The ride back to the penthouse was steeped in silence, punctuated only by the hum of the car's engine. Elizabeth stared out of the window, the city lights blurring into streaks as her mind replayed Mario's words.
"Your past, Elizabeth—your family, your old friends. He's looking for anything he can use."
Her family.
She clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. It wasn't just her past with Mario that she had tried to leave behind. There were other things—things buried even deeper.
Xavier glanced at her, his expression softening as he noticed her tension. "You don't have to face this alone," he said quietly.
Elizabeth turned to him, her voice edged with frustration. "You keep saying that, Xavier, but you don't understand. Thomas isn't just digging into my past—he's threatening everything I've worked so hard to move on from. And if he finds something…" She trailed off, shaking her head.
Xavier reached over, placing a hand over hers. "Whatever he finds, it doesn't change who you are now. And it doesn't change how I feel about you."
Her throat tightened. She wanted to believe him, but doubt gnawed at her. How could she expect Xavier to stand by her if he didn't know the whole truth?
The next morning, Xavier sat in his office, poring over files Victoria had sent him. Every piece of information they gathered on Thomas felt like a small step forward in a marathon they couldn't afford to lose.
Victoria entered, her expression grim.
"I've got something," she said, dropping a folder onto Xavier's desk. "It's not good."
Xavier opened the folder, his eyes scanning the contents. The documents detailed a series of financial transactions tied to a shell company Thomas had created.
"He's funneling money into this," Xavier said, his tone cold. "What's he using it for?"
Victoria crossed her arms. "From what I can tell, he's funding a coordinated smear campaign. Not just against Cole Enterprises—but against you and Elizabeth personally."
Xavier's jaw tightened. "How soon until this goes public?"
Victoria hesitated. "A week, maybe less. He's holding back for now, probably waiting for the perfect moment to strike."
Xavier's mind raced. He needed a way to counter Thomas's plans before they escalated further.
"Focus on tracking down his allies," Xavier said. "If we can isolate him, we can cut off his resources. And send Caldwell to meet with the board—I want them prepared for any fallout."
Victoria nodded, but her gaze lingered. "What about Elizabeth? You need to make sure she's ready for whatever he throws her way."
Xavier's expression softened. "I will."
Elizabeth , meanwhile, was determined to take matters into her own hands. She sat in the penthouse library, flipping through old documents and photos she had kept hidden for years.
Among the papers was a faded photograph of her as a teenager, standing beside a woman with kind eyes and a weary smile. Her mother.
Elizabeth traced the edges of the photo, memories flooding back. Her mother had been her rock, her guiding light through a tumultuous childhood. But she had also been the reason Elizabeth had fought so hard to escape her small-town life.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was Clara.
"We need to talk," Clara said as soon as Elizabeth picked up. "I just got a call from one of my contacts in the media. Thomas is feeding them a story about you."
Elizabeth's stomach dropped. "What kind of story?"
Clara hesitated. "He's claiming you used your relationship with Xavier to climb the social ladder—that you're a gold-digger who's been hiding her real motives."
Elizabeth's grip tightened on the phone. "Of course he is," she muttered.
"I've already started drafting a counter-narrative," Clara continued. "But you need to be prepared. If this gets out, the media will be relentless."
Elizabeth exhaled slowly, her resolve hardening. "Thanks for the heads-up, Clara. Keep me posted."
She hung up, her mind racing. Thomas's attacks were getting more personal, and she couldn't sit back and let him destroy her reputation—or Xavier's.
That evening, Xavier found Elizabeth in the penthouse kitchen, pouring over documents spread out across the counter.
"What's all this?" he asked, leaning against the doorway.
Elizabeth glanced up, her eyes tired but determined. "I'm trying to get ahead of Thomas. If he's digging into my past, I need to be ready for whatever he finds."
Xavier approached her, scanning the papers. Among them were old photos, letters, and legal documents—fragments of a life Elizabeth had left behind.
"You don't have to do this alone," he said softly.
Elizabeth shook her head. "Xavier, there are things about me you don't know. Things I've kept buried because I didn't think they mattered anymore. But now..." She trailed off, her voice breaking.
Xavier gently turned her to face him, his hands resting on her shoulders. "Whatever it is, it doesn't scare me. You don't have to carry this on your own."
Her eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. Taking a deep breath, she began to tell him everything—the struggles she and her mother had faced, the mistakes she'd made, and the reasons she had fought so hard to reinvent herself.
Xavier listened silently, his expression unreadable. When she finished, she braced herself for his reaction.
"I don't care where you came from," he said finally. "What matters to me is who you are now. And if Thomas thinks he can use your past against you, he's underestimated both of us."
Elizabeth's chest tightened with relief. "Thank you," she whispered.
Xavier pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "We're going to win this, Elizabeth. No matter what it takes."
But even as they solidified their bond, Thomas was preparing his next move.
In his sleek office at Crestfield Enterprises, he sat across from a shadowy figure—a man whose connections ran deep within the world of media and politics.
"You have everything you need?" Thomas asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.
The man nodded. "By the time I'm done, the world will believe every word of it. Your brother's empire will crumble, and his wife will wish she'd never stepped into the spotlight."
Thomas leaned back in his chair, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "Good. Let the games begin."
For Xavier and Elizabeth, the storm was far from over—and the stakes had never been higher.