Truth in Shadows The ride into the city was silent.

Adrian didn’t speak, and I didn’t dare break the stillness between us. His eyes stayed forward, focused on the road ahead, one hand gripping the steering wheel like he was trying to squeeze out whatever emotion he didn’t want me to see.

The last time I sat beside him like this, we were laughing. I had just gotten my first freelance photography gig, and he’d taken me out to celebrate. He didn’t believe in big moments, but he made them feel big anyway—with the way he looked at me, like I was something rare.

Now, I felt like a stranger in a place I used to know by heart.

As the city skyline opened up in front of us, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

“Where are we going?” I finally asked.

He glanced at me once. “My lawyer’s office.”

My stomach dropped. “Your lawyer?”

He nodded. “If someone dangerous is involved, I want your story on record—names, dates, every detail. I won’t let you bring chaos into my life again without knowing exactly what I’m protecting.”

His words were cold, but his actions said something else. He was still protecting me—even if he didn’t want to admit it.

“Okay,” I said quietly.

The office was in a high-rise, sleek and modern with glass everywhere and the kind of silence that made your shoes sound too loud. Adrian walked like he owned the building. He probably did.

The receptionist stood when she saw him. “Mr. Knight, Mr. Daniels is expecting you.”

We were led into a spacious office with leather chairs and tall shelves lined with legal books. A middle-aged man in a grey suit stood to greet us.

“Adrian,” he said, shaking his hand. “And this must be the woman you mentioned.”

I flinched slightly. So he had already told someone I was back.

“Ivy,” Adrian said flatly. “This is Thomas Daniels—my legal counsel.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said politely, though my hands were trembling a little.

Thomas gave me a nod, gesturing for us to sit.

“I’ll keep this simple,” Adrian said, turning to me. “Tell him what you told me. All of it.”

I hesitated, but Thomas’s expression was kind—not warm, but not hostile either. Like he was used to people carrying things they didn’t want to speak about.

I took a breath and began.

“My mother was sick—cancer. Aggressive. We didn’t have insurance, and the bills were drowning us. I was twenty-one. Working part-time, barely surviving. That’s when I met Julian Monroe.”

Thomas raised an eyebrow. “The venture capitalist?”

I nodded. “He approached me at a charity event. Said he was impressed with how I handled myself. At first, he just offered to help with the bills. Said it was ‘a gift for someone with potential.’ But nothing comes for free.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “What did he want?”

“Appearances. Accompanying him to events. Acting like we were together. He wanted to seem like a respectable man with a respectable partner. I didn’t know at the time… how dirty his business was underneath.”

Thomas took a note. “Did he threaten you?”

“Not directly. But he made it clear that backing out wasn’t an option. He held everything over my head—the bills, my mother’s treatment, even photos. He had people following me.”

Adrian’s hand tightened on the armrest.

“I wanted to tell you,” I said, glancing at him. “But if he found out I’d told anyone, especially someone like you—someone powerful—he would’ve gone after you, too.”

“So you vanished,” Adrian said bitterly. “No goodbye. No explanation.”

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I forced myself to stay composed.

“It wasn’t fair to you,” I admitted. “But I was scared. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Thomas leaned forward slightly. “Do you have anything in writing? Emails, contracts, proof of these payments?”

I nodded. “I saved everything. I’ve got it backed up on a flash drive. I didn’t know what else to do with it.”

“Good,” he said. “That could be useful.”

Adrian stood abruptly. “We’re done here.”

Thomas didn’t flinch. “I’ll start drafting a strategy. But if Monroe is still watching her, we’ll need to be careful. This can’t go public yet.”

“I understand,” Adrian said.

He looked at me. “Let’s go.”

We left the office in silence again. But this time, the air between us felt… different. He hadn’t forgiven me. I wasn’t sure he ever would. But he believed me.

And somehow, that mattered more than anything right now.

Back at the house, I headed straight to the guest room. My mind was buzzing, and my chest felt heavy, like everything I had been carrying for years had been dumped on the floor—but at least someone finally saw it.

I opened the small pouch I had hidden in my bag. The flash drive was still there, along with a small photograph I kept tucked between its folds. It was of me and Adrian—back when things were simple. We were standing on the rooftop of his old apartment, wind in our hair, city lights behind us, and laughter in our eyes.

That girl in the photo… she had no idea how messy life could get.

I heard a knock.

I quickly stuffed the photo away. “Come in.”

Adrian entered, looking slightly less guarded than before.

“I just spoke to Daniels,” he said. “He thinks there’s a chance we can expose Monroe legally. But it’ll take time.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

He lingered in the doorway, hands in his pockets. “You really saved everything?”

“Every message. Every threat. I was too afraid to delete them.”

A beat passed.

“I’m not promising anything,” he said quietly. “But I’ll help you.”

My breath caught. “Thank you.”

He nodded once and turned to leave, then paused.

“For what it’s worth,” he added without turning back, “you were wrong.”

“About what?”

“I didn’t need protecting,” he said. “I needed you.”

And then he was gone.