Chapter Sixteen: The Weight of Choosing

Iris didn’t sleep.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Nathaniel unclipping his badge. The quiet finality of the gesture haunted her more than any argument could have. That badge wasn’t just plastic and metal. It was his life’s work. His legacy. His family’s pride.

And he was ready to lay it down for her.

Her phone sat heavy in her palm, the last message still glowing on the screen.

If he testifies, you lose him forever.

The sender didn’t need to say more. Selena never wasted words when fear could do the work for her.

By morning, Iris had made a decision that felt like swallowing glass.

The hospital buzzed with tension when she arrived. News traveled fast. Too fast. Heads turned as she passed. Conversations dipped and rose again behind her back like waves.

She spotted Nathaniel across the atrium, surrounded by administrators. He looked calm, composed, lethal in his stillness. But Iris saw the strain beneath it. The way his shoulders were tight. The way his jaw flexed when someone spoke too close.

He glanced up.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, the noise faded.

Then Iris looked away.

That was the first crack.

She found Selena in a private recovery room, reclined comfortably like a queen in exile. Pale makeup. Soft lighting. A performance curated to perfection.

“I wondered how long it would take,” Selena said without opening her eyes.

Iris closed the door behind her. “You threatened him.”

Selena smiled faintly. “I warned him.”

“You lied,” Iris shot back. “You manipulated the board. You manipulated everyone.”

Selena finally turned her head, eyes sharp despite her fragile act. “Welcome to power.”

Iris stepped closer. “What do you want?”

Selena studied her, slow and deliberate. “You’re smarter than I thought.”

“I don’t want him ruined,” Iris said, voice shaking despite her effort to control it. “And you don’t want a public scandal.”

Selena’s brow arched. “Go on.”

“I’ll withdraw,” Iris said. “Voluntarily. I’ll sign whatever document you want. I’ll request a transfer out of the program.”

Selena’s lips parted slightly. “And Nathaniel?”

“I won’t tell him why,” Iris continued. “I’ll make it look like my choice. Like I couldn’t handle the pressure.”

Silence stretched.

Selena rose slowly from the bed, every movement deliberate. “You’d give him up?”

Iris swallowed hard. “Yes.”

Selena stepped close, invading her space. “Because you love him?”

Iris didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

Selena smiled, satisfied. “Good. I’ll make sure your suspension disappears quietly. And his record stays clean.”

“And the complaint?” Iris asked.

“I’ll retract it,” Selena said. “With conditions.”

“What conditions?”

Selena leaned closer, her voice a whisper. “You disappear from his life. Completely.”

Iris nodded once. “Deal.”

Nathaniel was on his way to the boardroom when Iris intercepted him.

“I need to talk to you,” she said quickly.

He studied her face, immediately alert. “What happened?”

“We can’t do this,” she said. The words tasted wrong. Bitter. “Not like this.”

His expression hardened. “Don’t do this here.”

“I’m serious,” Iris pressed. “This situation is toxic. I’m transferring out.”

His eyes darkened. “That’s not what you said last night.”

“Last night was emotional,” she replied, forcing distance into her tone. “This is reality.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Did she talk to you?”

Iris’s heart skipped. “No.”

The lie hurt more than the truth would have.

Nathaniel searched her face, something like disbelief flickering there. “Look at me.”

She couldn’t.

“Iris,” he said softly, dangerously. “If this is fear talking, say it. I can handle fear.”

She lifted her chin. “It’s clarity.”

That one landed.

His jaw clenched. “So that’s it?”

“Yes.”

A pause. Then quietly, “Is there someone else?”

Her chest constricted. “No.”

“Then why does this feel like goodbye?”

Because it is, she wanted to scream.

Instead, she said, “Because it should be.”

Nathaniel stepped back, something breaking behind his eyes. “I’m going to that boardroom,” he said. “I’m telling the truth.”

“You don’t have to,” Iris whispered. “Please.”

He stared at her. “You don’t get to ask that of me.”

He walked away.

And Iris let him.

The boardroom doors closed behind Nathaniel.

Minutes ticked by like hours.

Iris stood alone in the hallway, nails digging into her palms, breath shallow. Every instinct screamed to run after him. To confess everything. To beg forgiveness.

Her phone buzzed.

Selena.

Smart girl.

Another message followed.

He’ll thank you one day.

Iris slid down the wall, heart shattering silently.

Inside the boardroom, voices rose.

A vote was being called.

And Iris realized something too late.

She had tried to protect him.

But she might have just pushed him into the fire alone.