chapter fourteen
886 Words
Eve
The world moved too fast after that.
One second, Xavier Moore and I were standing too close in the middle of an emotionally dangerous conversation.
The next—
Everything exploded.
“They found Amelia’s story.”
The words echoed through the executive floor like a bomb.
I watched Xavier carefully.
And for the first time since meeting him…
He looked shaken.
Not angry.
Not cold.
Shaken.
The change was small.
Most people would’ve missed it.
I didn’t.
His jaw tightened instantly before years of control slipped back into place.
“Who leaked it?” he asked sharply.
The security guard swallowed nervously. “We don’t know yet, sir.”
Of course not.
Because whoever was sabotaging Moore Industries clearly knew exactly where to hurt Xavier the most.
And suddenly I understood something terrifying:
This was no longer just corporate sabotage.
This was personal.
Very personal.
Xavier turned toward me immediately. “You’re leaving.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Now.”
“I’m not running away because reporters are being dramatic.”
“Eve.”
His tone changed.
Lower.
Dangerously controlled.
“I mean it.”
I crossed my arms stubbornly. “And I mean I’m not leaving.”
For one brief second, frustration flashed across his face.
Then unexpectedly—
Fear.
Real fear.
“You don’t understand what this will become,” he said quietly.
The honesty in his voice unsettled me instantly.
Before I could answer, the elevator doors opened loudly.
Chaos followed.
Voices. Cameras. Security shouting.
Somehow reporters had gotten past the lobby.
“Mr. Moore!”
“Is it true your former assistant died because of overwork?”
“Were company records hidden from the public?”
“Who is Eve Adams?”
“Are you involved with your employee?”
My stomach dropped.
Everything suddenly became loud.
Aggressive.
Overwhelming.
Camera flashes exploded across the floor while security rushed forward.
And right in the middle of it—
Someone shoved directly toward me.
Xavier moved instantly.
One second he stood across from me.
The next, he was in front of me completely.
Protecting me.
Shielding me from cameras with his body.
The movement happened so naturally it almost stole my breath.
“Back away,” he said coldly.
That voice.
That terrifying calm voice.
The reporters hesitated immediately.
But not enough.
“Miss Adams!” one woman shouted. “Did your relationship begin before or after the engagement problems?”
“What?” I whispered in disbelief.
Another camera flash hit my eyes painfully.
Then suddenly—
A hand wrapped carefully around my wrist.
Xavier.
“Come with me.”
Not a request.
He pulled me quickly through the executive floor while security blocked reporters behind us.
My heartbeat was completely unstable by the time we reached his private office.
The doors slammed shut.
Silence exploded instantly afterward.
Heavy breathing.
Tension.
Shock.
I stared at him. “How did they even get upstairs?”
“Someone let them in.”
The answer came immediately.
Certain.
Which meant the leak inside Moore Industries had become much worse than we realized.
I looked toward the office windows anxiously. “This is bad.”
“Yes.”
“You think whoever leaked Amelia’s story is targeting you personally.”
Xavier went silent.
Wrong silence.
The dangerous kind.
Then slowly—
“No.”
Cold dread crawled down my spine.
“What do you mean no?”
His gray eyes met mine carefully.
“They’re targeting you.”
Everything inside me froze.
“What?”
“The rumors about us started first,” he said quietly. “Then the leaks. Then Amelia’s story.”
I shook my head immediately. “That makes no sense.”
“It does if someone wants you removed from this company.”
The realization hit hard.
Suddenly every strange incident felt connected.
The altered contracts.
The leaks.
The reporters.
Mira’s sudden confrontation.
My chest tightened painfully.
“Why would anyone care that much about me?”
Xavier stepped closer slowly.
And somehow that felt more dangerous than the reporters downstairs.
“Because,” he said quietly, “you matter to me.”
The words shattered something inside my chest.
Completely.
I stared at him silently while my heartbeat spiraled out of control.
“You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re engaged.”
The reminder darkened his expression instantly.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Then suddenly—
Another voice interrupted.
“Actually,” Mira said calmly from the doorway, “I think we have bigger problems.”
I turned sharply.
I hadn’t even heard the door open.
Mira stood there holding a tablet, her face unusually serious.
And somehow…
That terrified me more than her jealousy ever had.
“What happened now?” Xavier asked coldly.
Mira looked directly at him.
Then at me.
Then finally said the one thing none of us expected.
“The reporters found Amelia’s sister.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Xavier went completely still.
I looked between them carefully. “Why is that important?”
Mira’s expression tightened slightly.
“Because,” she said softly, “Amelia’s sister works here.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
Then Mira looked directly at me.
And suddenly—
Everything inside me turned cold.
“She’s Clara from accounting.”
- Writer
