Chapter six: The Meeting
1081 Words
Chapter Six:The Meeting
Morning arrived far too quickly.
Aria had barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, the same thoughts returned.
Why me?
Why would a man like Lucien Devereaux want to meet someone like me?
She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the business card resting on the bedside table. It looked ordinary enough, yet it had managed to turn her entire world upside down in less than twenty-four hours.
The shrill alarm on her phone pulled her back to reality.
She sighed, stood, and began getting ready.
There was no point in overthinking it now.
She had already agreed to the meeting.
---
The apartment smelled of toast and freshly brewed tea.
Liam stood in the tiny kitchen, humming to himself as he spread butter over two slices of bread.
"You actually got up early," Aria said with a smile.
"I wanted to make breakfast."
She narrowed her eyes playfully.
"Or you wanted to burn my kitchen."
He placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
"I'm offended."
She laughed.
For a brief moment, everything felt normal again.
Liam slid a plate across the table.
"You nervous?"
"A little."
"A little?"
She exhaled.
"Fine. A lot."
He leaned forward.
"You'll be okay."
"I hope so."
"No."
He shook his head.
"I know so."
She looked at him, surprised.
"You've spent months letting people define you by a lie," he said quietly. "Today, someone is finally giving you the chance to speak for yourself."
His words settled deep inside her.
Before leaving, she hugged him tightly.
"Take your medication on time."
"I will."
"And don't leave the apartment."
"I won't."
"And—"
"Ari," he interrupted with a grin, "I'm not five."
She rolled her eyes.
"You'll always be my little brother."
---
Devereaux International dominated the skyline.
The glass tower reflected the morning sun like polished crystal, standing proudly above all the surrounding buildings.
Aria stopped at the foot of the entrance.
For the first time since arriving, doubt crept back into her mind.
People dressed in tailored suits hurried through the revolving doors.
Luxury cars lined the curb.
Everything about the place reminded her that she didn't belong.
She adjusted the strap of her handbag and walked inside.
The lobby was breathtaking.
White marble floors stretched beneath sparkling chandeliers, while a massive silver logo bearing the Devereaux name decorated the far wall.
A receptionist looked up and smiled politely.
"Good morning. May I help you?"
"I'm Aria Bennett."
The receptionist typed something into her computer before nodding.
"Mr Cole is expecting you."
Before Aria could respond, a familiar voice spoke behind her.
"Ms Bennett."
She turned.
Nathan Cole approached with the same calm professionalism she remembered.
"I'm glad you came."
"I almost didn't."
"I figured."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"If you'll follow me."
---
The elevator climbed in complete silence.
Aria watched the numbers light up one after another.
Thirty.
Thirty-five.
Forty.
Forty-two.
When the doors opened, the atmosphere changed.
The floor was quieter than the bustling lobby below.
Employees greeted Nathan respectfully before returning to their work.
Several glanced curiously at Aria.
Nathan noticed.
"They're curious."
"About me?"
"Mr Devereaux rarely schedules private meetings with outsiders."
That didn't make her feel any better.
They stopped before two large wooden doors.
Nathan knocked once.
"Mr Devereaux."
"Come in."
Nathan pushed the door open.
The office was even larger than she had imagined.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, flooding the room with natural light.
Bookshelves lined one wall.
Awards and framed photographs occupied another.
Behind an elegant oak desk stood Lucien Devereaux.
He looked up as she entered.
"Ms Bennett."
His voice was calm, neither warm nor cold.
"Mr Devereaux."
Nathan quietly excused himself, closing the door behind them.
For a few seconds, silence filled the room.
Lucien gestured toward a chair.
"Please, have a seat."
Aria remained standing.
"You said you wanted to hear my side."
"I do."
"So ask."
Something that almost resembled amusement flickered across his face.
"You're straightforward."
"I've learned that wasting words doesn't change anything."
Instead of replying immediately, Lucien walked to his desk.
He picked up a thick brown file and placed it in front of her.
Across the front, her name was printed in bold letters.
ARIA BENNETT
She frowned.
"You investigated me."
"I did."
"Why?"
"Because I don't make decisions based on headlines."
Slowly, she opened the file.
Inside were newspaper articles, interview transcripts, court records, and photographs from the investigation that had destroyed her career.
She recognised every headline.
Every accusation.
Every lie.
Her chest tightened.
"I didn't fabricate any evidence."
"I know."
She looked up sharply.
"You... know?"
"I believe you."
The words were so simple.
Yet they carried more weight than anything she had heard in months.
Lucien folded his hands.
"I reviewed every report."
"And?"
"They don't make sense."
She stared at him.
"No one else said that."
"That's because no one bothered to look beyond the surface."
He slid another document across the desk.
"This is why I asked you here."
Aria picked it up.
At the top of the page was a familiar name.
Horizon Biotech.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"This company..."
"You were investigating them."
She nodded slowly.
Lucien continued.
"During an internal audit, my finance team discovered a series of suspicious transactions connected to Horizon Biotech."
He pointed to several highlighted figures.
"The timing matches the week your investigation disappeared."
A chill ran through her.
"So... the story was real."
"It appears so."
Aria lowered herself into the chair without realising it.
For months she had questioned herself.
Wondered if she had made a mistake.
Wondered if everyone else had been right.
Now, for the first time...
She wasn't questioning her instincts.
She was questioning who had been powerful enough to bury the truth.
Lucien watched her quietly.
"I believe someone framed you."
The room fell silent.
Outside, the city continued its busy morning.
Inside, Aria felt as though her entire world had shifted.
The past she had been trying to escape...
Had just found her again.
Aria struggled to process what she was hearing.
The case she had lost everything over…
Hadn't ended.
Someone had buried it.
---
Neither of them noticed the tiny red light blinking beneath a decorative clock in the office.
A hidden microphone.
Elsewhere in the building…
A man wearing headphones smiled.
"So," he murmured.
"They've finally found each other."
He reached for his phone.
"I think it's time to let our friends know."
- Writer
