Truth Has a Face
334 Words
Chapter 9: Truth Has a Face
The office was quiet again—late hours had become Elle’s normal.
Her eyes stung from staring at screens, but she refused to give up.
She'd scoured emails. Cross-referenced meeting times. Traced digital footprints. There were inconsistencies everywhere…
But what she found next?
Would change everything.
A folder buried in an archived drive—a shared company folder Damien didn’t even know existed.
Labeled with a dull name: “CLIENT SUPPORT: Internal - Confidential”
Elle clicked it open.
Her pulse spiked.
Inside: A video file.
Time-stamped 2:41 a.m.
Location: Damien’s penthouse office camera—one that synced to cloud storage.
She pressed play.
The screen flickered, then came into focus:
Aria. In Damien’s office. Alone.
Wearing a silk robe, barefoot, her hair tied up. The city lights glowed behind her as she typed furiously on Damien’s computer.
She moved like she knew what she was doing. No hesitation.
She took photos of documents. Plugged in a USB. Smiled.
And then… her phone buzzed.
Aria picked it up and whispered, “Tell Vincent I’ve got the files. Damien suspects nothing.”
Elle’s blood ran cold.
There it was.
Not suspicion.
Not theory.
Proof.
---
She stood, barely breathing, and sent the file to a secured drive. Then hesitated.
Would Damien even listen?
He’d shut her out. Accused her of jealousy. Of wanting him.
But this… this was undeniable.
She attached the file to an email. Drafted a message. Then paused.
Instead, she grabbed her bag, heart racing, and headed to his penthouse.
---
Meanwhile, Damien stood in front of a mirror, staring at the engagement ring he’d just picked up.
Flawless. 3.5 carats. A symbol of forever.
He wanted to believe in forever.
He needed to.
A knock at the door broke his thoughts.
He opened it—
And there she stood.
Elle. Eyes wide. Face pale. Hands shaking.
“I need you
to see something,” she whispered. “Right now.”
---
[End of Chapter Nine]
- Writer
