CHAPTER 7: The Expose
341 Words
The article appeared Thursday morning, splashed across the business section of the city paper: Real Estate Mogul's Criminal Past: Can Julian Cross Be Trusted?
Elena read it three times, stomach churning. Someone had dug deep—his juvenile record, the assault charge that had been expunged, his early associations with known criminals. Worse, it mentioned her by name: Sources suggest Cross is involved with Elena Voss, whose father built Voss Architectural on reputation and integrity. A troubling match.
Her phone rang before she could process. Julian's name on the screen.
"Don't read it," he said when she answered.
"Too late."
"I'll handle it. My lawyers are already—"
"Handle what?" She stood, pacing her hotel room. "That we slept together? That my professional reputation is now linked to your 'troubling' past?"
"Elena—"
"You promised honesty, Julian. Did you know this was coming?"
"Yes." The admission was quiet. "A journalist approached me last week. I thought I had more time to prepare you."
"Prepare me?" She laughed, brittle. "For public humiliation? For my clients questioning my judgment?"
"For the truth coming out. It's not humiliation if I've done nothing wrong."
"You assaulted someone!"
"It was self-defense. The record was expunged because I was innocent."
"And the other things? The 'associations?'"
Silence. Then: "I made deals with people your father wouldn't approve of. I did things I'm not proud of. But I never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it, and I never broke a law that mattered."
"That mattered?" She gripped the phone. "Julian, my entire career depends on my reputation. On trust. And you've just made me look like a fool who sleeps with criminals."
"Don't." His voice hardened. "Don't reduce us to that. You know me, Elena. The real me, not the headlines."
"I thought I did." She closed her eyes. "I need space. Don't call me."
"Elena—"
She hung up. Then, because she was weak and hurting and so tired of running, she blocked his number and drove to the one person who might understand.
- Writer
