Chapter Six
1666 Words
I met William at a secluded café downtown, away from Bernard’s spies and the reach of Starlight Productions.
He was already there when I arrived, his usual cocky smirk missing.
He looked… exhausted.
I slid into the seat across from him, watching as he stirred his coffee absentmindedly.
“You look like hell,” I muttered.
William let out a dry chuckle. “Thanks, Ms Lawson. You always know how to make a guy feel special.”
I didn’t smile. “Why did you call me here?”
He exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. “Because I found something. Something you need to see.”
He slid a USB drive across the table. I hesitated before picking it up.
“What’s on it?”
William’s jaw tightened. “Proof that The Broker wasn’t just after your father. They were after me too.”
My breath caught. That… I hadn’t expected.
He leaned forward, voice low. “They’re not done, Emerald. And if we don’t move fast, they’re coming for you next.”
I spent the night going through the files William had given me. Bank statements. Hidden accounts. A list of names I didn’t recognize—but one that stood out immediately.
Bernard Lawson.
My stomach twisted as I scrolled further, my breath catching when I found an email exchange.
From: Bernard Lawson
To: The Broker
“Victor knows. We need to act fast.”
I felt the room tilt slightly, my fingers gripping the edge of my desk.
This was it. The proof I had been looking for.
Bernard had ordered my father’s death and The Broker had executed it.
The next day, I went to confront Bernard. Alone.
I should have waited. I should have told William. But rage clouded my judgment.
I burst into Bernard’s office, slamming the USB drive onto his desk. “How long were you planning to keep this secret?”
Bernard barely blinked. “Ah. So you finally found it.”
I clenched my fists. “You had him killed.”
He leaned back in his chair, completely unfazed. “I did what I had to do.”
My breath came in short, sharp bursts. “You’re a monster.”
Bernard sighed, standing slowly. “And you, dear Emerald, are a fool if you think this ends with me.”
Before I could react, two men stepped into the office, blocking my exit.
I had walked straight into a trap.
Just as Bernard took a step toward me, the door burst open.
William.
His expression was fierce, desperate—terrified. He took down the first guard with a single punch, his body moving with a precision that made my breath hitch.
He reached for me, his grip strong as he pulled me toward the exit. “Come on!”
We ran through the hallways, down the stairs, until we were outside, gasping for breath.
I turned to him, my chest heaving. “Why did you come for me?”
William’s jaw tightened. And then, for the first time, he let his guard slip.
“Because losing you isn’t an option.”
His voice was raw, filled with something I wasn’t ready to face.
But maybe… just maybe, I wanted to.
The night air was thick with tension as I stood outside Blue Sky Studios, my pulse hammering in my ears. I had been reckless. Stupid. I had walked straight into Bernard’s trap.
And if it hadn’t been for William, I might not have made it out.
Now, I couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation—I was running out of time.
Bernard had ordered my father’s death. The Broker had executed it. And that meant I was next.
I gripped the edge of the car door, inhaling deeply as I turned to William. He hadn’t spoken since we left Bernard’s office, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, jaw clenched. The weight of what just happened hung between us.
I swallowed. “You didn’t have to save me.”
William’s grip tightened. His knuckles turned white.
“Don’t say that.” His voice was raw. “Don’t ever say that.”
I opened my mouth, but the words caught in my throat. Because for the first time, he wasn’t wearing a mask. The arrogance, the teasing—it was gone. And in its place was something real.
Fear for me.
My chest tightened. I looked away. I couldn’t afford to let this happen.
Not now. Not when I was so close to the truth.
Back at my apartment, I sat at my desk, Greg’s files spread out before me. Names. Transactions. Hidden accounts. A puzzle I was still trying to put together.
But now, I had a new piece—the email from Bernard to The Broker.
“Victor knows. We need to act fast.”
I clenched my fists. My father knew they were coming for him. And yet, he still died.
I stared at the screen until the words blurred. I needed more.
I needed proof that could bury Bernard for good.
A knock on the door made me jump. My breath hitched as I reached for the knife I kept in the drawer. I wasn’t taking any chances.
“Relax, Ms Lawson. It’s me.” William.
I exhaled, setting the knife down before unlocking the door.
He stepped inside, his blue eyes scanning the mess of papers on my desk. “Still trying to play detective?”
I shot him a glare. “Still trying to be a pain in my ass?”
His lips twitched. “Always.”
I rolled my eyes, turning back to my notes. “What do you want, William?”
He hesitated. Just for a second. Then he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black notebook.
“I found this in my father’s office.” He set it on my desk.
I frowned, flipping it open. My stomach dropped.
Victor Lawson.
Bernard Lawson.
The Broker.
Dates. Meetings. Money transfers.
William shifted beside me. “My father knew something about The Broker. And whatever it was, he kept records.”
My heart pounded. This was it. The missing link.
I looked up at him. “Why are you giving me this?”
William exhaled. “Because I want the truth just as much as you do.”
The next day, I met with Greg at a secluded diner. I needed answers.
He looked around nervously before sliding into the booth. “You shouldn’t have contacted me, Emerald.”
I leaned forward. “Tell me about The Broker.”
Greg paled. “No.”
I slammed my hand on the table. “You worked for my father for years. You know something.”
Greg swallowed hard. “You don’t understand. The Broker isn’t just one person. It’s a network. An entire operation that’s been controlling people like Bernard for decades.”
A chill ran down my spine. “And my father?”
Greg hesitated. Then, his voice dropped. “Victor was supposed to be their next puppet. But he refused. And that’s why they killed him.”
My blood ran cold.
This wasn’t just about Bernard’s greed. It was bigger than that.
And I was in way over my head.
That night, William found me on the rooftop of my apartment building. I needed air. Space. Anything to make sense of what I had just learned.
He stood beside me, silent for a long moment. Then—
“You’re scared.”
I stiffened. “I’m not.”
He scoffed. “Liar.”
I turned to him, my frustration boiling over. “What do you want from me, William?”
His expression hardened. “I want you to stop pushing me away.”
My breath hitched. “I don’t—”
“Yes, you do,” he cut in. “You act like I’m the enemy, but I’m not. And whether you like it or not, I’m in this with you.”
I looked away. “I can’t afford distractions.”
William exhaled sharply. “And what if I don’t want to be a distraction?”
I swallowed. I didn’t have an answer for that.
Because the truth was—I didn’t want him to be a distraction either.
I hadn’t fully decided whether I could trust him. But I wanted to. And that scared me more than anything else.
The next day at school, the weight of everything pressed down on me as I sat in class, my notebook open, but my mind elsewhere.
The professor’s voice faded into the background, drowned out by the thoughts racing through my head. Bernard. The Broker. My father’s murder. William. The USB drive filled with secrets I hadn’t even begun to untangle.
It was too much.
I felt like I was being pulled in a thousand directions—school, my mother, the investigation, my growing feelings for William.
And I was starting to wonder if I could handle it all.
Struggling to Keep Up
After class, I met with Professor Reynolds, my academic advisor. It wasn’t by choice. He had emailed me earlier, requesting a meeting to “discuss my declining performance.”
I wasn’t surprised. Balancing school with an undercover investigation into my father’s murder wasn’t exactly easy.
Professor Reynolds adjusted his glasses as he flipped through my records. “Your grades have dropped, Emerald. You missed two assignments last week. That’s not like you.”
I swallowed hard. “I’ve just been… dealing with some personal things.”
His expression softened slightly. “I understand, but you’re at risk of losing your scholarship if this continues. You’re one of the brightest students in the program. I don’t want to see you throw that away.”
Neither did I.
But how was I supposed to focus on business classes when I was fighting for my family’s legacy in real life?
I nodded stiffly. “I’ll fix it.”
But even as I said the words, I wasn’t sure how.
- Writer
