The sound of her phone hitting the floor seemed like the loudest thing in the room. Cambria stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest. The message from Elara still glowed on the screen. "Cambria, it's worse than we thought. We've uncovered a video. Elena has evidence of your connection to Maddox. She's going to release it, and when she does, everything will come crashing down."
Her mind swirled, trying to process what this meant. A video? What kind of evidence could Elena possibly have? And how long had she been planning to use it against them?
Maddox moved toward her slowly, his face a mix of fear and guilt. "Cambria, please," he said, his voice strained. "This isn't what you think."
She turned toward him, her eyes hard. "What do you mean, Maddox? What's in that video? What has she been holding over us?"
He hesitated, his eyes flicking toward the floor. It was enough to confirm her worst fear. There was something. And he hadn't told her.
"You need to be honest with me right now," Cambria demanded, her voice sharper than she intended. "What has she got? And why didn't you tell me?"
Maddox's expression shifted, his gaze pained. "I didn't know she had footage. I had no idea she was recording those conversations. But I "
"You knew about the manipulation," she interrupted, her voice breaking slightly. "You knew what she was doing, how she was pulling strings, but you didn't tell me. You kept me in the dark about everything. And now you're telling me she has proof of our connection?" She paused, trying to steady herself. "That means she's got us both in her grasp. She's controlling this game, Maddox."
"I didn't want to involve you," he said quietly, taking a step forward, his hand outstretched as if trying to reach her. "I thought I could handle it on my own. I was wrong."
She shook her head, stepping back from him. "I trusted you. And this? This is the ultimate betrayal. I don't know what you were expecting, but I'm done being manipulated. Not by you, not by Elena, not by anyone."
Maddox's expression darkened, his frustration clear. "I never wanted to hurt you, Cambria. I never wanted you to feel like this."
"I feel like this because you let it go this far," Cambria shot back. "You let Elena control us. And now look where we are." She turned away from him, looking out the window at the city sprawled below. "I've built this empire from the ground up, Maddox. And now, it's falling apart because of you. Because of the secrets, the lies, and the things you kept hidden from me."
Maddox's voice cracked slightly as he spoke again. "I don't know how to make this right. I don't know how to fix it, Cambria. But I will. If you'll let me."
She closed her eyes, the weight of everything crashing down on her. Maddox had been a constant presence in her life, someone she had trusted maybe too much. He was the one person who had always been there, and yet now, she wasn't sure she could rely on him.
But the truth was, there was something more than just betrayal here. They were both on the same side of the battlefield now. If they didn't stand together, they would both lose everything.
She turned back to face him, her eyes meeting his with an intensity that took him by surprise.
"I'm not going to fall for your apologies, Maddox," she said, her voice steady. "But I'm not walking away from this either. We still have to fight. And if you want to be a part of this, then show me. Show me you're not the same man who let Elena pull you around like a puppet."
He nodded, a determined look on his face. "I will, Cambria. I promise. I'll do whatever it takes to fix this. I'll find a way to stop her."
But in the back of her mind, Cambria wasn't sure he could. The more she thought about it, the more the pieces fell into place. Elena had been too clever, too prepared. She had been orchestrating this from the beginning, and they were now at the mercy of her every move.
"I don't trust Elena," Cambria said, her voice low and almost growling with the intensity of her anger. "And I don't trust anyone who works with her. We have to stop her before she destroys everything. If you want to help me, then do it. But know this if you lie to me again, I won't forgive you."
Maddox took a step closer, his voice almost pleading. "Cambria, I'm not lying. I won't keep anything from you again. You have my word."
She studied him for a long moment, weighing his sincerity, before nodding once, sharply.
"Good," she said, her voice gaining strength with every word. "Now, let's go after Elena. And this time, we take her down. Once and for all."
As the words left her mouth, Cambria felt the weight of the decision settle within her. There was no turning back now. She was no longer just playing the game she was playing with fire. And if she wasn't careful, it could burn everything to the ground.
The phone buzzed again, breaking the tense silence. Cambria reached for it, her fingers still shaking slightly. The message from Elara was simple, but it hit like a bombshell.
"Cambria, I don't know how to say this… but the video Elena has been planning this for longer than we thought. The footage? It's not just of you and Maddox. There's something more. Something we didn't see coming."
Cambria's heart raced. "What do you mean?" she typed quickly.
Elara's reply was short and chilling:
"The video includes something else. Something Elena knows will destroy you. Your father's name. And how he's connected to all of this."
The breath was knocked out of her.
Her father?
The game had changed. And now, the truth was coming for her.