Lia stood at her door, the cryptic note trembling in her hands. The address wasn't far—just a quiet café nestled near Montmartre—but the anonymity of the sender unnerved her. She considered ignoring it, dismissing it as a harmless prank. But something about the note, about the recent unease in her life, wouldn't let her rest.
"If you want answers, come alone."
The city seemed darker as she walked the winding streets toward the address, the streetlights casting long, flickering shadows. Every footstep behind her made her glance over her shoulder. Paris was alive tonight, as it always was, but Lia felt an isolation that pressed on her chest.
When she arrived, the café was nearly empty. The smell of roasted coffee mingled with the faint bitterness of cigarette smoke as a waiter directed her to a secluded table in the back.
A figure was already there, shrouded in the dim light: a woman with sharp features and piercing green eyes. Lia hesitated, but the woman gestured for her to sit.
"You must be Lia," the woman said, her French accent crisp.
"Who are you?" Lia asked, her voice steady despite the growing unease.
The woman leaned forward, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "My name is Colette. Let's just say I know Margaux quite well. And I know the games she plays."
Colette wasted no time weaving her tale. "Margaux isn't just a curator. She's a power broker in the art world. She uses people like pieces on a chessboard, aligning them to her benefit. And right now, Lia, you're one of her pawns."
Lia's stomach churned. "That's ridiculous. She's my mentor. She's been demanding, yes, but—"
"Demanding?" Colette interrupted with a soft laugh. "Margaux doesn't demand; she orchestrates. Do you think it's a coincidence that Julien has been circling you? That you're being given tasks beyond your internship scope? She's testing you, seeing how far she can push before you break. And when you do…"
Colette paused, her smile fading. "When you break, she'll discard you like everyone else."
Lia's thoughts swirled in confusion and disbelief. "Why are you telling me this? What do you want?"
Colette leaned back, her eyes narrowing. "Because I was you once. Bright-eyed, full of ambition, eager to prove myself. I trusted Margaux, and she used me until there was nothing left. I lost my career, my reputation—everything. I'm warning you because I don't want to see it happen again."
Lia swallowed hard. "And what do you expect me to do with this information?"
"Be smarter than I was," Colette said. "Start asking questions. Start looking behind the curtain. You'll see the truth soon enough."
Back in Cedarwood, Nate stared at the contract on his desk, the pen in his hand feeling heavier than it should. The offer was everything he'd ever wanted, but the timing felt impossibly cruel.
He called Anna, desperate for clarity.
"You're overthinking this," Anna said bluntly. "This is your dream, Nate. Lia would want you to take it."
"Would she?" Nate shot back, frustration lacing his voice. "Because right now, it feels like we're slipping further apart every day. What if taking this means losing her for good?"
Anna sighed. "Relationships aren't supposed to hold you back, Nate. If Lia truly loves you, she'll find a way to make it work. But you can't put your entire future on hold waiting for her to figure things out."
Her words cut deeper than Nate wanted to admit.
The next day, Margaux summoned Lia to her office. The tension in the air was palpable as Margaux sat behind her desk, her gaze sharp and unyielding.
"You met Colette," Margaux said, her voice even but heavy with implication.
Lia froze. "How did you—"
Margaux waved a hand dismissively. "I know everything that happens in my sphere, Lia. Colette has a way of finding the vulnerable and feeding them half-truths wrapped in pretty lies. Whatever she told you, I suggest you forget it."
Lia's heart raced, but she forced herself to hold Margaux's gaze. "She said you manipulate people. That you use them and discard them."
Margaux's expression didn't change, but her eyes darkened. "Did she also tell you why she was discarded? Colette was brilliant, but she was reckless. She overstepped her bounds, trusted the wrong people. I tried to protect her, but she refused to listen."
"Protect her?" Lia echoed, her voice tinged with doubt.
"Believe what you want," Margaux said coolly. "But remember this: Paris is not a forgiving city. Your choices here will define your future. Don't let a disgraced former curator poison your mind."
As Lia left the office, her thoughts were a whirlwind of doubt and suspicion. She couldn't shake the feeling that both Margaux and Colette were hiding something, and she was caught in the middle of their game.
That night, Lia called Nate again, desperate for his steady presence.
"I feel like I'm drowning," she confessed, her voice trembling. "There's so much going on, and I don't know who to trust anymore."
"I'm here," Nate said, though his own voice was weighed down by his inner turmoil.
"What if I made a mistake coming here?" Lia whispered.
Nate hesitated. "Lia, you've worked so hard for this. Don't let anyone take it away from you. But… if it's breaking you, maybe it's okay to come home."
Home. The word felt like both a comfort and a chain. Lia didn't respond, and the silence stretched between them until Nate spoke again.
"I got the contract," he said quietly.
Lia's heart sank. "And you're taking it?"
"I don't know," Nate admitted. "I can't decide without knowing where we stand."
Tears slipped down Lia's cheeks. "I don't know where we stand either."
The line went silent, and for the first time, both of them wondered if their love could survive the storm that was now roaring between them.