ログインThursday arrives too quickly and not quickly enough.I’ve spent the last three days second-guessing everything. Lying awake at night, staring at the ceiling, asking myself what the hell I’m doing. But every time I consider backing out, I see them together. Ethan’s hand on the small of Maya’s back. The way they finish each other’s sentences. The private jokes and knowing looks.And I can’t stop myself.It’s six p.m. when I text Maya.**S: Hey, are you still at the office?****M: Just leaving actually. Dinner with Ethan’s mom. She’s in town from New York. Want to join?**Perfect. She’ll be occupied all evening.**S: Can’t. IT found some server issues. Might be a late night.****M: Want me to stay? Help?****S: No! I mean, no. You should go. It’s probably nothing. Don’t cancel on Serena.****M: You sure?****S: Positive. Have fun. Tell her I said hi.****M: Okay. Call if you need anything. Love you.**The guilt hits like a punch to the gut. She trusts me. Completely. Absolutely. And I’m
SORRY A LITTLE MIXED UP THIS IS THE CHAPTER 10 THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER 11. SORRY ABOUT THE ISSUE. WON’T MAKE IT AGAIN**Few Months After Cameron Incident**{SOPHIE POV}I’m watching them through Maya’s office window, and I hate myself for it.Ethan showed up ten minutes ago with lunch from that Italian place Maya loves. The one she mentioned exactly once, months ago, in passing. And he remembered. Of course he remembered. Because Ethan Moore is perfect like that.They’re laughing now. Maya’s head thrown back, that genuine joy lighting up her face in a way I haven’t seen since before Cameron. And Ethan’s looking at her like she hung the moon and stars and every constellation in between.It makes me sick.Not because I don’t want Maya to be happy. I do. She’s my best friend. The person who gave me a chance when no one else would, who believed in me, who built this company with me by her side. I’d do anything for her.Including pretending I don’t love her boyfriend.“Sophie?” Jenny’s voice
I’ve been sitting in my car outside Sterling Industries for twenty minutes, working up the courage to go inside.It’s been two weeks since I admitted to myself that I’m in love with Ethan Moore. Two weeks of barely sleeping, barely eating, watching them together and dying a little more each day.Something has to change. I can’t keep living like this.My phone buzzes. Maya, again.**M: Where are you? The board meeting starts at 10.****M: Sophie, seriously, are you okay?**I should answer. Should go inside. Should stop being such a coward.But the thought of sitting in that conference room, watching Ethan surprise Maya with coffee (he does it every Tuesday), seeing them exchange those little looks that say more than words ever could, makes me want to drive away and never come back.Except I can’t. This company is mine too. I helped build it. I’m not going to lose everything because I was stupid enough to fall for the wrong man.I grab my bag and head inside.The elevator ride feels too
{Next Day}“We need to move fast.” Derek’s already on his laptop before the sun fully rises. “That phone call last night, Cameron admitting to the break-in, knowing about my investigation. That’s evidence, but we need more. We need him caught red-handed.”I’m still in my pajamas, coffee untouched, exhaustion pulling at every muscle. Ethan sits beside me on the couch, his hand never leaving mine.“What do you have in mind?” Ethan asks.“He’s obsessed with Maya. With controlling her, owning her, proving he’s smarter than us.” Derek pulls up something on his screen. “So we give him exactly what he wants. An opportunity to approach her. Alone. And this time, we record everything.”“Absolutely not.” Ethan’s already shaking his head. “You’re not using her as bait.”“I’ll do it.” The words come out before I fully think them through. But once they’re out, I know they’re right. “I’m tired of being afraid. Tired of hiding. If this ends it, I’ll do it.”“Maya—”“He’s not going to stop, Ethan. Yo
We turned to him. He’s holding his laptop, expression grim but triumphant.“I’ve been digging into Cameron’s business dealings. The corporate espionage kind.” He sets the laptop on the coffee table, pulling up spreadsheets and documents. “Three months ago, right around the time Maya officially started dating Ethan, Cameron’s company acquired a competitor. Small tech startup. The acquisition was hostile, messy.”“So?” Sophie leans over his shoulder, squinting at the screen.“So, the founder of that startup filed complaints. Said Cameron stole proprietary code, used insider information he shouldn’t have had access to. The case was dismissed due to lack of evidence, but I did some digging.” Derek pulls up an email chain. “Cameron had someone inside the company feeding him information. Corporate espionage. Federal offense.”My heart starts beating faster. “Can you prove this?”“Better. I can prove it and I have witnesses willing to testify. The insider kept records. Insurance policy, prob
Derek’s expression tells me everything before he says a word.“Someone broke in.” He moves aside, gesturing to the open door. “Triggered the alarm about twenty minutes ago. I was closest, got here before the police.”“Broke in?” Ethan’s already moving past him, and I’m right behind, my heart hammering against my ribs.“Wait.” Derek grabs both our arms. “They’re gone. I checked the whole house. But you need to see what they left.”The living room looks untouched at first glance. Our couch where we watch movies, the coffee table still holding last night’s wine glasses, the bookshelves Ethan spent weeks organizing by color because he knew it would make me smile.Then I see it.Our wall. The one we’d painted together last month, laughing as we got more paint on each other than the wall. The one where we’d hung our favorite photos.Every single picture has been defaced. Black marker across our faces. Crude words scrawled over our smiling images. But it’s the message spray-painted across th







