Chapter 14: The Setup
903 Words
Emma was happy.
Truly happy.
The kind of happy that made ordinary days feel brighter.
The kind that made long shifts at the hospital feel shorter.
The kind that made her smile whenever her phone buzzed.
And that was exactly why she never saw the trouble coming.
Three days after their dinner in the city, Emma was finishing a shift when her phone vibrated.
A message from Alexander.
Board meeting from hell. Save me.
Emma laughed.
You survived the last one.
Barely.
You're dramatic.
I've accepted that about myself.
She smiled and slipped her phone into her pocket.
A moment later another notification appeared.
This time it wasn't from Alexander.
It was a photograph.
Anonymous sender.
Emma frowned.
Then opened it.
Her stomach dropped.
The image showed Alexander entering a luxury hotel.
Victoria Sinclair was beside him.
Her hand rested on his arm.
They looked close.
Very close.
Emma stared at the image.
A second message arrived.
Looks like some people move on quickly.
Her chest tightened.
No.
This couldn't be right.
Could it?
She immediately hated herself for even asking the question.
Alexander had never given her a reason to doubt him.
Not once.
Yet the image sat there.
Impossible to ignore.
Meanwhile, Alexander was having a terrible day.
The board meeting had stretched far longer than expected.
Investors were demanding answers.
Executives were arguing.
His father was frustrated.
By the time he finally escaped, he was exhausted.
The last thing he wanted was another surprise.
Unfortunately, that was exactly what awaited him.
Victoria stood outside his office.
Alexander immediately frowned.
"What are you doing here?"
She smiled.
"We need to talk."
"We really don't."
Victoria ignored the comment.
"I just had lunch with your mother."
Alexander sighed.
Of course she did.
"Victoria."
"What?"
"This has to stop."
For the first time, her smile faded.
"What does?"
"You know exactly what."
The silence that followed was uncomfortable.
Finally, Alexander spoke again.
"Emma and I are together."
The words felt good to say.
Simple.
Honest.
True.
Victoria looked away.
For the first time, Alexander almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Then she smiled again.
A strange smile.
One he didn't like.
"Good luck with that."
Before he could respond, she walked away.
Back in Willow Creek, Emma sat on her porch staring at the photograph.
Part of her wanted to call Alexander immediately.
Another part wanted to ignore it completely.
A third part hated how much it bothered her.
Her phone rang.
Alexander.
Of course.
Emma answered.
"Hey."
Alexander immediately noticed something.
"You okay?"
She closed her eyes.
There it was again.
The way he always knew.
"I'm fine."
"That's a lie."
She smiled despite herself.
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Know."
His voice softened.
"Because I know you."
The simple answer made her chest ache.
For a moment, she almost forgot about the photograph.
Almost.
Then she looked at it again.
"Alexander?"
"Yeah?"
She hesitated.
Then decided.
Trust mattered.
If they couldn't talk honestly now, they never would.
"I got sent a picture."
The line went quiet.
"What picture?"
Emma took a breath.
"You and Victoria."
A pause.
Then another.
Finally:
"Oh."
Not the reaction she expected.
Not defensive.
Not angry.
Just understanding.
Alexander immediately knew what had happened.
And suddenly Victoria's strange smile made perfect sense.
"Emma."
His voice was calm.
"Can you send it to me?"
She did.
A few seconds passed.
Then he laughed.
Actually laughed.
Emma blinked.
"What's funny?"
"That picture."
"Alexander."
"I'm serious."
His amusement remained obvious.
"That photo was taken outside a hotel where my company held a meeting."
Emma stared.
"What?"
"There were about forty people there."
Silence.
Then:
"Oh."
Alexander smiled.
"I walked outside."
"And?"
"Victoria happened to be standing nearby."
Emma looked at the image again.
Now it seemed different.
Smaller somehow.
Less threatening.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Emma immediately felt ridiculous.
Alexander seemed to sense it.
"Hey."
"What?"
"You asked."
She listened.
"You didn't assume."
A smile appeared.
"You trusted me enough to talk about it."
Emma's chest warmed.
Because he was right.
She had.
And maybe that mattered more than the photograph itself.
Several hundred miles away, Victoria sat staring at her phone.
Waiting.
Expecting.
Hoping.
Nothing happened.
No breakup.
No public argument.
No dramatic fallout.
Instead, she received news that made her blood run cold.
Alexander had driven to Willow Creek that evening.
To see Emma.
Victoria closed her eyes.
Because for the first time, she realized something.
This wasn't a casual relationship.
This wasn't temporary.
This wasn't going away.
Alexander loved Emma.
And judging by everything she'd seen...
Emma loved him too.
That night, Alexander sat beside Emma on her porch.
The stars stretched above them.
Neither spoke for a while.
They simply enjoyed being together.
Finally, Emma looked at him.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"The picture."
Alexander smiled.
"Don't be."
She frowned.
"Why not?"
He gently took her hand.
Because now it felt natural.
Easy.
Right.
"Because relationships aren't about never having doubts."
Emma listened.
"They're about talking through them."
Her heart melted a little.
Maybe a lot.
She squeezed his hand.
"I like that answer."
Alexander grinned.
"I practiced it."
Emma laughed.
And just like that, the tension disappeared.
The trust between them felt stronger than ever.
Unfortunately, life wasn't finished testing them.
Because while Victoria's plan had failed...
A much bigger secret was about to surface.
One that neither Emma nor Alexander saw coming.
- Writer
