Chapter 10
989 Words
Liana sat alone in her office long after the doors had closed.
The city outside her floor-to-ceiling windows glowed with artificial life, but inside her, everything felt hollow and raw. Roman’s laugh still echoed in her ears. The way he had looked at her—knowing, satisfied—burned like an insult carved into her pride.
She hated him.
She hated herself more for still reacting.
Her fingers curled slowly into fists against the polished surface of her desk.
“No more games,” she whispered.
She reached for her phone and dialed a number she had kept saved for years but rarely used.
The call connected almost immediately.
“I need you,” Liana said without preamble. “Quiet work. Deep digging with her personal investigator. I want everything—past deals, hidden partnerships, financial shadows. Leave no stone untouched.”
A pause.
“Is this personal or business?” the voice asked carefully.
Liana’s lips tightened. “Both.”
“I’ll start immediately.”
She ended the call and leaned back, closing her eyes.
Her revenge would not be blind anymore.
This time, it would be informed.
---
The knock on her office door came less than thirty minutes later.
Sharp. Confidence.
Uninvited.
Liana opened her eyes slowly. “Come in.”
The door swung open.
Roman walked in first.
Ezra followed right behind him.
Her breath caught.
The sight of them together.. side by side, walking toward her desk… sent a chill down her spine. Two men. Two histories. Two truths she clearly didn’t fully understand.
She rose slowly to her feet, schooling her expression.
“To what do I owe this unexpected visit?” she asked coolly, her gaze flicking between them like blades. “Or should I ask… which one of you invited the other?”
Ezra spoke first, glancing at Roman. “Roman asked me to come. And frankly, I’m just as surprised as you are.”
Roman chuckled under his breath.
Liana crossed her arms. “Interesting. Because I didn’t invite either of you.”
Roman turned and shut the door behind them. Then, deliberately, he locked it.
The click echoed too loudly.
“I asked everyone else to leave the floor,” Roman said calmly. “We won’t be interrupted.”
Liana stiffened. “You don’t get to control my office.”
“Not today,” he agreed. “Today, I’m here to tell the truth.”
Ezra frowned. “What is this about, Roman?”
Roman didn’t answer him immediately.
Instead, he stepped forward… and stopped directly in front of Liana’s desk.
His eyes locked onto hers.
“I’ve been wanting to tell you something,” he said quietly. “Something about him. He turned to face Ezra with his cold face. Something you didn’t know.”
Ezra’s shoulders tensed.
“What are you talking about?” he asked sharply. “Say it plainly.”
Roman tilted his head slightly, studying Liana’s face. Her jaw was tight. Her eyes were wary. Guarded.
Ezra followed his gaze to her, confused. “Liana?”
Roman finally looked at Ezra.
A thin smile curved his lips… fake, calculated. It vanished the second he turned back to Liana.
“Would you be surprised,” Roman said slowly, “to know that I’m the one who’s been sending you those anonymous messages?”
The room went silent.
Liana’s breath left her in a rush.
“What?” she whispered.
Ezra stiffened. “What messages?”
Liana couldn’t speak. Her mind reeled backward… to the warnings, the accusations, the seed of doubt planted inside her chest.
Roman continued calmly, “Every single one.”
Ezra stood abruptly, chair scraping loudly against the floor. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He turned to Liana. “What messages? What did he send you about me?”
He reached for her arm, shaking slightly. “Show me.”
Liana didn’t move.
Her shock had rooted her to the spot.
Roman watched her closely. “Ask him,” he said softly. “Ask Ezra what he’s been hiding.”
Liana finally found her voice. “Why?” she demanded, eyes burning into Roman. “Why would you lie about him? Why would you do that to him?”
Roman cut her off sharply. “They weren’t lies.”
Ezra’s face changed instantly.
The color drained.
“What?” Ezra snapped. “What lies?”
“That’s why I invited him here,” Roman said evenly. “So he wouldn’t hear it second-hand.”
Ezra laughed nervously. “This is insane. You’re manipulating her..”
Roman reached into his coat and pulled out a thick file.
Her heart skipped violently.
Roman walked to the desk and dropped it flat between them.
The sound echoed like a gunshot.
“This,” Roman said, “is what I meant by the real snake.”
Liana’s gaze dropped to the cover.
Her father’s company name.
Her breath shattered.
“No…” she whispered, stepping back. “No…this can’t be real.”
Ezra froze.
Roman opened the file and slid it toward her.
“Take a look.”
Her hands trembled as she flipped the pages.
Numbers.
Agreements.
Signatures.
Her father’s name.
And beneath it all…
Ezra’s.
Her vision blurred.
“This isn’t possible,” she cried. “Ezra wouldn’t—he can’t—”
Ezra moved quickly around the desk. “Liana, listen to me. This isn’t what it looks like.”
She turned on him, tears streaming freely now. “You signed this,” she shouted. “You were involved!”
Ezra’s mouth opened, then closed.
Roman watched silently, eyes sharp.
Ezra ran a hand through his hair. “I can.. l can….explain…” he stammered.
“Oh dare you! You better start explaining now before this turns into an unforgettable nightmare for you!” Liana echoed in pain. She has never used that kind of tone for him before.
- Writer
