WHEN HEART COLLIDE

Chapter 18

When Hearts Collide

Chapter 18 – The Sabotage

Two days after the media frenzy, life at Cole Developments slowly began returning to normal.

Although reporters still waited outside the building, Ethan refused to let the gossip distract the team.

"The project comes first," he reminded everyone during the morning briefing.

His confidence reassured the employees, and work on Riverside Heights continued at full speed.

Sophia was reviewing the latest structural reports when Ryan rushed into the design department.

"Sophia, Ethan needs you at the construction site. Now."

She immediately grabbed her hard hat.

"What happened?"

"We're not sure yet."

When they arrived, emergency vehicles surrounded part of the site.

Workers stood in small groups, whispering anxiously.

Ethan was already speaking with the site manager.

The moment he saw Sophia, he walked over.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'm fine."

"What happened?"

The site manager answered.

"One of the temporary support beams collapsed early this morning."

"Were there any injuries?" Sophia asked.

"Fortunately, no. It happened before most of the workers arrived."

She let out a relieved breath.

Ethan looked toward the damaged area.

"This wasn't an accident."

Sophia frowned.

"What do you mean?"

He pointed toward the broken support system.

"The safety bolts were deliberately loosened."

Her eyes widened.

"Someone sabotaged the site?"

"It appears so."

The police closed off the damaged section while investigators examined the evidence.

One officer approached Ethan.

"Mr. Cole, we've found signs that someone entered the site late last night using an employee access card."

"Can you identify which one?"

"We're checking the security records."

Sophia exchanged a worried glance with Ethan.

If someone inside the company was responsible, the consequences could be devastating.

Later that afternoon, Ethan gathered the senior staff in the conference room.

"No one leaves until we've reviewed every security log."

The IT department projected the access records onto a large screen.

Ryan studied the report.

"Someone entered at 11:47 p.m."

"Who?" Ethan asked.

The technician hesitated.

"The access card belongs to..."

Everyone leaned forward.

"...Ms. Sophia Daniels."

The room fell silent.

Sophia stared at the screen in disbelief.

"That's impossible."

A director folded his arms.

"The system doesn't lie."

Sophia shook her head.

"My card was in my bag all night."

Ethan looked at the technician.

"Can access cards be cloned?"

"Yes... but it's rare."

Ethan turned back to the room.

"Then that's our answer."

One director objected.

"Or she's lying."

Ethan's voice became firm.

"Enough."

He looked directly at Sophia.

"I believe you."

She felt tears sting her eyes.

"Thank you."

After the meeting, Ethan found Sophia sitting alone in the quiet design studio.

She stared at the floor.

"What if everyone thinks I did it?"

He sat beside her.

"I don't."

"But the evidence—"

"Someone wants us to doubt each other."

She looked at him.

"And we won't."

Sophia nodded slowly.

"I won't let them win."

Ethan gently placed a reassuring hand over hers.

"We'll find the truth together."

Across town, Vanessa Blake entered a luxurious apartment.

A man in a dark suit handed her a laptop.

"The access card clone worked perfectly."

Vanessa smiled with satisfaction.

"And the blame?"

"Exactly where you wanted it."

She closed the laptop.

"Good."

The man hesitated.

"What if Ethan discovers the truth?"

Vanessa's smile faded into something colder.

"He won't."

She walked to the window overlooking the city.

"By the time he figures it out..."

"...Sophia will already be out of his life."

Far away, Sophia looked out from the office window at the London skyline.

She had finally found someone who believed in her without question.

Now someone was trying to destroy everything they had built.

Neither she nor Ethan realized that the sabotage was only the first move in a far more dangerous plan.

End of Chapter 18