đź’Ľ Chapter 7: The Hidden Enemy
678 Words
The next morning came quietly — the kind of quiet that felt like a warning.
Amara walked into her office early, coffee in hand, exhaustion in her eyes. She hadn’t slept all night. The plan she and Ethan built was risky, but if it worked, they could expose Lucas Tan and clear her name forever.
But something felt… off.
Ethan wasn’t in his office next door. His lights were off, his desk empty, his phone unanswered.
“Typical,” she muttered under her breath, trying to shake off the unease. “He disappears right when I need him.”
Still, she couldn’t help the slight ache in her chest. Working side by side with Ethan these past days had stirred old memories — the warmth she once hated herself for missing. But she didn’t have time for that.
Not now.
---
Across the city, Ethan sat in his car outside a luxury penthouse. He wasn’t supposed to be there.
But the name on the hidden file had led him here.
Vivian Cortez.
The name alone made his pulse tighten.
Vivian — Amara’s former best friend. Her confidante. The woman who had comforted her after the scandal.
And, apparently, Lucas Tan’s secret business partner.
Ethan entered the building using an old connection. When the elevator doors opened, he found her waiting — elegant, poised, and far too calm for someone guilty.
“I was wondering when you’d come,” Vivian said, pouring herself a glass of wine.
Ethan’s eyes darkened. “So it’s true. You and Lucas.”
She smiled faintly. “It’s not what you think.”
He scoffed. “You used her. You fed him her personal data. You made sure every trace pointed to Amara.”
Vivian leaned against the counter, unbothered. “She had it coming. She was too perfect. Too trusting. People like her always end up hurt in this world.”
Ethan’s fists clenched. “You destroyed her because you envied her.”
“Envy?” she laughed. “No, Ethan. I did it because I wanted what she had — you.”
The words hit him like a blow.
Vivian stepped closer, her voice low and taunting. “You think I didn’t see the way you looked at her? I loved you too, Ethan. I just didn’t let it ruin me.”
Ethan’s expression hardened. “You don’t know love. You only know power.”
He turned to leave, but her next words froze him mid-step.
“She’ll never forgive you if she finds out you hid this from her.”
He stopped.
Vivian smirked. “You think you’re protecting her, but you’re still lying. When she learns the truth came from me, she’ll hate you all over again.”
Ethan didn’t reply. He walked out, jaw tight, heart heavier than before. Because deep down, she was right.
If Amara found out he’d discovered Vivian’s involvement and kept it from her — she’d see it as betrayal all over again.
---
Back at Velasco Tower, Amara’s phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number:
> “Not everyone on your side is loyal. Ask Ethan where he was this morning.”
She stared at the screen, her heart dropping.
By the time Ethan returned that afternoon, she was waiting by his desk, eyes cold and guarded.
“Where were you?” she asked quietly.
He hesitated. “Running a lead.”
“On what?”
“Nothing solid yet.”
Her jaw clenched. “Don’t lie to me, Ethan.”
“I’m not.”
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly. “We said no more secrets.”
He met her gaze — guilt flickering behind his eyes — and said nothing.
And that silence was enough to break something fragile between them.
---
That night, Amara stood by her office window, staring out at the rain.
She had trusted him again.
She wanted to believe he had changed.
But deep down, she knew — Ethan Alcaraz always had secrets.
And one day, those secrets would destroy them both.
- Writer
