CHAPTER 6:THE REVEAL.
789 Words
The wind whipped off the water, cold and sharp.
"Hello [Name]," the figure said again. "I've been waiting for you."
They pulled down their hood.
My blood froze.
"Rebecca?" I whispered.
Rebecca Cole. Adrian's sister. The VP of the company. The woman who smiled at me in meetings and called me "sweetie" behind my back.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
Rebecca smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "Saving you, of course."
"Saving me from what?"
"From him," she said. "From Adrian."
I took a step back. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" Rebecca pulled out her phone. "I've been watching you for 6 months. Watching him. Watching how he ruined your life and then came crawling back."
"Why?" I asked. "Why do you care?"
"Because he's weak," Rebecca said. "And weak men ruin companies. Father put me in charge of protecting this family. And that means protecting it from Adrian's mistakes."
The pieces started clicking together. The texts. The fake email. The watch.
"You did it," I said. "You sent the texts. You made the fake evidence."
Rebecca didn't even flinch. "I did. Someone had to. Adrian was going to destroy himself. And you were collateral damage."
"Collateral damage?" My voice rose. "You ruined my life!"
"I gave you a job," Rebecca said coldly. "And I gave you a way out. Sue him. Take the money. Disappear. That's what I wanted for you."
"And the pier?" I asked. "The 'or Adrian dies' text?"
Rebecca sighed like I was a child. "Drama gets attention. And attention gets him to come here. Where I can finally talk to him alone."
As if on cue, footsteps echoed on the wooden pier.
Adrian.
He was running. No jacket. Hair wet from rain.
"[Name]!" he shouted. "Are you okay?"
Rebecca turned to him. "Brother."
Adrian stopped when he saw her. His face went hard. "What did you do?"
"Me?" Rebecca laughed. "What did YOU do, Adrian? You approved the Meridian deal. You blamed an innocent girl. You lied to the board."
"I was going to fix it," Adrian said. "I was going to—"
"You were going to do nothing," Rebecca cut him off. "Like you always do. Hide behind lawyers and money."
Adrian looked at me. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"
"I'm fine," I said. "But I have questions."
Rebecca stepped between us. "You don't get to talk to her anymore. You're done, Adrian. Father is calling an emergency board meeting tonight. You're being removed as CEO."
Adrian went pale. "You can't—"
"I already did," Rebecca said. "The board has the emails. The ones I 'found'. The ones that prove you set up [Name]."
I looked at Adrian. "Is that true?"
Adrian's eyes met mine. "No. I mean yes, I made the fake files. But I never sent them. I never—"
"But you thought about it," Rebecca said. "And that's enough."
The rain started again.
Adrian took a step toward me. "Please. Let me explain."
"There's nothing to explain," I said quietly. "You both used me."
"No," Adrian said. "I messed up. But I never wanted to hurt you. Not like this."
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Pathetic. Come on, [Name]. I'll drive you home. We'll get your statement ready for the press."
I looked between them. Brother and sister. Both liars. Both powerful. Both thinking they knew what was best for me.
And then I realized something.
I didn't need either of them.
"No," I said.
Both of them turned to me.
"No," I repeated. Louder. "I'm not suing. And I'm not making a statement. And I'm not going anywhere with either of you."
Rebecca frowned. "Excuse me?"
"I quit," I said. "I quit being the victim. I quit being your pawn. I quit being Adrian's guilty conscience."
I pulled out my phone. Dialed a number.
"Hello? Mr. Bennett? It's [Name]. I changed my mind. I don't want to sue. I want to start my own company. And I want Adrian Cole as my first investor."
The silence was deafening.
Adrian stared at me. "What?"
"You said you wanted to fix things," I said to him. "Here's your chance. Money. No strings. But you work for me now."
Rebecca started laughing. "You're insane."
"Maybe," I said. "But I'm done letting you two decide my life."
I turned and walked away from both of them.
Behind me, I heard Adrian's footsteps.
"Wait," he said.
I didn't turn around.
"[Name], please," he said. "Let me come with you."
I stopped. Didn't turn.
"One condition," I said. "You tell me the truth. All of it. Starting now."
There was a pause.
"Okay," Adrian said quietly.
I started walking again.
And this time, he followed.
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