Alison stood in the empty conference room, her hands trembling as she tried to process what had just happened. Henry's words echoed in her ears, his cold, hard stare seared into her memory. She had lost his trust—perhaps irrevocably. The reality of her situation settled like a stone in her chest. She had to do something. She had to make him understand.
With renewed determination, Alison left the conference room and made her way back to her desk. Her colleagues were whispering, their curious eyes following her every move. They must have sensed something was wrong, but Alison kept her head high and focused. She had one chance left to explain herself, and she wasn't going to let it slip away.
As she sat down, her phone buzzed again. It was Mr. Carter. Ignoring the call, she knew she had to focus on Henry now, no matter the cost. She couldn't afford to waste any more time dealing with Carter's demands. She had chosen her path, and now she had to see it through.
She gathered her things and, after taking a deep breath, headed toward Henry's office. His door was closed, but she knocked softly and waited. There was no answer. She knocked again, harder this time, her heart racing.
Finally, the door opened. Henry stood there, his expression unreadable, his eyes dark and tired. "What do you want, Alison?" he asked, his voice low and restrained.
"Henry, please," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I need to talk to you. Just give me five minutes. Please."
He hesitated, then opened the door wider. "Five minutes," he agreed. "That's all you get."
Alison entered the office, and Henry closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She knew this was her last chance.
"I'm sorry," she began, her voice thick with emotion. "I know I've made a mess of things. I know I've hurt you, and I can't tell you how much I regret that."
Henry leaned back against his desk, arms crossed, his expression still guarded. "Why, Alison?" he asked, his tone sharp. "Why would you do this? You seemed so… genuine. Was it all a lie?"
"No," Alison replied quickly, shaking her head. "Not all of it. I swear. When I first came here, yes, I had an agenda. I was sent to… to gather information about the company. But things changed, Henry. You changed everything."
Henry's eyes narrowed. "So you admit you were spying on me?"
Alison nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes, I was. But it wasn't supposed to be like this. I didn't plan on… on feeling the way I do about you. I didn't expect to care."
Henry looked at her, his face softening slightly but still skeptical. "And why should I believe you now?"
Alison swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. "Because I'm telling you the truth," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I care about you, Henry. More than I've ever cared about anyone. And I know I've hurt you, and I'm so, so sorry."
Henry stared at her for a long moment, his gaze searching her face for any hint of deceit. "You expect me to just forgive you, just like that?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"No," Alison replied quickly. "I don't expect anything. I just… I just want you to know that I'm not who you think I am. I'm not that person anymore."
Henry's expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that gave Alison a glimmer of hope. "And what about the files?" he asked quietly. "Did you give them to him?"
Alison felt a lump form in her throat. She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "No," she admitted. "I gave him the USB, but I swapped out the files. What he has is useless."
Henry's eyes widened in surprise. "Why?"
"Because," Alison said, her voice breaking. "I couldn't do it. Not after… not after everything. I couldn't betray you like that."
For a moment, there was silence. Henry stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he nodded. "I see."
Alison's heart raced. "Henry, please, I know I've lost your trust, but I'm begging you, give me a chance to make this right. I don't care about the mission anymore. I don't care about anything but you."
Henry looked away, his jaw clenched. "I don't know if I can trust you, Alison," he said softly. "You've lied to me from the beginning."
"I know," Alison whispered, tears streaming down her face. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But I promise you, I'm telling the truth now."
Henry turned back to her, his expression conflicted. "I need time to think," he finally said. "I need to process all of this."
Alison nodded, wiping her tears away. "I understand," she said softly. "Take all the time you need. Just… please, don't shut me out completely."
Henry sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as if trying to ease the tension building in his head. "I won't," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But don't expect things to go back to the way they were overnight."
Alison felt a faint glimmer of hope at his words. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you, Henry."
He nodded curtly, then turned back to his desk, effectively dismissing her. Alison hesitated for a moment, then turned and left the office, her heart heavy but slightly lighter than before.
---
The next few days passed in a blur for Alison. She did her best to stay out of Henry's way, giving him the space he needed. Her colleagues were still whispering behind her back, but she didn't care anymore. She had more important things to worry about.
Henry remained distant, avoiding unnecessary contact with her. Every time their eyes met, there was a mix of pain and uncertainty, but also something else—something that looked like longing.
One evening, just as she was getting ready to leave the office, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Henry. *"Meet me at the café across the street in 15 minutes."*
Alison's heart skipped a beat. She quickly gathered her things and made her way to the café, her mind racing with possibilities. Was this a good sign? Was he ready to hear her out?
When she arrived, Henry was already there, sitting at a corner table, his expression pensive. She approached cautiously, unsure of what to expect.
"Hi," she greeted softly, taking a seat across from him.
Henry looked up, his gaze softening slightly when he saw her. "Hi," he replied, his voice calm.
There was a brief silence before he spoke again. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said," he began. "About how you… you're not that person anymore."
Alison nodded, her heart pounding. "I meant it, Henry. Every word."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I believe you," he said quietly. "Or at least, I want to believe you."
A wave of relief washed over Alison. "Thank you," she whispered.
"But this isn't going to be easy," he continued. "I need time to rebuild that trust. And I need to know that you're not just saying what I want to hear."
Alison nodded again, her voice steady. "I understand. I'll do whatever it takes to prove it to you."
Henry studied her for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Alright," he said. "Then let's take it one step at a time."
Alison smiled, a genuine, hopeful smile. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. And that was more than she could have hoped for.