The fallout
837 Words
The internet exploded within minutes of the press conference.
By evening, Ethan Sinclair was trending across every major business and entertainment platform.
So was Naomi Blake.
Unfortunately.
Naomi sat frozen on Ethan’s penthouse couch while her phone buzzed nonstop beside her like a tiny machine designed specifically to ruin mental stability.
Headlines flashed endlessly across the screen.
Billionaire CEO Confirms Relationship With Employee
Sinclair Group Corruption Scandal Exposed
Ethan Sinclair Risks Empire for Love
Naomi dropped the phone dramatically onto the couch.
“I need a new identity.”
From across the room, Ethan looked suspiciously amused while pouring two glasses of water.
“That seems excessive.”
“People are making edits of us online.”
Ethan paused briefly. “What does that mean?”
Naomi stared at him. “You’re thirty-one years old trapped inside the body of a stressed businessman.”
“I don’t understand the sentence.”
To Naomi’s horror, she laughed.
Actually laughed.
After one of the most emotionally catastrophic days of her life.
Maybe stress had finally damaged her brain permanently.
Ethan walked toward her afterward, handing her a glass gently before sitting beside her.
For the first time all day, silence settled around them peacefully.
No reporters.
No cameras.
No board members threatening corporate destruction.
Just quiet.
Naomi exhaled slowly. “I still can’t believe you said that in front of the entire world.”
Ethan looked calm. “They asked a question.”
“You could’ve avoided answering.”
“I didn’t want to.”
The directness in his voice made her chest tighten again.
God.
This man really had no idea how devastating honesty could be sometimes.
Naomi studied him carefully for a moment.
“You meant it.”
Ethan’s expression softened slightly.
“Yes.”
The quiet certainty in his answer nearly overwhelmed her emotionally.
Because despite all the tension and attraction between them before…
Neither of them had actually said the word love aloud yet.
Until now.
And suddenly everything felt terrifyingly real.
Before Naomi could respond, Ethan’s phone rang sharply across the room.
The peaceful atmosphere disappeared instantly.
Ethan glanced at the screen.
His expression darkened immediately.
Naomi frowned. “What happened?”
Instead of answering, Ethan stood slowly.
“That was security.”
Something cold settled into Naomi’s stomach.
“Security?”
Ethan looked toward her carefully.
“Someone broke into your apartment.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Naomi blinked once slowly. “What?”
Ethan moved toward her immediately. “You’re not going back there tonight.”
Fear rushed through Naomi instantly.
“Did they steal anything?”
“We don’t know yet.”
The calmness in Ethan’s voice only made the situation scarier somehow.
Naomi stood quickly. “I need to go see—”
“No.”
The sharpness in Ethan’s tone stopped her immediately.
“It could be dangerous.”
Naomi stared at him anxiously. “Dangerous because of the scandal?”
Ethan’s jaw tightened visibly.
“I don’t think this is about gossip anymore.”
The words sent real fear through her chest.
Suddenly Vanessa’s warning echoed loudly in her mind again.
Ethan carries enemies you don’t know about yet.
Oh God.
This was becoming serious.
An hour later, Ethan insisted on taking Naomi personally to her apartment building alongside private security.
Which Naomi found slightly ridiculous.
Until she saw the broken lock on her front door.
Then suddenly nothing felt ridiculous anymore.
Fear settled heavily in her chest while security officers searched inside the apartment carefully.
Naomi stayed close beside Ethan without even realizing it.
And surprisingly
He didn’t seem to mind.
One officer eventually returned holding Naomi’s laptop bag.
“It looks like they searched through paperwork and electronics,” he explained. “But there’s no major theft.”
Naomi frowned slightly. “So they broke in just to look around?”
Ethan’s expression became dangerously unreadable.
“Yes.”
That answer somehow felt worse.
Naomi stepped slowly into the apartment afterward, noticing drawers left open and papers scattered across the floor.
Someone had been here.
Looking through her life.
The violation of it made her feel suddenly sick.
Then Ethan noticed something near the kitchen counter.
A small white envelope.
His expression darkened instantly.
“What is it?” Naomi asked nervously.
Ethan picked it up carefully before opening it.
The moment he read the contents, real fury flashed across his face.
Naomi’s heartbeat quickened.
“Ethan.”
Slowly, he handed her the note.
Her hands shook slightly while reading it.
You should’ve stayed away from him.
Below the sentence was another line written in darker ink.
Next time won’t be a warning.
Cold fear rushed through Naomi instantly.
This wasn’t office drama anymore.
This wasn’t gossip.
Someone was threatening her directly.
And judging from Ethan’s expression
He already had an idea who might be responsible.
“Who is it?” Naomi whispered.
Ethan looked toward the broken apartment door with terrifying calmness.
Then finally answered quietly.
“Someone who just made a very serious mistake.”
- Writer
