Chapter five
306 Words
The next morning, Aria stepped into Chen Group’s boardroom. Liam was already there, standing by the window, his reflection calm but guarded.
“You’re early,” he said.
“I don’t do late.” She set her bag down, her eyes steady. “You said you wanted to talk. Start.”
Liam hesitated. “You think I let you fall.”
“I don’t think,” she cut in coldly. “I know.”
“I stayed silent because it was safer. The people behind that scandal… they’re powerful, Aria. If I had spoken, they would’ve buried you deeper.”
Her jaw tightened. “And letting me drown alone was better?”
“I thought it would keep you alive.”
For a moment, silence filled the room—thick with everything they didn’t say.
“Who are they?” she asked finally.
Liam’s voice dropped. “Investors. Board members. They used you as a scapegoat. I made a deal to limit the damage, but I regret it.”
“Prove it,” Aria said. “Give me names.”
“I can give you one,” he said quietly. “A man handling offshore accounts—he meets a courier near the old shipping lane.”
Before she could reply, the door opened. A security officer entered. “Mr. Chen, there’s an issue with the footage from last night. Thirty-two minutes missing. It looks deliberate.”
Liam froze. Aria’s pulse quickened. Someone was cleaning their tracks.
She grabbed her bag. “Then we start there,” she said. “Whoever erased that footage—find them.”
As she turned to leave, her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: We saw you enter Chen Group. Be careful who trusts you.
Aria looked up at Liam. The war she thought had ended two years ago was only beginning.
- Writer
