HIS FAKE BRIDE, HIS REAL OBSESSION

The Scandal Breaks

Evelyn’s Point of View

The sky was starting to turn into a pinkish-orange color and as I walked down the curb after leaving the Astercorp building, I glanced at the people who were moving as well. They all seemed to be leaving work just like I was and on their faces were tired expressions, most likely mirroring mine. Sighing, I tried my hardest to push away every thought of all that happened at work today.

Soon enough, I reached my next stop. A bar in the city center that was at the edge of an intersection. It was my favourite haunt and a place that was far from the stresses of the corporate wilderness. She was already there when I arrived, two glasses in front of her. Her face was etched with curiosity.

“Alright.” She said the moment I sat down, sliding one of the drinks toward me, before tapping the table. “Tell me everything that happened after you left the office and I had to leave to go get a story.”

I exhaled slowly. “Damian Wolfe is dangerous.”

Mia raised a brow. “Well, yeah. We knew that.”

“No, I mean—” I hesitated. I hadn’t told her about Paris. About him. “There’s something off about him.”

She leaned forward. “We also already established that fact, but define ‘off.’”

I hesitated. “He’s too controlled. Too calculated. It’s like he’s playing a game none of us know the rules to.”

Mia sipped her drink, thoughtful. “That tracks. I did some digging.”

I glanced at her. “And?”

She lowered her voice. “Despite the deep search, no one really knows where he came from. His background is clean—too clean. No scandals, no past mistakes, nothing. Like someone wiped his history.”

A chill ran down my spine. “You think he did it himself, erased everything? But then, how did he get hired as a crisis manager then?”

Mia held my gaze. “Evelyn, maybe, the board knows more than they’re letting on, and I think they brought him in for a reason other than the fixing of the company.”

Before I could respond, Mia’s phone buzzed violently on the table. She picked it up, her expression shifting into something darker.

“What is it?” I asked.

She flipped the screen towards me, and my insides plummeted.

A breaking news message scrolled on the screen: CONFIDENTIAL ASTERCORP DOCUMENTS LEAKED—INSIDER CORRUPTION CHARGES Surface FROM STRATEGIC DEPARTMENT.

I grabbed my own phone, the article loading before I’d even blinked twice. As I read the article all the way through, my heart pounded in my ears as I read the story. Someone had accessed classified documents. The leaked information showed executives had been involved in illegal activity, funneling money through hidden accounts, and then my blood ran cold when I read that the breach had been traced to my department.

Mia’s eyes widened. “Evelyn—”

“I didn’t do this.” I whispered.

“I know, but right now, it may look like you did with the incident that had happened and all.” She shook her head, her voice low.

I swallowed hard, my fingers tensing around the edge of the table. There was no mistaking what this was. I was being set up.

I could feel the flush rising in my chest, the kind that builds when anger and fear are combined in a toxic mix. My mind racing, I attempted to connect the dots, but all that I was able to come up with was a string of roadblocks.

“Who would want to frame me? I didn’t have enemies—at least, none I knew of…” I trailed off as I thought about Damian, but then I shook my head as I thought it couldn’t be.

“Damian Wolfe?” Mia suddenly voiced out my thought.

I shook my head. “It can’t be.” I let out a shaky breath. “I mean, he got what he wanted by firing the employees, what could he possibly want with me after he already won the battle?”

“Well, maybe something else?” Mia shook her head. “Ugh, this is so not it! What did you say to him in the office? It could probably be him…”

“Something else…”

I suddenly thought about Paris and my eyes widened slightly as I wondered if he remembered. Shaking my head, I got my senses together. Even if he did remember it, there was no one way he would do this when Paris had been his fault. Deciding it could not be it, I buried my face in my hands as my heart began to pound with fear and helplessness.

“Eve…” Mia groaned, hitting the table. “Don’t zone out on me now.”

"Who else knows?" I bit my lips as I spoke in a raspy voice.

Mia stayed, her gaze flicking towards the door as if anticipating someone to come in at any moment. "It seems it’s everyone most likely, this news is everywhere."

A knot tightened in my stomach. "I need to fix this, Mia. You have to help me."

She nodded, though her expression was grim. "I will.”

I blew out a breath of frustration and looked at the window. At that moment, I saw a sleek black car come to a stop as the traffic light turned red. The windows were tinted, but for some reason, I kept my eyes on it.

Just then, the window on the passenger’s seat side, rolled down. I drew in a sharp breath as the glow of the streetlight lined up at the center of the road shone into the car and I caught a glimpse of him.

Damian Wolfe.

“Are you listening to me, Eve?” Mia snapped her fingers in front of my eyes and I looked at her.

“What?” I asked.

“We need to figure out how you can resolve this.” She began scrolling through her phone.

I looked back at the road to see that the car had disappeared, the lights were green again.