THE REVENGE I DIDN'T CHOOSE

The Wrong Ghost

The door opened and my heart dropped instantly. Not because of the gun but because of the man holding it. He was the last person I expected to see in Adrian’s office at 11 p.m. with a weapon in his hand and my name on his lips.

“Zara”, he'd called.

Adrian moved before I even realized what was happening. In an instant, he was standing in front of me like a shield, his body was tense, every muscle in him braced. He didn't look back, he didn't have to because the message was clear—If anyone was getting hurt tonight, it wasn't going to be me.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Adrian's voice dropped to a deadly calm, that made it dangerous. Ethan ignored him completely. He looked past Adrian's shoulder, his gaze settling on me.

"I got your text.”

"I didn't text you," I said, the words leaving my mouth before I could think.

"I know."

Ethan tilted his head slightly. The gun remained pointed at the floor.

"She did." My breath seized for a moment. "Who did?" I asked almost immediately.

"Victoria Blackwell," Ethan said, as if her name explained everything. The realization hit me all at once. She had orchestrated this. My gaze fell to the hard drive on Adrian's desk. It lay between us like a live grenade.

One wrong move...

And there would be no turning back.

Adrian didn’t turn around. “You lost access to this building three years ago, Ethan.” Ethan smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. “Your mother gave it back to me.” He said.

Three years ago, I remembered the headlines—Blackwell Tech Boardroom Split, Ethan Cross Resigns. The papers blamed a financial dispute, but gossip spread faster than the news. People said Ethan hadn't left quietly, they said he'd walked out of Blackwell swearing Adrian would regret it. I didn’t know the real reason until now.

“You were stealing from me,” Adrian said.

“You were stealing my life,” Ethan snapped back. That alone shocked me.

Adrian’s hand reached mine behind his back. No grip, just a skin on skin. A warning I understood without words— “Don’t move.”

Ethan took a step in. “Zara. Come here.”

“Don’t,” Adrian said.

Ethan’s eyes went straight to Adrian's. “She’s not safe with you. You know that.”

Adrian let out a quiet, bitter laugh. "Safe?" he repeated. "You were the one who cloned my credentials. You were still the one who handed the server room footage to the police." His gaze locked on Ethan. "And now you're standing here pretending you're the hero.”

The air left my lungs. I pulled my hand away from Adrian's. "You did that?" Ethan didn't look away. "Yes, I did." There wasn't a trace of regret in his voice. "I needed to get you away from him but you weren't listening." He glanced at Adrian, his expression hardening. "He lies to protect the people he cares about. That's what he does." His eyes found mine again. "He would've let you hate him for the rest of your life before he told you the truth about who he really is.”

Ethan wasn’t lying and Adrian still didn’t look at me. Ethan ignored him, he spoke only to me now, like Adrian had vanished. “I’ve been watching you, Zara. Since your first day you walked into Blackwell with fire in your eyes and his name on your tongue like a curse. You’re not scared of him, that’s rare.”

He made it sound more like a secret between us. My mind flashed through the last two weeks—The temporary pass when my badge stopped working, the archives, the coffee he brought after the server room, sitting beside me until 3:00 am in the morning without asking a single question. Back then, I'd thought he was just being kind. Now I wasn't so sure. Maybe Ethan hadn't been showing up when I needed him. Maybe he'd been making sure he was there all along.

I told myself it was guilt. He knew Adrian. He knew what Blackwell had done to my family, I thought that was why he stayed. Now, the way he looked at me felt different. It was too familiar and Adrian saw it. I watched his jaw tighten.

"I was alone," I said quietly.

His eyes stayed on Ethan.

"No." His voice was low. "You were exactly who he was looking for.”

Ethan’s smile died. “Don’t make her choose between us.”

“I’m not,” Adrian said. “You are!!!.” Ethan screamed.

Ethan placed the gun on the desk with deliberate care. "I'm here to end this," he said. "Give me the drive. I can clear your father's name without a trial...without more lives being ruined."

"By taking Blackwell?" Those words left my mouth before I could stop them. His expression changed for a second and for the first time, I saw what was really driving him. He let out a slow breath, as though I'd disappointed him.

"You think this is all about money?" He shook his head. "Money was only the beginning. I'm trying to keep you out of their war."

"Our war," Adrian cut in.

His voice was quiet but deadly. "You started it three years ago." Ethan's smile faded. "You stole from the company," "You forged my signature," "I found everything." Adrian took a step forward. "I could've exposed you." Instead…"I buried it."

His jaw tightened. "Because you were my brother and a best friend."

Silence filled the room.

"And you repaid me by trying to destroy everything I built.” Ethan's mouth twisted.

"Brother," he repeated quietly. "Strange choice of words." A cold smile touched his lips. "Especially from someone who spent his whole life hiding behind another man's name.” That landed like a punch. I looked at Adrian. He didn’t move but something in him broke and I saw it.

They hadn't always been like this to each other. I'd seen the old photographs Adrian used to keep hidden in the bottom drawer of his desk. Two young men, arms around each other, laughing on a boat. A week after Ethan left Blackwell...The photographs were gone.

Ethan leaned against the desk, closing the distance between us. He was so close that I was uncomfortable. "I don't want to hurt you, Zara," he said quietly. "I want you with me. Let's bring them down together. Let's clear your father's name together and you'll get your life back."

A faint smile crossed his face. "And I get Blackwell Company.” My heart tightened. He made it sound so simple as if all I had to do was choose him. Adrian didn’t move. He just said my name. “Zara.” and that was all. Ethan heard it too. A slow smile disappeared from his face. "That's what he does," he said. "He decides what's best for everyone else... and calls it protection.”

“Shut up,” Adrian said.

“Or what?” Ethan’s voice dropped. “You’ll lie to her again? Or hide her again? That’s all you know how to do.” "You'd rather let the people you love hate you than trust them with the truth.” Ethan said and immediately the lights went out.

Darkness swallowed everything. A hand clamped around my wrist. It wasn't Adrian's. The grip was smaller and colder with nails digging into my skin.

"Run," a voice whispered. It aAmelia. She yanked me aside before I could react. Behind us, Adrian's chair scraped across the floor. "Ethan, don't—"

A gunshot shattered the silence.

Amelia shoved the side door open and pulled me into the stairwell. I nearly lost my legs trying to keep up.

"What just happened?" I gasped.

Amelia's face was pale. "Someone else was in that office." My heart pounded so fast. "This was never Ethan's plan." Amalia said. I frowned. "What are you talking about?" She looked over her shoulder before answering.

"Victoria set this up."

My stomach dropped. "Ethan was only keeping you and Adrian distracted while she made her move.”

I pause for a while. "What do you mean? Amelia turned to me, her face tight with urgency. "Victoria is the one behind this." My heart skipped a bit.

"And Ethan?"

She grabbed my arm again. "Ethan has his own agenda." Her eyes locked into mine. "He doesn't just want Blackwell Company, Zara." "He wants you." I stared at her. "He knows if you choose him..." Her voice dropped. "...Adrian loses everything.”

The door above us slammed open. Heavy footsteps echoed through the staircase, slow and deliberate. Amelia's eyes widened. "Move." She didn't have to tell me twice. We ran like our lives depend on it, moreover it does. My lungs burned with every breath. Somewhere above us, Adrian's voice echoed through the concrete, shouting my name.

“Zara!”

I didn’t answer. For the first time, I didn't know who to trust. Adrian had kept the truth from me. Ethan had kept his intentions from me. But one thing is clear; Ethan hadn't been showing up because I needed him, he'd been showing up because he wanted me.