What Was Never Mine

Chapter 5: Debt and Deception

"Please tell me you knew about this," Sena said, her voice dropped to a whisper.

"I had no idea," I said, the words struggling to come out in a breath.

"This is insane,” Sena muttered, shaking her head. “Why would he…"

"I don't know!” I said, the frustration boiling over. I stood up and walked over to my window. “I don't know anything about him anymore!”

Sena went quiet. Her expression softened into pity.

"Do you think it's about you?" she asked.

I rubbed my fingers on my temples I tried to wrap my head around the possibility.

"But how? He made his choice."

Sena reached out, her hands taking mine.

"Aria... I think there's more to this story."

I sat down for a minute. My mind was a mess.

“I’m going to see Daniel”, I said, my voice suddenly firm.

But I didn’t wait for her response before I dashed outside.

As I drove to Daniel's office. My thoughts raced.

Who does Ethan think he is? Coming back into my life and starting a war with my fiancé. After everything Daniel has done, after everything Daniel has been.

I wasn't going to just stand by and let it happen. I pushed the pedal a little harder.

I arrived at Daniel's office. It was a tower of glass and steel that screamed money.

As I walked in the massive lobby, my heels clicked on the white marble that reflected the bright sunlight.

When I walked in, before the receptionist asked if I had an appointment, Eleanor stepped into my path.

She looked perfectly composed in her navy blue suit. Her pearl necklace sat perfectly around her neck.

“Come this way, dear”, Eleanor gestured, her voice smooth but commanding.

I hesitated, “I came to see Daniel.”

“I know”, she said, still walking ahead of me. “I’ll take you to him”

As I followed her through the lobby, my phone buzzed in my hand. I pulled it up to see it was my mom.

I already knew why she was calling. But I still picked up. She sounded frantic, her voice high and shaky”

"Have you seen the news? Is Daniel okay? Is the family okay?"

"Mom, I can't talk right now.", I said, keeping my voice low and my head down as I followed Eleanor.

"This is that boy's company, isn't it? The one you used to…”, her words trailing off. Her silence was now heavy with the memory of who Ethan used to be. “Aria, you need to stand by Daniel. After everything they've done for us…"

“Yes Mom, I know”, I said, as I was getting on to the elevator. “I’m with them now. I’ll talk to you later”

As I hung up, I noticed Eleanor had been watching me. Her sharp eyes scanned me, as if she was looking for something.

“Your mother is right, you know”, she said, her voice seeming loud in the small elevator. She sounded like she knew the whole conversation. “Daniel needs your support more than ever now”

“Of course, I'm engaged to him”, I said confidently, trying to match her composure.

Eleanor let out a quick small smile that didn't reach the eyes.

“This isn't just about the engagement, dear”, she said, her voice firm. “It's about loyalty”

The words felt like a weight. They felt much heavier than I expected them to be.

The elevator dinged on the executive floor and we walked into the corridor.

As I approached Daniel's office. I could see him through his glass walls.

He stood in the midst of his minimalist office, arms crossed in front of his chest, just staring at the news on his flat screen television.

“Go to him”, Eleanor said, and she walked away to another door without looking back.

I stepped inside and the door clicked shut.

Daniel turned. His eyebrows raised in surprise. His tie was already loosened even though it wasn't the end of the work day.

“Are you okay?”, I asked.

“I'm fine, Aria”, he said. He gave a heavy sigh as he walked towards his desk. “Or at least trying to be. It's a just…a lot to handle”

He turned and looked back at the screen with Ethan's name in bold letters.

I set my bag on a sofa nearby and walked towards him. I squeezed his arm, trying to pull his attention to me.

"I saw it too”, I said, softly. “I had to be here. Why would he target your family specifically? Do you think it's random?"

Daniel shook his head. He finally looked at me, as if he was looking for something on my face.

"I don't know."

"You've never met him before the gala night, right?"

Daniel hesitates just a fraction too long before answering.

His eyes darted to the side for a second before locking to mine, as if he was trying to pull memories together.

"No. Never."

“Well get through this,”I whispered, as I rubbed his back.

Daniel reached out for my face and kissed my forehead.

“You should go. Don't worry about me. I'll see you at home”

I didn’t move. “Daniel. Talk to me. What’s going on?”

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"Don't do that," I said quietly. "Don't shut me out. I deserve to know"

“We’re still trying to figure things out”, he said. “As soon as we do we’ll talk, okay?”

I looked at him for a long moment. I nodded and gathered my bag. I felt like he pushed me away. But I understood the pressure he was under.

As I walked back into the hallway, I passed, Ryan. Daniel’s best friend and Chief Financial officer, as he steps into Daniel's office after I left.

"You need to tell her.", Ryan said.

"Tell her what?", Daniel asked, he's voice sounding tired.

Ryan quickly swiveled his head to be sure nobody was around the glass door.

"The truth”, Ryan said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “That you know him. That your grandmother…"

"No. Not yet. It'll only hurt her.", Daniel snapped.

Ryan raised his eyebrows. He stepped closer to Daniel.

"And what do you think will happen when she finds out you've been lying?"

"I'm not lying.”, he said. “She asked if I met him before the gala. I said no. And technically, that's true."

"Daniel…"

"Drop it, Ryan",