Chapter 13 – Cracks in the Story
318 Words
The rest of dinner passed in a blur. Amara smiled when she was supposed to, laughed when Leon said something teasing, but her mind was stuck on that single message.
Does he know the truth about you?
It was like a splinter in her thoughts, digging deeper with every passing second.
Back in their suite, Leon poured them both glasses of wine. She sat on the edge of the bed, twisting the stem of her glass between her fingers, unsure how to tell him without unraveling everything.
> “You’ve been quiet,” he said finally, leaning against the dresser. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing.”
She looked up, meeting his eyes. “If I told you there were things about me you didn’t know… things that might change how you see me… would you still want this?”
Leon’s jaw tightened. “Depends on what those things are.”
Her throat felt dry. “Before you… before this contract, I was—”
A sharp knock on the door cut her off. Leon frowned, setting down his glass.
He opened the door to find a man in a dark suit standing there, expression unreadable. “Mr. Carter,” the man said, “I think you should know… your arrangement isn’t as private as you think.”
He handed Leon a plain envelope and walked away without another word.
Leon closed the door, slid his thumb under the flap, and pulled out a stack of photographs. His face shifted from confusion to disbelief.
The photos were of Amara — some recent, some from years ago — but not with him. In each one, she was with the same man, looking far too close to be just friends.
Leon turned to her slowly. “Care to explain?”
Her heart sank. She had known this moment might come. She just hadn’t expected it to hurt this much.
- Writer
