The weight of the situation hit Cambria like a ton of bricks. Elena had played her hand. No, Elena had been playing a game, one where Cambria had been the unsuspecting pawn all along. The message from Elara had only confirmed what she'd feared: Elena's video, her connection to Cambria's father, and the undeniable facts that would tear apart everything Cambria had fought for.
Her father's legacy, once a pillar of strength in Cambria's life, was about to be exposed in the most humiliating way possible. Elena had found a hidden truth, one that Cambria's father had worked his entire life to suppress. A deal with Elena's family that tied them together in ways Cambria never imagined.
Cambria clenched her phone tightly, staring at the glowing screen with a mix of anger and disbelief. Her father's secrets had always been protected, buried beneath layers of legal jargon, financial deals, and a network of people who had kept things quiet. But not anymore. Elena had found it all, every last detail. And now, she was going to use it to destroy Cambria's name, her business, and her future.
The elevator doors opened, and Cambria stepped into the grand hallway of her penthouse. The city lights shimmered beneath her, casting a soft glow over the room, but inside, her heart felt like ice. She wasn't just fighting for her empire anymore. She was fighting for the very thing that had made her who she was: her family's legacy.
As she moved toward the office, her mind whirred. She couldn't let this happen. She couldn't let Elena get away with using her father's mistakes against her. But time was running out. The video was already being prepared for release. Cambria could almost hear the ticking of the clock in her head, each second bringing her closer to the edge of destruction.
Her phone buzzed again. She didn't need to look at it to know who it was. Elara's name flashed on the screen.
"Cambria, we don't have much time. The video's going live soon. We're trying to figure out how to stop it, but there's something bigger at play here. Elena's not just after your empire, she's after something more. You need to see the files. The ones I've been sending you. Your father's connection to her… It's worse than we thought."
Cambria's blood ran cold. Worse than they thought? She had no idea what could be worse than this, her father's secret past now laid bare for the entire world to see.
She quickly typed back:
"What do you mean by worse? What have you found?"
"I'll explain when you get here," Elara's message read, but there was no reassurance in her words. Cambria knew Elara's words were meant to make her move faster, but a pit had already formed in her stomach. The deeper she looked into this, the more it felt like the walls were closing in on her.
The door to her office opened, and Maddox appeared. He had been standing in the hallway, waiting for her, no doubt trying to figure out how to repair the damage between them. But Cambria couldn't think about that now. Not when everything was unraveling. Her father's name. Elena lies. The video that would soon be unleashed.
"Maddox," she said, her voice cold as she glanced over her shoulder. "You shouldn't be here."
Maddox flinched at the sharpness of her tone. "I want to help," he said, his voice sincere, but his face tense with worry. "Cambria, please, let me help you. You don't have to do this alone."
Cambria's hands tightened on the papers in front of her, but she didn't let her emotions show. This wasn't about her and Maddox anymore. This was about survival.
"I don't need your help, Maddox," she said quietly, her words clipped. "I can handle this on my own. You've already proven that you're not the ally I need."
Her voice cracked, just slightly, but it was enough for Maddox to notice. He stepped closer, as if trying to close the distance between them, but she held up a hand, stopping him.
"You've already hurt me more than you realize," Cambria continued, her voice breaking just enough for the weight of her emotions to show. "You've lied to me. You've kept secrets from me. And now… I'm not sure who I can trust."
Maddox's face softened, but he didn't move any closer. "I never wanted to hurt you," he said, his voice laced with guilt. "I've made mistakes, but I'm trying to fix them. Cambria, please, let me help you. I can't stand to see you fight this alone."
She turned away, her breath shallow. "You can't help me, Maddox. This isn't about us anymore. It's about everything I've worked for and everything that Elena is trying to take from me."
Just as Maddox opened his mouth to speak again, the sound of her phone vibrating against the desk interrupted them both.
It was a new message from Elara.
"Cambria, we've discovered something else. Elena's video, there's more. The files… they reveal a connection between your father and Elena's father that no one knew about. You need to get here now. You need to see it for yourself."
Her heart sank. A connection between her father and Elena's father? What could that mean? And why hadn't she seen it before?
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed again.
"Cambria, the video is about to go public. I don't know how much time we have. You have to make a decision. Now."
Cambria stood frozen, the weight of the world on her shoulders. The truth was finally coming to light, and there was no turning back.