CHAPTER 8 Dangerous Familiarity

The moment I saw the brown envelope on my desk, something inside me went cold.

No name. No note. Just my name typed on the front in big black letters.

I stared at it for a long time before touching it. My heart wouldn’t stop beating. My fingers shook as I peeled it open. Inside was a single photograph printed on shiny paper.

It was me. And Nathaniel.

At the hotel.

His hand was on my waist. My eyes were closed. My lips were dangerously close to his.

My throat tightened.

No one was supposed to know. No one.

I pressed the photo against my chest and shut my eyes. My world started spinning, and all I could hear was the sound of my own beating.

Who sent this?

Who took it?

And why now?

I sank into my chair, holding the edges of my desk. My breaths came out short and uneven. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tear that picture into a thousand pieces. But I couldn’t. Destroying it wouldn’t erase the truth.

Someone had seen us.

Someone was watching.

And they wanted me to know.

Charles called thirty minutes later.

“Ava,” his voice came through the speaker, calm and sharp as a blade. “My office. Now.”

Just like that, the blood in my veins turned to ice.

I barely managed to whisper, “Yes, Mr. Donovan,” before hanging up.

My knees felt weak as I stood. The walk to his office felt endless. My heels clicked softly on the marble floor, each sound echoing like guilt.

When I reached his door, I paused.

Knock.

No answer.

Another knock.

“Come in,” he said, his tone smooth, controlled.

He was standing by the window, his back turned to me. His hands were in his pockets. The late afternoon light cut across his shoulders, sharp and gold.

“Close the door,” he said without looking.

I listened. My hands were slick with sweat.

Then he turned.

And my heart stopped.

There it was the same photo spread across his desk.

He looked at it once, then looked at me. His eyes were calm. Too quiet. The kind of calm that hides a storm.

“Tell me, Ava,” he said softly. “Do you even remember what loyalty means? ”

I went cold. My mouth went dry.

“Charles, I”

“Don’t,” he cut in, raising a hand. “I want to hear your truth before I tell you mine.”

My voice shook. “It’s not what it looks like.”

He let out a small, humorless laugh. “Of course it isn’t. It never is.”

“Please, listen to me,” I begged. “That photo's not recent. It was”

He stepped closer. “When? ”

I paused.

“When, Ava? ”

I swallowed hard. “Before the merger. Months ago. I didn’t”

“Didn’t what? ” His voice was low but dangerous. “Didn’t think I’d find out? ”

I could barely meet his eyes. “It wasn’t planned. It just happened.”

He smiled slightly, but his eyes burned with anger. “That’s what people say before everything falls apart‘it just happened.’”

“Charles, please. I didn’t betray you.”

“Then explain this,” he said, lifting the picture. “Because it looks like betrayal to me.”

For a long time, silence filled the room. The kind that choked you.

Then, quietly, he said, “Do you love him? ”

The question broke me.

My lips parted, but no sound came.

Do I love him?

Did I ever stop?

I stared at Charles. His face was unreadable nowcold, distant. But behind that, I could see pain. Real pain.

“Answer me,” he ordered.

“I don’t know,” I whispered.

His jaw clenched. “That’s not good enough.”

I took a step forward, desperate. “Charles, please”

“Enough,” he said sharply. “You’ve already said too much.”

He walked to his desk, leaned against it, and stared at the picture again. Then his voice relaxed.

“I trusted you, Ava. Against every warning. Against my own instincts.”

“I never wanted to hurt you.”

“But you did.”

“I was scared,” I said softly. “Everything was falling apart. You were distant. It's cold. I didn’t know where I stood with you.”

He looked up at me, eyes dark. “So you ran to him? ”

Tears filled my eyes. “It wasn’t like that. I didn’t go looking for him. He found me.”

Charles’s mouth curved into a sour smile. “Nathaniel always did know how to find what wasn’t his.”

Then, suddenly, he asked something that caught me off guard.

“Did he send this to you? ”

I blinked. “What? ”

He pointed to the pictures. “Don’t act surprised. This kind of game that has his hands all over it.”

I shook my head quickly. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”

“Wouldn’t he? ” Charles’s voice rose slightly. “He’s always wanted to see me fall. You were the perfect weapon.”

“I’m not anyone’s weapon! ” I snapped. “And Nathaniel isn’t”

“Stop defending him,” he growled. “You don’t even realize how dangerous he is.”

“Dangerous? ” I repeated.

He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. “You think I don’t know him? I built a company while he tried to ruin everything I had. He doesn’t love you, Ava. He’s using you to get to me.”

I cringed as his words cut through me.

“That’s not true,” I whispered.

He stared at me like he pitied me. “You still believe him.”

“I believe what I felt,” I said firmly. “And it was real.”

Charles’s face hardened again. “Then you’re a fool.”

Something inside me snapped.

“I may be a fool,” I said quietly, “but I’m not a liar. I didn’t send that picture, and I didn’t betray you. Someone’s trying to break us apart, and you’re letting them.”

He studied me, his jaw tense. “You really think this is someone else’s doing?”

“I know it,” I said. “And if you’d stop accusing me for one second, maybe we could find out who’s behind it.”

He didn’t answer. His silence was heavy, thoughtful.

Then, slowly, he said, “I’ll find out who did this. But until then, Ava…”

He paused.

“Until then, stay away from Nathaniel. Completely. Do you understand me?”

I wanted to fight. But his tone left no room for bargaining.

I nodded.

“Good,” he said, his voice soft again. “Because if I find out you’ve been in contact with him…”

He stopped.

I waited. “You’ll what?”

His eyes met mine, dark and unreadable. “You don’t want to know.”

I left his office shaking. Every word he’d said repeated in my head like poison.

Dangerous.

Manipulative.

Using you.

Could Nathaniel really have sent that photo?

No. No, he wouldn’t.

Would he?

My phone buzzed. My hand shook as I pulled it out.

An unknown number.

The message read: If you want to escape this, meet me tonight. Come alone.

My breath caught in my throat.

I stared at the screen, frozen.

Who was it?

And what did they mean by survive?

I felt my heart race as a chill ran down my spine.

Was this a threat? A warning? Or a trap?

Then another message appeared.

You have no idea who you’re dealing with, Ava. But you will.

My fingers shook as I typed back, Who are you?

No answer.

The phone screen stayed black.

I looked around the office hallway, every shadow suddenly alive.

Someone was watching. Someone who knew everything.

Nathaniel. Charles. Me.

This wasn’t over.

And I was running out of time.

My heart thudded terribly as I whispered to myself, “What if it’s not Nathaniel or Charles? What if it’s someone else entirely?”

Before I could think more, another text appeared.

I’m closer than you think.

And this time, I knewI wasn’t safe anymore.