CHAPTER-9
1232 Words
"Who sent these photos?" My voice was a sharp whisper as I gazed at the pictures spread out on my kitchen counter, the words "Tell the truth" burned into my brain.
The walls seemed to close in. I paced the small space of my kitchen, my thoughts spiraling. If someone knew about Mia, my carefully constructed life teetered on the edge of a cliff. I grabbed my phone, scrolling through my contacts until her name appeared.
"Madison, we need to talk. Now," I said as soon as she picked up.
"Luciana?" Her voice was groggy, like I'd just woken her up. "It's barely seven in the morning. What's going on?"
"I'll explain when I see you. Meet me at the café near the office in an hour." I didn't give her the time to argue before hanging up.
The café was already buzzing with the morning crowd when Madison walked in. She spotted me at a corner table, her brow furrowed.
"This better be good," she said, sliding into the seat across from me.
I pulled the envelope from my bag and shoved it toward her. "Explain this."
Her eyes widened as she flipped through the photos. "Luciana. where did you get these?"
"They were taped to my door last night," I said, my voice tight. "Who else knew about Mia, Madison? Because I sure as hell didn't tell anyone at work."
She set the photos down, falling back in her chair as if affronted. "Are you accusing me?"
"Can you blame me?" I hissed. "You've been acting strange lately, and then there's that little conversation I saw you having with Orla in the lobby."
Madison stiffened, her jaw firming. "That had nothing to do with this."
"Then what did it have to do with?" I pressed, my voice rising.
"Look, I don't know where these came from, but I would never do something to betray you like this," she said with conviction. "I'm your friend, Luciana."
"Are you?" The words slipped out before I could stop them, and her face fell.
There was a moment in which neither of us spoke. It was thick between us, the weight of unspoken truth heavy in the air.
Finally, Madison stood, clutching her bag. "Believe what you want, but I'm not your enemy." She paused and her voice softened. "Be careful, Luciana. Whoever did this. they're trying to ruin you."
By the time I got to the office, my nerves were frayed. I kept my head down, avoiding Finlay and Orla as best as I could. But Finlay, as always had a way of finding me.
"Luciana, " his voice called from behind me as I walked toward my desk.
I turned, schooling my features into something neutral. "Yes?"
"Come with me, " he said, gesturing toward his office.
I followed him after a reluctant moment, closing the door behind us. He leaned against his desk, his eyes roamed over my face.
"You've been on edge all morning, " he said. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, " I said-too quickly.
"Luciana," he said, his voice firm but soft. "I'm not just your boss. I care about you. If something's wrong, you can tell me."
Sincerity caught in his tone took me by surprise. I looked away, shaking my head. "This is professional, Finlay. You don't need to involve yourself."
"And what if I want to?" he challenged, stepping closer.
I backed up, hitting the wall. "You can't. This. whatever you think this is, it's not your problem."
His jaw tightened, frustration flickering in his eyes. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"And you're overstepping," I shot back.
There was a moment of silent staring, the air between us thick with unspoken words. Finally, he let out a sigh and stepped back.
"Fine," he said. "But I'm here if you need me."
The rest of the day melded into a string of meetings and side-eyed stares. Orla was everywhere, her presence like a shadow at my heels. And Madison.Madison was a little quieter than normal, her expressions unreadable.
I was packing up for the day when Finlay reappeared, a small smile on his lips.
"Luciana," he said softly, almost shy. "Are you free this weekend?"
I blinked, taken aback. "Why?
"The company gala," he said. "It's formal, but I thought it might be nice if we went together."
My heart stuttered. "Together?"
"As colleagues," he clarified, though his smile suggested otherwise. "Think about it. Let me know by tomorrow."
Before I could say a word, he was gone, leaving me staring after him.
That night, I couldn't get my mind to stop replaying the events of the day. The photos, Madison's warnings, Finlay's invitation-it was too much.
I was pouring myself a glass of wine when voices came through the thin walls of my apartment. My neighbors weren't generally this loud, but as I listened closer, I realized the voices were familiar.
"She's going to the gala with Finlay," Orla's voice said, low and conspiratorial.
"So what?" Madison responded, her tone defensive.
"So we use it," Orla said. "She's hiding something, Madison. And if we play this right, we can expose her in front of the entire board."
There was a pause, and I could almost picture Madison's conflicted expression.
"I don't know." she said finally.
"Don't be naive," Orla snapped. "Do you really think Luciana's going to keep climbing the ladder without throwing you under the bus? She's already got Finlay wrapped around her finger. This is your chance to even the playing field."
My blood ran cold. I set the glass down carefully, my hands shaking.
"Fine," Madison said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But this is the last time I help you."
I was determined the next morning. If Orla and Madison thought they could bring me down, they had another thing coming. I had invested too much time in this life to let some random girl tear it down.
But as I stared at the invitation to the gala sitting on my desk, doubt began to creep in. Going meant walking right into their trap. But not going. that would raise even more questions.
I reached for my phone, typing a message back to Finlay.
"I'll go with you to the gala."
He responded within seconds.
"Looking forward to it."
As I tucked my phone away, a voice from behind startled me.
"Luciana."
I spun around to find Madison in the doorway, her face unreadable.
"We need to talk," she said, the edge of her tone serious.
I crossed my arms. "About what?
She hesitated, looking around before leaning in closer. "About Orla. and the gala."
My heart began to pound but my face was stoic. "What about it?"
"You need to be careful," she whispered. "Orla's planning something, and she's not going to stop until she takes you down."
I studied her, trying to assess how sincere she was. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I." She looked away, guilt flickering across her face. "Because I don't want to see you get hurt."
There was some underlying emotion to her tone that I couldn't place-regret, perhaps. I wasn't in a position to trust her.
"Thanks for the warning," I said coolly, brushing past her.
"Luciana," she called after me, desperation edging into her voice.
I stopped, looking over my shoulder. "I'll handle Orla. You just stay out of my way."
- Writer
