Caught in the Lie
294 Words
Emma spent the next week trying to convince herself that she had done the right thing.
Lying to Adrian had been necessary. If she had let that moment go any further, she would have fallen, and there would have been no turning back.
But Adrian… he wasn’t letting it go.
It wasn’t obvious. He didn’t bring it up, didn’t call her out on the lie again. But he was watching her more closely now, his presence always lingering just long enough to make her question whether she had made a mistake.
And then, one evening, he shattered the illusion completely.
She was finishing up paperwork when her phone buzzed.
Adrian: Dinner. 8 PM. Don’t be late.
She frowned, typing back quickly.
Emma: Excuse me?
Adrian: You and Jake. Bring him.
Her stomach dropped.
Oh. s**t.
Emma stared at her phone, her pulse skyrocketing.
Panic coiled in her chest like a vice.
Jake didn’t exist.
She had thrown the name out in desperation, never expecting Adrian to challenge it. But now he was calling her bluff, and she had no way out.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. What the hell was she supposed to say?
Emma: He’s busy.
Three dots appeared. Then stopped. Then started again.
Adrian: Shame. I would’ve loved to meet the man who supposedly keeps you satisfied.
Heat flooded her cheeks.
He was baiting her, and she knew it. But damn it, it was working.
Emma inhaled sharply, forcing herself to play it cool.
Emma: Not everything is about you, Blackwood. See you at work tomorrow.
She put her phone down, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response.
But as she sat there, fingers clenched, she knew one thing for certain—this wasn’t over.
Not even close.
- Writer
