Cambria stood motionless for what felt like an eternity, the weight of Elara's words sinking in like an anchor in her chest. Maddox. The very person she had trusted with her deepest secrets, the one who had been by her side in every battle, was now the center of the storm. Her mind raced, each thought spiraling faster than the last.
Could it really be him? Could he have been the one feeding Elena all the information about her? The thought of it made her feel sick, as if the ground beneath her was giving way.
Elara's message kept flashing in her mind: "Someone close to you." Someone from her inner circle. Maddox had been her closest ally. She had trusted him with everything. Everything. But now, she was left with nothing but doubts and questions.
"Maddox," she whispered to herself. "Please tell me I'm wrong."
But deep down, she knew she couldn't ignore what Elara had uncovered. The pieces were falling into place. The late night meetings, the secretive phone calls, the way Maddox always seemed to know just what was going on before anyone else. She had always thought it was his way of being protective, of being helpful. But what if it wasn't that simple?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Cambria's heart skipped. She knew who it was without having to check. There was only one person who would dare walk in after everything that had happened.
"Maddox," she said, her voice cold, the name leaving her lips with a sharpness she hadn't expected. She didn't turn to face him. She couldn't. The weight of his betrayal felt too heavy.
"Maddox," she repeated, forcing herself to look at him. "Do you have any idea what's happening? Do you have any idea how much you've destroyed?"
He stepped into the room, his expression unreadable, but Cambria could see the tension in his posture. His eyes, usually warm and reassuring, were now filled with a mixture of guilt and something else something she couldn't quite place.
"I didn't mean for this to happen," he said quietly, his voice low, almost pleading. "Cambria, please just let me explain."
"Explain?" she asked, her voice cutting through the air. "Explain what, Maddox? Explain why you've been lying to me this whole time? Why you've been working with Elena, feeding her information about everything we've been doing? Tell me why I should even listen to you right now."
Maddox's face faltered, and he took a hesitant step toward her, his hands outstretched as if trying to reach her. "Cambria, I swear to you, I didn't know how deep Elena's involvement went. I didn't know she was using me to manipulate you. I didn't want any of this."
"Didn't want it?" Cambria repeated, her heart pounding. "Then why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you come to me when you first realized what was happening?"
"I didn't want to hurt you," Maddox said, his voice cracking. "I didn't want to lose you, Cambria. I thought I could fix this without you getting involved. But I was wrong. I see that now. And I'm so sorry."
Cambria shook her head, stepping back from him. "Sorry? Is that what you think I need right now? An apology?"
"Maddox…" Her voice softened, but the hurt was still evident in every word. "I've trusted you with everything. And you've been lying to me this whole time. You're telling me now that you didn't know how deep this went? That you didn't know Elena was planning to destroy everything I've built?"
"I never wanted any of this to happen, Cambria," he insisted, his voice trembling now. "I wanted to protect you. I wanted to make sure you were safe. But I got in too deep, and I didn't know how to get out."
Cambria felt a sharp pang in her chest. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust him. But the betrayal was too much. The image of him shaking hands with Elena's father, his expression so cold, so calculating, was burned into her mind.
"Protect me?" she said bitterly. "By helping Elena tear my life apart? By keeping secrets from me?"
Maddox took another step forward, his eyes pleading with her, but Cambria held up her hand to stop him. "No, Maddox. You don't get to play the hero now. You don't get to pretend like you didn't have a choice in this. You made a choice to stay silent. You made a choice to feed into this."
He reached for her hand, but Cambria jerked it away. "Don't touch me."
The words stung like ice. Maddox's expression faltered, his vulnerability slipping through the cracks of his carefully constructed facade. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Cambria held up a hand.
"I don't want to hear it," she said, her voice steady despite the storm swirling inside her. "I've had enough. I need answers, Maddox. I need to know who else is involved. I need to know how deep this goes."
He nodded slowly, guilt written all over his face. "I'll tell you everything. I'll explain everything. Just… please, don't turn away from me, Cambria. Please."
Cambria closed her eyes, the weight of his words almost too much to bear. She had always thought he was the one person who would never betray her. But now, everything had changed. The trust they had built was shattered beyond repair.
But there was no time to dwell on that now. The game was far from over.
"I need to get to the bottom of this," Cambria said, her voice flat, devoid of emotion. "And I don't have time to waste on your explanations."
Just as Maddox opened his mouth to protest, Cambria's phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn't Elara. It was a new message from an unknown number.
"Cambria, we've intercepted a message. It's Elena. She's making her final move. The video is going live in the next hour. We need to act fast."
Her blood ran cold as she read the message, her heartbeat thudding in her ears.
The final move? Elena was about to reveal everything.
She couldn't wait any longer.
"Get out," she said, her voice firm as she turned to walk toward the door.
Maddox's voice trailed behind her, but she didn't look back.
"I'm not done with you yet, Maddox," she muttered. "But right now, I need to save everything."
As the door slammed shut behind her, Cambria's thoughts were consumed with one question.
Would she be able to save everything before it all came crashing down?