The Unraveling
907 Words
By week six, Elle could feel the walls shifting.
The more time she spent inside Hawthorne Dynamics, the clearer it became: the company ran on loyalty bought, fear maintained and lies dressed in designer suits.
She had expected that. What she didn’t expect was how much Liam remembered. He wasn’t the same man from her past, colder now and more intentional. But whenever their eyes met across a conference table, there was something raw in his stare. Something he didn’t want anyone to see.
And Ivy? She noticed.
“Elle.” Ivy’s voice sliced through the hallway as she caught up after the team briefing. “Got a minute?”
Elle turned. “Of course.” Ivy smiled, sharp and false. “You’re getting close to Liam.”
“Am I?” Elle asked evenly.
“Don’t play dumb.” Ivy stepped closer, her perfume strong, her tone lower. “You may have impressed him in meetings, but you don’t belong in our circle. Don’t mistake opportunity for invitation.”
Elle’s lips twitched faintly. “You sound territorial.”
“I’m engaged to him.” Ivy said showing the ring on her finger.
“Then maybe act like it.” Elle replied.
Ivy’s expression faltered, just for a heartbeat. “You have no idea what kind of man Liam really is.”
“Maybe you don’t either.” she replied back.
The elevator doors opened, saving them both from saying more.
That evening, Elle met Selene at a quiet bar downtown, the same one Selene always chose, dim lighting and no questions.
Selene stirred her drink lazily. “You’ve made her nervous.”
“She has been nervous since I walked in.”
Selene smiled. “You’re underestimating Ivy Ward. Her father built this company from the ground up. She was raised to win.”
“And still,” Elle said softly, “someone else built the project that made them powerful.” Selene’s glass paused midair. “Careful, Elle.”
“Why? Because it’s true?”
Selene’s gaze unsteady, a flash of something buried deep. “Some truths aren’t worth speaking aloud in this city.”
Elle leaned forward. “Then you know something.”
Selene didn’t answer right away. She looked away, voice steady but low. “Let’s just say… Richard Ward wasn’t the only one who profited from that
project.”
“You mean Liam.”
Selene met her eyes again. “I mean everyone who stood in that boardroom three years ago.” The silence between them stretched. Elle’s chest tightened, realization sinking deeper.
Selene finally exhaled. “If you’re going after them, you will need proof. Real proof. Otherwise, they will eat you alive before you even make your first move.”
“Then I’ll find it.”
Selene’s expression softened slightly, almost like warning. “And what if it destroys you, too?”
Elle smiled faintly. “Then at least it’ll be my choice this time.”
The next morning, Liam called her into his office.
The blinds were drawn, his jacket off, sleeves rolled up. He looked tired or maybe haunted.
“You were right,” he said quietly. “Your campaign changes are getting results. I didn’t think they would work this fast.”
Elle kept her tone professional. “People want honesty. Even if it’s fabricated.”
His lips curved faintly. “You sound like me.”
“Maybe you stole more than one idea.” she whispered. He froze, just slightly. “What did you say?”
“Nothing important,” she said coolly. He walked closer, leaning against the edge of his desk. “You like testing people, don’t you?”
“I like knowing what they will do when pushed.”
He studied her face, voice low. “You always remind me of someone I hurt once.” Elle’s heart twisted, but her voice stayed calm. “Then maybe this is your second chance.”
He smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Or my punishment.”
That night, Elle stayed late, waiting until most of the staff was gone. She slipped into the executive server room using the temporary clearance Selene had quietly arranged. The hum of machines filled the air, the screens casting a cold blue glow.
She searched until she found it: Legacy
Project_Confidential_Amendment.pdf.
Her pulse quickened as she clicked it open. Half the document was censored. But one line remained visible at the top: Amendment signed and executed by Richard Ward, Liam Kade and… Noelle Hart.
Her breath caught. Her name was there. Her real name. Before she could react, a voice came from behind her. “What are you doing here?”
She turned sharply. It was Liam, standing at the doorway. For a moment, neither spoke. Then he said quietly, “Funny. You’re the only one who knows how to find the ghosts in this company.”
Elle straightened, closing the file. “Maybe I’m one of them.” Liam stepped closer, stopping just short of her. “Who are you, Elle?”
Her voice didn’t waver. “Someone you should have never forgotten.”
His expression faltered, confusion flickering across his face then realization slowly dawning.
“No…” he whispered. “It can’t be.”
She walked past him, calm and unshaken. “Good night, Mr. Kade.” And she left him standing there, speechless, staring at the locked file still glowing on the screen.
- Writer
