The air was clear and thick with the aroma of pine the next morning. The low buzz of Adrian's voice and the sound of birds singing outside awakened Ivy. The precise words were garbled through the small cabin walls, but his tone was sharp and authoritative as he spoke on the phone.
Her chest constricted with anticipation as she sat up and brushed her hair away from her face. She wasn't sure whether she was more afraid of hearing the truth or of what it would entail for her, but Adrian would eventually tell her today.
Adrian was standing at the window, his phone close to his ear, as she entered the main room. His face softened somewhat as he turned as she walked in. He said, "I'll give you a call back," hung up, and put the phone in his pocket.
His voice was calm but laced with something darker when he murmured, "Good morning."
Ivy folded her arms over her chest and said, "Good morning." "I'm holding you to your word, so I hope you're prepared."
Adrian pointed to the little table and nodded. "Let's take a seat. Hearing this won't be easy.
As they took their seats, she followed him, her pulse racing. Adrian put his hands together firmly and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He seemed to falter for a time, his normally assured manner giving way to something vulnerable and unvarnished.
"I have to start with Victor," he said quietly. "Because he is the cause of everything that is happening right now."
Ivy gripped the edge of her chair and nodded. "Continue."
Adrian said, his eyes averted as if he were gazing back in time, "Victor and I were close once." He was my mentor and the first one to support my beliefs. He saw the potential of the prototype I created for what would later become CrossTech's main product right away.
"What took place?" Ivy inquired in a quieter tone.
Adrian gave a quick breath. "He took it." The financiers, the patents, the technology—everything. He made it the cornerstone of the cybersecurity branch of Hale Industries. And he buried me with litigation I couldn't afford to defend when I challenged him.
Ivy felt her stomach turn. "That's... terrible."
Adrian's mouth clenched. "I almost broke." However, I rebuilt. I made something stronger, something better. CrossTech turned into my retaliation, demonstrating that I could prosper without him. And I believed I had triumphed for a while. However, Victor never forgot his resentment.
"Now what does he want?" Ivy inquired.
Adrian murmured, his voice tightening, "Control." He finds it intolerable that I outperformed him and reclaimed the story he believed to be his. For many years, he has been attempting to undermine my business. He is now taking advantage of you.
Ivy winced. "Me?"
Adrian gave a nod. Victor anticipated that you would look at me. He was aware that you would go into my background and uncover something that would harm me. That's the reason he came to you and handed you those paperwork. In order for you to create the tale that destroys me, he needs you to think I'm the bad guy.
As she recalled her encounters with Victor and the well constructed story he had given her, her chest constricted. "How about the records? The proof he provided me with?
With a somber voice, Adrian acknowledged that "some of it is true." However, it is misrepresented and taken out of context. Ivy, I've made errors. I've taken shortcuts and struck unflattering agreements. I haven't, however, breached Victor's boundaries. Furthermore, I've never caused harm to someone who didn't deserve it.
Ivy sought for any sign of dishonesty in his expression, but all she saw was fatigue and something else, something that seemed to be remorse.
"What do you not tell me?" Her voice was shaking as she asked.
Adrian's palms clenched into fists as he paused. Victor has one advantage over me. He has been clinging to it for years. Everything I've achieved might be destroyed if he makes it public.
"What is it?" Ivy pushed.
Adrian's speech was hardly audible beyond a whisper, and his eyes fell. He took a prototype from me, but it was more than simply a piece of technology. It was a component of a bigger project that I created using... dubious techniques.
"What does 'questionable' mean to you?" Ivy leaned forward and asked.
With a hollow voice, Adrian confessed, "I broke into private servers to obtain the information I required." "At the time, I didn't believe it would matter. I tried to prove myself out of desperation. But it will destroy me if Victor finds out. It won't matter if what he did was worse. I shall be crucified by the media.
Ivy reclined, her thoughts spinning. She had been looking for this truth, and it was messier than she had thought. Victor had portrayed Adrian as a villain, but he wasn't innocent either.
"Now what?" She enquired. "How are you going to proceed?"
Adrian's black eyes were full of resolve as he gazed at her. "I'll put an end to him. Victor can't bring you down with me, and I won't allow him to ruin all I've fought for.
Her chest became constricted. "How are you going to accomplish that?"
"I have my own leverage," Adrian said steadily. "But it's risky." Victor will retaliate if I use it. Although it's risky, it could be the only option to put a stop to this.
Ivy shook her head, exploding with rage. "Why must everything between you two be a leverage game? Why don't you simply tell the truth and let things unfold naturally?
"Because men like Victor don't care about the truth," Adrian said sourly. "Who controls the narrative is the only thing that matters."
Ivy gazed at him, her feelings a jumbled mass of dread, rage, and something more she would not say. "Adrian, I'm not sure whether I can pull this off. I'm not sure whether I can continue to participate in this... conflict.
Adrian's hand covered hers as he reached across the table. "You don't need to make a choice right now. But know this: I'll keep you safe no matter what you decide. Regardless.
He touched her steadily and warmly, and she briefly believed him.
However, a persistent question stayed in the back of her mind as the day went on. Victor's warning that Adrian isn't who you believe he is rang in her ears even after she had heard Adrian's version of the tale.
Ivy also secretly had the suspicion that she still didn't know the whole truth.
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