LOVE BUILT ON LIES

Chapter 12: The Return

The exact microsecond Lucy sat alone inside her dark room, hugging her knees tightly against her chest, she felt as if her entire universe had come to a complete end. She felt as though her pride had been thoroughly crushed underfoot. But the sudden, sharp ring of the doorbell pulled her frame out from the depths of her miserable thoughts. When she opened the wooden door, she encountered Max standing directly on her doorstep.

— Why did you give up so soon, Lucy? — Max asked firmly, stepping inside her space without hesitation. — You are a strong girl. Leaving the holding like this means you are simply accepting the guilt across your identity. You must clear your name. And... don't you dare forget your heavy debt, and the exact plan for your helpless mother.Remembering her massive debt and her frail mother, Lucy wiped her hot tears away with the back of her hand. Max was entirely right. She wasn't a corporate thief. Fueled by a sudden rush of internal determination, Lucy immediately returned straight to the Maddox holding and walked directly into Mike's private office. Mike stood up from his leather chair in absolute surprise the exact microsecond his eyes fell upon her presence.

— I didn't steal that fashion design! — Lucy shouted loudly, looking directly, fearlessly into Mike's piercing, intense eyes.

— I am not going anywhere across this city until I find out exactly who stole it from your room. And after I expose the real thief, I will leave this place entirely on my own free will!Mike's blind, chaotic anger from earlier hours had already begun to fade away from his features, rapidly replaced by a heavy, suffocating wave of deep regret. He was completely amazed by the sheer human courage radiating from Lucy's gaze.

— I'm sorry, — Mike delivered in a low, strained voice, refusing to look away from her face for a single second. — I fired your presence out of pure, unadulterated rage. But please, don't go away now... stay under this roof. I believe you.Lucy stared back at his chiseled features with a freezing, unyielding expression on her lips:

— I'm not staying here because your system wants me to, Mr. Maddox. I am only staying to locate the one who executed this disgusting thing to my identity. After that is done, I have absolutely no corporate business inside your company.Lucy spun swiftly on her heel, left the executive room, and ran straight toward the hallway elevator. Mike immediately followed her frame, lunging forward and stepping inside the space just as the heavy metal doors were about to slide completely shut. He firmly caught her by the arms, gently but resolutely stopping her from turning away from his presence:

— Please, do not go... Stay here. It is much better for your own safety to be inside this private office to clear your name. I... I simply cannot handle this entire mess without your presence. I am truly, deeply sorry...When Lucy saw the raw, painful sincerity and the desperate plea written all over Mike's intense eyes, her entire body went perfectly still under his grip. Even though her heart was still thoroughly shattered into pieces by his earlier cruel words, she understood she possessed no logical reason to walk away from the building now. Because the unique path to clearing her name led exactly through these very concrete walls.