The air outside was thick with the weight of impending change, a storm on the horizon Cambria couldn't ignore. Every step she took toward the office felt heavier, as though the very ground beneath her was shifting with each passing moment. She hadn't slept, hadn't eaten, hadn't allowed herself a moment's rest. The video had changed everything. The public now saw her father for what he was, saw Maddox for what he was a traitor, an enemy cloaked in the guise of an ally.
But worse than all of that, they now saw her. The woman who had built everything from the ground up, only to discover that the very foundation she had trusted was built on lies. On betrayal.
She arrived at the office, greeted by the familiar hum of activity, but today it felt foreign. She passed by employees who whispered behind closed doors, their hushed voices carrying the weight of the scandal. Cambria's mind was already racing, though. She didn't have time to entertain their judgment. Not when the biggest challenge of her life was about to unfold.
As soon as she stepped into Elara's office, her eyes were drawn to the glowing screen. Elara had already been working, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife. Her face was a reflection of Cambria's own thoughts determined, yet burdened by the overwhelming truth they were now facing.
"Elara," Cambria said, her voice colder than she intended. "What's the latest?"
Elara didn't hesitate, moving to the screen to show Cambria the updated news feed. "The video's out. It's gone viral. Social media, news outlets, blogs it's everywhere. And we're only just getting started. People are already questioning your father's entire career, and Maddox… well, he's not helping himself with the public."
The footage of Maddox in the video, standing alongside Elena's father, had spread like wildfire. The damage was already done. The public had drawn their conclusions. And while Cambria had spent hours trying to focus on the business side of things, something inside her kept pulling her back to the betrayal the man she had once loved, who had made her believe he was on her side, had been playing her from the start.
"I can't fix this," Cambria muttered, her hand gripping the back of a chair. "This is beyond me, Elara. We're at the mercy of Elena now."
"You're wrong," Elara replied firmly. "This isn't over yet. The video is only one part of this. We can still fight. But we need to act fast."
Elara paused, bringing up a new set of documents on her computer. Cambria leaned in, her eyes scanning over the files as Elara explained. "We've found something. A few things, actually. The contracts your father signed with Elena's father there's a loophole in them, one that could undo a lot of this mess. But it's going to take time, and we need to be strategic. The moment we act, we have to move quickly."
Cambria's eyes narrowed, focusing on the documents Elara was pointing out. Loopholes. The one thing her father would've never left behind he was meticulous. But it was there, hidden beneath layers of legal language, a way out.
"We can use this?" Cambria asked, her voice sharper now.
"Only if we can keep it hidden long enough," Elara answered. "Elena's going to be relentless. She's going to keep digging until there's nothing left. She wants to destroy everything your reputation, your company, your family's name. And we have to be prepared for whatever she throws at us next."
A chill ran down Cambria's spine. It wasn't just the business she was fighting for anymore. It was her very identity. Elena had tried to destroy her father, and now she was after Cambria herself. The betrayal ran deep, but Cambria wasn't the type to back down. Not when there was still a chance to fight.
"I'm not giving up," Cambria said, the cold fury in her words stronger than ever. "We're not letting her win. I will fight for everything I've built. My father may have made mistakes, but I am not him."
Elara gave her a knowing look, a glimmer of hope sparking in her eyes. "We can do this. We just need to outsmart her."
The sound of the door opening broke the tension between them. Both women turned, but Cambria's heart stopped when she saw who had entered.
Maddox.
He stood in the doorway, his face as cold and distant as she had ever seen it. His eyes flicked between her and Elara, but he didn't speak at first. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.
Cambria crossed her arms, her body tense. "What do you want, Maddox?" Her voice was low, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. She had been preparing for this moment, the moment when he would try to explain himself when he would try to make her understand.
He stepped into the room, his eyes searching hers. "Cambria, I didn't know how to fix this. I still don't. But I need you to understand something. The things Elena said… they're true. I was involved. I've been involved for years."
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Her entire body went rigid as the reality of what he was saying settled in.
"So you were playing me all along," she said, her voice trembling, but she held her ground. "You've been lying to me, Maddox. Everything you told me it was a lie."
"No," he said quickly, stepping closer. "It wasn't like that. I didn't want to hurt you, Cambria. I wanted to protect you. I thought that if I stayed close to Elena, I could protect you from the fallout. I thought I could fix it."
Cambria felt her chest tighten with an unbearable mix of anger and sorrow. "By working with her? By letting her destroy everything I've worked for?"
"I never wanted this to happen," Maddox said, his voice low, strained with regret. "But the deeper I got into this, the harder it became to get out. I should've come to you sooner. I should've told you the truth."
Cambria's eyes burned with unshed tears, but she refused to let him see her weakness. "It's too late for apologies, Maddox. The truth is already out. The video's live. People are already turning on me."
"I can fix this," he said, his voice cracking with desperation. "I'll help you, Cambria. I swear, I will. You don't have to do this alone."
For a moment, Cambria stood there, staring at him, the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her. Could she trust him again? Could she really risk everything on a man who had betrayed her so thoroughly?
But there was no time to decide. The game had already started. Elena was playing for keeps, and Cambria couldn't afford to waste another second questioning her choices.
"I don't need you, Maddox," she said, her voice biting with finality. "I don't need your help. This is my fight now."
Maddox's face crumpled, the guilt and regret in his eyes clear, but Cambria couldn't bring herself to care. She had to focus. She had to protect what was left.
But just as she turned away, Elara's phone buzzed. The message that appeared on the screen made her stop dead in her tracks.
"Cambria, Elena's making her next move. She's got someone working for her inside your company. She's been feeding information about your every move. And now she's about to strike."
Cambria's heart raced. "Who?" she whispered.
Elara shook her head. "I don't know yet, but we need to find out before it's too late. She's one step ahead of us."
Cambria's breath caught in her throat. The walls were closing in, and now the very people she had trusted most were the ones who were tearing her apart.
The game wasn't over. It was just beginning.
The phone buzzed again, and this time, the screen flashed with an ominous message from an unknown number:
"I know everything. And I'm going to destroy you, Cambria."
A shiver ran down her spine.
Who was it? And what did they know?
The game had truly just begun.