behind the smiles.”

I nodded. Slowly. My heart raced. Something dangerous stirred in my chest. Something… personal.

The afternoon arrived with a small crisis.

Henderson’s latest projections had errors. Minor, but critical. A single misstep could cause a delay.

Ivy appeared in the room, as if summoned. Smiling. Perfect. Calculated. Watching.

“Interesting,” she said lightly. “But are you confident in your corrections?”

I froze. Heart pounding. Mind racing.

Reign stepped closer, silent. Protective. His presence anchored me. Calmed the chaos. Dangerous. Warm.

“Yes,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected. “I’ve verified everything. The errors have been corrected. Projections are accurate.”

She smirked, not fully satisfied. “We’ll see. Accuracy is… subjective sometimes.”

I exhaled slowly, trying not to show my nerves. Reign’s gaze held mine, subtle reassurance. Encouragement. Dangerous comfort.

Later, Reign pulled me aside in his office. The door was closed this time. Personal space. Boundaries blurred.

“You noticed her,” he said, voice low. Soft but sharp.

“Yes,” I admitted. “She… she’s intimidating.”

He chuckled softly. A rare, quiet sound. “She is. But notice more than that. Observe. Learn. People leave clues. Lies have edges.”

I nodded slowly. Absorbing every word. Trying to focus. Heart racing. Chest tight. Mind spinning.

Then came the revelation I wasn’t expecting.

He handed me a folder. Confidential. Personal. Not Henderson-related. Company secrets. But… hints of his past. Decisions made. Mistakes. Risks taken.

“This… isn’t for anyone else,” he said. “Not yet. But you need to understand. If you’re going to survive here… and work with me… you need context. Reality. The stakes. Everything.”

I hesitated. Trembling. Heart racing. Curiosity battling fear.

I opened it. And the world shifted slightly. Shadows of Reign I hadn’t known. Vulnerabilities. Risks. Mistakes. Secrets. And… consequences.

“You see now,” he said softly, voice close. “Why Ivy is dangerous. Why she manipulates. Why she doesn’t forgive. Why I… act the way I do.”

“Yes,” I whispered. “I… I understand.”

“Good,” he said. “But understanding isn’t enough. Awareness. Strategy. And courage. All of it matters.”

I swallowed hard. My chest is tight. Heart hammering. Every word resonated. Dangerous. Exciting. Personal.

The rest of the day passed in tense silence.

Ivy didn’t appear, but her presence lingered like a shadow. Every glance from my coworkers, every whispered remark, felt like a test.

Reign stayed close by. Watching. Occasionally offering guidance. Protective. Subtle. Dangerous. Encouraging.

And through it all, I realised something…

I was learning. Not just about work. Not just about Ivy. Not just about the company.

About him.

And maybe… about myself.

By evening, exhaustion set in. My brain buzzed. My chest was tight. My heart raced from adrenaline and anticipation.

I packed up my things slowly and methodically, trying to steady my hands. Thoughts spun in a chaotic loop. Ivy. Reign. Secrets. Lies. Danger. Desire.

Then a ping. Another unknown number.

Secrets are only useful if you survive the lies.

I shivered. Not from cold. Not entirely.

Because I knew… this was bigger than Henderson. Bigger than Ivy. Bigger than work.

It was personal.

And I was already in the middle of it.