The Life we never Planned

Chapter 41

CHAPTER 41

ANGELA

I thought giving myself two days would make the answer easier.

It didn't.

If anything, it made everything worse.

I had barely spoken to Damian since he asked me to be his girlfriend. Not because I didn't want him around me, but because I needed to understand what I was feeling before I gave him an answer.

Then everything changed.

It happened on Wednesday afternoon.

I was still at work when a man walked into the private meeting room and asked to see me.

I didn't recognize him.

He was dressed in a dark suit, carrying a slim black briefcase.

"I wasn't expecting anyone," I said.

"You weren't supposed to."

Something about his voice made my stomach tighten.

I remained standing.

"Who are you?"

He placed the briefcase on the table.

"You don't need to know."

I didn't like the answer.

"What do you want?"

He opened the case.

Several documents were placed in front of me.

I looked at them.

Then I froze.

My name was on them.

My signature.

My employee identification number.

Bank records.

Emails.

Copies of documents connected to the contract.

Everything was arranged carefully.

Too carefully.

"This isn't mine."

"I know."

I looked up sharply.

He met my eyes.

"That's what makes this interesting."

My heart began pounding.

He pushed another file toward me.

Inside were photographs.

Photographs of me entering the office.

Leaving work.

Meeting clients.

Even photographs taken outside my apartment.

I slowly looked back at him.

"What is this?"

"A warning."

I swallowed.

"What do you want from me?"

"Nothing."

He closed the briefcase.

"That's the point."

He stood.

"If you continue behaving as though you can fight this, everything you have built will disappear."

I stared at him.

"My career."

"Your career."

He paused.

"Your reputation. Your professional relationships. Your future."

My hands tightened around the edge of the table.

"You can't do this."

He smiled faintly.

"You still don't understand."

He placed one final photograph on the table.

It was Damian.

The photograph had been taken outside his company.

My blood ran cold.

"You stay away from him."

I looked at the photograph again.

"What does he have to do with this?"

"Everything."

He walked toward the door.

"Don't tell anyone about this conversation."

I stood.

"Wait."

He stopped.

"If you tell anyone, the first thing released will be the evidence you've just seen."

He looked back at me.

"And by tomorrow morning, everyone will believe it."

Then he left.

I didn't move.

For several minutes, I simply stared at the closed door.

I couldn't think.

I couldn't breathe properly.

I looked down at the documents again.

Someone had built an entire case against me.

And they had made it look real.

But the worst part wasn't the documents.

It was the photograph of Damian.

They knew about him.

They knew enough to use him against me.

That meant this wasn't just about my job.

Someone was watching me.

And I had no idea how far they were willing to go.

That evening, I called Benedicta.

She knew something was wrong the moment she saw me.

"What happened?"

I closed the door behind me.

Then I placed the files on her table.

She read through them silently.

Her expression changed with every page.

"Angela..."

"I didn't do any of this."

"I know."

"I swear I didn't."

"I know."

She continued reading.

When she reached the photographs, she stopped.

"Who gave you these?"

"I don't know."

I told her everything.

The man.

The warning.

The photographs.

Damian's picture.

When I finished, Benedicta leaned back slowly.

For once, she had nothing sarcastic to say.

She looked at me.

"Angela, do you understand what they're doing?"

"I'm being framed."

"No."

Her voice was quiet.

"They're not just framing you."

She pointed at the documents.

"They're building something that can survive an investigation."

I stared at her.

"If these documents are released, people won't wait for proof that they're fake. They'll believe what they see."

My chest tightened.

"My job..."

"Your career."

She nodded.

"They could destroy your career before you even get the chance to defend yourself."

I looked away.

"What do I do?"

Benedicta was silent.

Then she said something that made me look at her.

"My family can help with a lot of things."

I waited.

"But this?"

She shook her head.

"No."

"You said your family has connections."

"They do."

"Then use them."

"I would."

Her eyes hardened.

"But whoever is behind this is operating at a level where money and connections won't be enough."

I stared at her.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you need someone with power stronger than my family's."

The words settled heavily between us.

"Who?"

She looked at me.

Neither of us spoke.

I already knew who she meant.

Damian.

"No."

Benedicta frowned.

"Angela."

"I can't tell him."

"You don't have to tell him everything."

"I can't involve him."

She sighed.

"You need strong backing."

"I know."

"And Damian is exactly the kind of person I was talking about."

I looked down at the photograph again.

I hated that she was right.

I didn't want to need anyone.

Especially not Damian.

But whoever was behind this had already shown me that I couldn't handle everything alone.

That night, I barely slept.

Every sound outside my window made me look toward the curtains.

Every unfamiliar car made my heart race.

I kept thinking about the man's warning.

Stay away from him.

But Benedicta's words kept returning too.

You need strong backing.

And for the first time, I wondered if Damian could give me exactly that.

The next morning, I was sitting with Benedicta when my phone vibrated.

I looked down.

It was a message from HR.

I opened it.

My heart dropped.

Please be informed that you have been placed on temporary leave, effective immediately. You are not required to report to work until further notice.

I read it again.

Then again.

Fear rushed through me.

My hands became cold.

My first thought was the man.

He had done something.

He had reached my job.

I looked at Benedicta, but forced my face to remain calm.

"What is it?" she asked.

"HR."

I handed her the phone.

She read the message.

Her eyes met mine.

Neither of us spoke.

I tried to breathe normally.

"It's probably nothing."

Benedicta didn't believe me.

Neither did I.

My phone vibrated again.

This time, Damian's name appeared on the screen.

I stared at it.

Benedicta looked at me.

"Answer him."

I hesitated before picking up.

"Hello?"

"Angela."

His voice was calm.

"Hi."

"I know you've walked through more than you should."

I swallowed.

"I'm fine."

"You're not."

I forced myself to smile even though he couldn't see me.

"I'm okay."

There was a brief silence.

Then he said,

"I told HR to give you some time away from work."

My eyes widened.

"You did?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you've been working too much, and I don't think you need to be there right now."

I glanced at Benedicta.

She was staring at me.

I lowered my voice.

"Damian, you told HR?"

"Yes."

He sounded completely unbothered.

"I thought you needed a break."

I didn't know what to say.

Benedicta mouthed silently.

He's the one.

The backing we needed.

The person powerful enough to stand behind me.

I looked down at my hands.

Maybe this was exactly what I needed.

Maybe getting closer to Damian wasn't just about what I felt for him anymore.

Maybe it was about surviving whatever was coming.

Then Damian spoke again.

"Come out with me tonight."