Chapter 7: The Wrong Enemy
461 Words
As she went over the paperwork once again, she stood in the study with lengthy shadows created by
the desk lamp's dim light. Transactions were redirected. Internal documents were compromised.
Vulnerabilities in strategy were revealed.
It was tidy.
Too tidy.
The kind of employment that implied purpose rather than fear.
The door behind her opened softly.
Alaric remarked, "You shouldn't be here."
Despite the calmness of his voice, there was a tighter, sharper quality behind it.
Elowen did not turn right away. Rather, before turning to face him, she set down the last page, her
fingertips lingering over the paper as though grounding herself.
"I had to comprehend," she answered.
"And now that you have done so?"
At that moment, she turned to face him.
"This was done by Rowan."
The words lingered between them, weighty and conclusive.It was tidy.
Too tidy.
The kind of employment that implied purpose rather than fear.
The door behind her opened softly.
Alaric remarked, "You shouldn't be here."
Despite the calmness of his voice, there was a tighter, sharper quality behind it.
Elowen did not turn right away. Rather, before turning to face him, she set down the last page, her
fingertips lingering over the paper as though grounding herself.
"I had to comprehend," she answered.
"And now that you have done so?"
At that moment, she turned to face him.
"This was done by Rowan."
The words lingered between them, weighty and conclusive.
Alaric was silent for a bit. He only observed her, his expression opaque in a way that had previously
captivated her but now made her uneasy.
"Are you sure?" he inquired.
"Yes."
Then there was silence.
not in accord.
not a denial.
Just quiet.
And more than anything else, that quiet spoke.
She realized, "You don't believe it."
"I think things are rarely as simple as they appear," he stated cautiously.
Elowen's jaw stiffened a little. "That seems like a diversion."
"It's caution."
She shook her head and muttered, "No." "It's avoidance."
There was a fleeting but distinct spark in his eyes.
He remarked, "You're too close to this."
She retorted, "And you're not close enough."
As two diametrically opposed viewpoints collided in a room that felt suddenly too small to hold
them, the tension between them intensified, becoming not only emotional but also intellectual.
"This isn't a situation you can solve by digging deeper," he continued, lowering his voice.
"I solve problems exactly like that."
"And that's precisely what's endangering you."
She answered, "I'm already in danger." "At least I now know where it came from."
However, something within her opposed the confidence even as she said it.
Because if Rowan wasn't the adversary, then who was?
What was Alaric still withholding from her, which might be even more disturbing?
- Writer
