Cambria's hand trembled as she stared at the message. "Your father's name. And how he's connected to all of this." The words seemed to burn through her phone, leaving a lingering chill in her chest. For a long moment, she didn't move, her mind racing, trying to make sense of it all.
Her father. She had always thought of him as someone untouchable. The rock upon which her family's legacy was built. But now… now Elena had pulled him into the chaos. And if Elena had found a way to use him against her, it would be her final blow.
She felt a cold fury building inside her, ice spreading through her veins. No one was going to use her family's name to destroy her. Not after everything she had fought for. But the more she thought about it, the more the pieces started to fall into place. Her father's old business dealings, the decisions he had made, the power he had held there was a darker side to it all. And somehow, Elena had found it.
Maddox, standing just a few feet away, could see the change in her expression. The fire in her eyes was gone, replaced by something colder. Something dangerous.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice cautious.
Cambria didn't answer him immediately. She simply stared at the screen, her thoughts swirling in a fog of anger and disbelief. Elena had always been ruthless, but this? This was a step too far. Elena wasn't just coming after her empire anymore; she was coming after everything that had ever mattered to Cambria.
The silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of the revelation. Finally, Cambria spoke, her voice low, almost hollow.
"Elena's found a way to tie my father to all of this," she said, her words sharp. "She's using him against me, Maddox. I don't know how, but she has something. Something I didn't even know existed."
Maddox took a step forward, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Your father? What's she got on him?"
Cambria clenched her fists, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. "I don't know yet. But it's something big. I have to find out what it is, before she can use it against me."
"Do you want me to help?" Maddox asked, his voice soft, almost hesitant.
She looked at him, studying his face for a moment. There was sincerity in his eyes, but there was also something else, a shadow that lingered beneath the surface. Could she really trust him? After everything?
"I don't know," she said quietly, shaking her head. "I don't know who to trust anymore, Maddox. And you've already kept so many secrets from me. I can't afford to make another mistake."
He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand, silencing him. "I'm going to handle this, Maddox. You've already done enough damage. I need to find out what Elena's planning, and I need to do it alone."
She turned away from him, her mind already shifting gears. Elara's warning was still fresh in her thoughts. The video, her father's name, and the dark secret Elena had uncovered were all part of a bigger puzzle, and Cambria had to solve it before it was too late.
She moved quickly, her mind sharp with focus. She needed to get to the bottom of this, and she couldn't do it by standing still. Elena had made a mistake; she had underestimated Cambria. But it was a mistake she was going to regret.
"Cambria," Maddox's voice came from behind her, but she didn't turn. She couldn't afford to waste time. "If you're going after Elena alone, I'm coming with you."
His words froze her in her tracks. For a moment, she was silent, the tension in the air palpable. Could she let him in again? Could she trust him to have her back, or would he be the one to betray her again when it mattered most?
She spun around, her gaze locking with his, her voice low and unwavering.
"No," she said firmly. "You've already shown me how far you'll go to protect yourself, Maddox. I don't need you in my way. Stay out of this."
The coldness in her tone struck him like a physical blow, and for a brief moment, Maddox's expression faltered. But he quickly masked it, his jaw tightening as if he was swallowing his pride.
"Fine," he said quietly, the hurt evident in his voice. "But remember, Cambria, you don't have to do this alone. You don't have to fight this battle by yourself."
She didn't answer him. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room, the sound of her footsteps echoing through the quiet penthouse. She couldn't afford to look back, couldn't afford to be distracted. There was too much at stake. Too many lives on the line.
As Cambria stepped into the elevator, her phone buzzed again. The message was from Elara.
"Cambria, I don't know how much time we have. Elena's pulling the trigger on the video. It's going live. And she's revealing more than just the footage. We've uncovered something else. Your father's involvement. It's all in the video. It's out there. There's no turning back now."
The elevator doors slid shut, and Cambria's heart sank.
Everything she had worked for was about to come undone. And this time, there was no escaping the flames.