Chapter 7 — Shadows of the Past

The rain returned that evening, soft but relentless, blurring the city lights into streaks of silver and gold. Elena stood by the window of the Vale Residence, her reflection faint in the glass. The day had been exhausting—meetings, calls, strategy discussions—but it was the quiet moments that unsettled her most.

Quiet gave her memories room to breathe.

“You’re thinking about him,” Sebastian said behind her.

She turned, startled. “I didn’t hear you.”

“You rarely do,” he replied mildly.

She sighed. “Yes. Victor. And… my father. Everything feels tangled.”

Sebastian studied her for a moment, then gestured toward the sofa. “Sit with me.”

It wasn’t an order. That alone made it different.

They sat, a careful distance between them. The city hummed beyond the glass walls.

“My father trusted Victor,” Elena said quietly. “He believed Victor would help protect the company if anything happened to him. I wonder sometimes if that trust is what destroyed everything.”

Sebastian’s jaw tightened. “Your father wasn’t weak. He was optimistic. There’s a difference.”

She looked at him. “You sound like you’ve seen this before.”

“I have,” he admitted. “People confuse control with protection. Victor does that.”

“And you?” she asked softly.

He met her gaze, something dark and old flickering there. “I learned early that relying on others comes at a cost.”

Before she could ask more, Sebastian’s phone rang.

His expression changed the moment he answered.

“Yes?”

Pause.

“Send it to me. Now.”

He ended the call and turned to Elena.

“Victor’s moved again,” he said.

Her heart clenched. “What now?”

“He leaked information,” Sebastian said. “Personal information.”

A cold wave washed over her. “What kind?”

“About your father’s final months. Allegations of mismanagement. Fraud.”

Her breath left her in a rush. “That’s a lie.”

“I know,” Sebastian said. “But truth doesn’t stop rumors. Speed does.”

Elena’s hands trembled. “He’s dragging my father’s name through the mud just to hurt me.”

Sebastian stood, pacing once before stopping in front of her. “This is where the past becomes a weapon. And it’s why I need you to trust me completely.”

She looked up at him. “I do.”

He paused, searching her face as if weighing her words.

“Then tomorrow,” he said, “you will face the media.”

Her eyes widened. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes,” he replied. “We’ll confront this head-on. Silence would be taken as guilt.”

Fear tightened her chest. “I’ve never done that.”

Sebastian crouched slightly so they were eye level. His voice lowered. “You won’t be alone.”

The intensity in his gaze made her pulse quicken.

“Sebastian,” she said, hesitating, “why are you really doing all this?”

He held her stare for a long moment.

“Because,” he said slowly, “when someone attacks what matters to you… they cross a line.”

Her heart stuttered.

This wasn’t just strategy.

That night, Elena dreamed of her father—his smile, his belief in her. She woke with tears on her cheeks and a new resolve hardening in her chest.

The next morning, headlines screamed across every screen:

QUESTIONS RISE OVER HART INDUSTRIES’ FOUNDING LEGACY

Cameras gathered outside Vale Tower like vultures.

Elena stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a tailored cream suit. She barely recognized the woman staring back—strong posture, steady eyes, quiet determination.

Sebastian entered, adjusting his cufflinks.

“Ready?” he asked.

She took a deep breath.

“Yes.”

They walked out together.

Flashes exploded. Voices shouted questions.

“Ms. Hart, did your father commit fraud?”

“Is this marriage a distraction?”

“Mr. Vale, are you covering for her?”

Sebastian raised a hand. Silence fell.

Elena stepped forward.

“My father built Hart Industries with integrity,” she said clearly. “Any claims otherwise are false. I welcome full investigation.”

Her voice didn’t shake.

“I will not allow lies to define my family,” she continued. “And I won’t be intimidated into silence.”

The crowd murmured.

Sebastian glanced at her, something like pride in his eyes.

As they turned to leave, Elena felt it—the shift.

Victor’s weapon had failed.

But she knew this victory came at a price.

Because when the past surfaced, it never did so gently.

And as Elena walked back inside beside Sebastian Vale, she realized something frightening and undeniable—

She was no longer just defending her future.

She was defending her heart.