Chapter Ten
984 Words
The moment Marcus Reed stepped into her office, Raven closed the door behind him.
The soft click of the lock echoed through the room.
For a second, they simply stared at each other.
Marcus had rushed over the moment he saw the news. He had expected anger. Frustration. Panic.
He hadn't expected this.
The carefully crafted mask Raven had worn all day finally shattered.
Her shoulders trembled.
Her breathing became uneven.
Then, without a word, she crossed the distance between them and collapsed into his arms.
A broken sob escaped her lips.
Marcus caught her instantly.
One arm wrapped around her shoulders while the other held the back of her head protectively.
For five years, he had watched her rebuild herself from the ashes.
He had seen her survive unimaginable pain.
He had watched her become Eva Laurent—the brilliant, untouchable CEO who commanded boardrooms and built empires.
But in this moment, she wasn't Eva Laurent.
She wasn't even the determined woman who had returned to uncover the truth.
She was simply Raven.
The girl who had lost everything.
"I can't do this anymore," she whispered against his chest.
Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
Hearing the defeat in her voice hurt more than he expected.
"Yes, you can."
She shook her head.
"No."
Another sob escaped before she could stop it.
"Everything is falling apart."
Marcus didn't interrupt.
He let her speak.
Because he knew she had spent the entire day holding herself together.
"The board knows something is wrong."
Her voice cracked.
"The media is tearing apart my life."
She pulled back just enough to look at him, tears streaming down her face.
"Five years, Marcus."
The pain in her eyes was almost unbearable.
"Five years of hiding."
A shaky breath.
"Five years of building Laurent Dynamics."
Another tear rolled down her cheek.
"Five years of becoming someone else."
Her gaze dropped to the floor.
"And now it's all disappearing."
Marcus gently wiped away a tear with his thumb.
"No."
She looked at him.
"No?"
"Your name didn't build Laurent Dynamics."
His voice was calm but firm.
"You did."
Raven's eyes filled again.
"You survived when everyone thought you were dead."
He held her gaze.
"You started over with nothing."
His expression softened.
"You built an empire from the ground up."
A small pause.
"Eva Laurent may be the name the world knows."
His hand squeezed hers gently.
"But everything that made Eva successful has always belonged to Raven Vale."
She wanted to believe him.
God, she wanted to.
But fear was louder.
What if the investors pulled out?
What if the board turned against her?
What if everything she'd built crumbled because of a past she couldn't escape?
Marcus seemed to read every thought crossing her face.
"We can leave."
She frowned.
"What?"
"We can leave tonight."
Her eyes widened.
"Marcus—"
"Listen to me."
His voice was serious now.
"Things are moving too fast."
He glanced toward the windows overlooking the city below.
"Someone is exposing you piece by piece."
His jaw tightened.
"They know where you are."
"They know who you are."
"And if they're doing this publicly, it means they aren't afraid anymore."
A chill ran down Raven's spine.
Marcus turned back to her.
"We leave the country for a while."
His tone left little room for argument.
"Just until things calm down."
Raven pulled away from him.
"No."
Marcus blinked.
"No?"
She shook her head.
"If I disappear now, it makes everything look true."
His expression hardened.
"Raven—"
"They'll think I'm running because I have something to hide."
"You do have something to hide."
The words hung heavily between them.
Raven crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
"I've spent five years proving that Eva Laurent belongs here."
She looked him directly in the eyes.
"If I leave now, everything I've built falls apart."
Marcus ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Your company won't matter if you're dead."
Silence filled the room.
The fear in his voice caught her off guard.
Marcus rarely showed emotion.
He rarely admitted when he was afraid.
But he was afraid now.
Terrified.
Not for himself.
For her.
Raven softened slightly.
"You think I'm in danger."
His silence was answer enough.
She looked away.
Part of her wanted to listen.
To leave.
To disappear before things got worse.
But another part—the stronger part—refused.
She had spent five years hiding.
Five years looking over her shoulder.
Five years waiting for the right moment to uncover the truth.
She wasn't walking away now.
Not when she was finally getting closer.
No matter how terrifying it was.
"I won't run again."
Marcus stared at her for a long moment.
He knew that look.
The stubborn determination in her eyes.
Once Raven made up her mind, changing it was impossible.
Finally, he sighed.
"Then we do this your way."
A pause.
"But you're not staying alone."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Marcus—"
"Not negotiable."
For the first time that day, the corner of her lips lifted slightly.
A tired, sad smile.
"You always were impossible."
"And you always ignored good advice."
Before she could respond, a knock sounded at the door.
Both of them turned.
Her assistant stepped inside cautiously.
Her face had gone pale.
Immediately, Marcus's posture changed.
Alert.
Protective.
"What is it?" Raven asked.
The assistant swallowed nervously.
"Ms. Laurent..."
She held up a tablet.
"You need to see this."
Raven took it.
Her eyes moved across the screen.
And the little color left in her face disappeared.
Because a new headline had just gone live.
LAURENT DYNAMICS CEO EVA LAURENT MISSING FROM PUBLIC VIEW AFTER IDENTITY ALLEGATIONS.
Below it were photographs taken less than an hour ago.
Photographs of her entering her office.
Photographs of Marcus arriving.
Someone was watching the building.
And they were close enough to know exactly who was inside.
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