The following day was a whirlwind. Evelyn sat at her desk, staring at the massive stack of papers in front of her, yet her mind was far from the work at hand. She knew the deal would fall apart; she knew Adrian had played his part in making sure that it would. But the knowledge did little to dull the sharp sting in her chest. Every moment felt like a betrayal, every breath taken in the aftermath of what was happening around her felt suffocating.
The boardroom had been full of whispers that morning. No one said it outright, but Evelyn knew that they were questioning her leadership. She could feel their eyes on her, the heavy weight of their expectations pressing down. The deal had been the cornerstone of her success, and now it had crumbled. And as the pieces fell apart, all she could hear was the sound of Adrian's voice echoing in her head—I'm doing this to protect you.
It was clear now that he had lied to her, that the trust she thought they had was nothing more than a fragile illusion. She hadn't expected it to be easy, but what he had done went beyond any line she could have ever imagined. The man she thought she knew had just played her as a pawn in a dangerous game.
Evelyn pushed the papers aside and stood up, her chair scraping the floor. She walked towards the window, trying to calm her racing heart, trying to make sense of it all. But nothing made sense.
Her phone buzzed, the screen lighting up with Adrian's name.
She ignored it.
Moments later, the door to her office opened with a soft creak, and there stood Adrian, as calm and composed as ever, his expression unreadable.
"Evelyn," he started, his voice cold, a stark contrast to the warmth it used to carry. "We need to talk."
She spun around, her eyes flashing with fury and confusion. "Talk?" Her voice was sharp, venomous. "You've already said everything. You've made your choice, Adrian. You've betrayed me."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "You think I betrayed you? I'm doing this for you."
Evelyn's heart pounded. "For me? For me?" She let out a bitter laugh. "Is that what you tell yourself? Because all I see is a man who used me. Used my trust, my authority, to further his own agenda."
"Evelyn," Adrian said, his voice softening, but the words felt hollow. "This was never about you. It was always about keeping you safe."
"Safe?" Evelyn snapped, her voice rising, the anger boiling over. "By ruining my career? By making me look weak in front of the board? This is how you protect me?"
Adrian stepped closer, the silence stretching between them as tension thickened the air. He met her gaze, and for a fleeting moment, she saw a hint of something—regret, maybe? But then it was gone, replaced by cold calculation.
"Don't you see? I've done the hard work for you," he said, his words clipped, each one cutting deep. "You were too blinded by the chase to notice the dangers around you. I had to make them believe I was with them. I had to make them think you were out of the picture."
Evelyn's chest tightened, her breath coming in sharp gasps. "I thought I knew you, Adrian. I thought you were different. But I was wrong. I was just a fool, wasn't I?"
Adrian's jaw tightened. "Don't say that. You have no idea—"
"No," Evelyn interrupted, tears pricking her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "I do have an idea. I've spent months working with you, trusting you, believing in you—and this is what I get? A game? A plan that puts my life at risk, just to 'protect me'?"
She stepped back, her eyes blazing with fury. "You lied to me. You played me. I'm done. I can't—" Her voice cracked, but she swallowed her tears. "I can't do this anymore."
For the first time, Adrian's mask slipped, and she saw something raw in his eyes. But before he could say anything, Evelyn turned away from him, her back to him as she wiped the stray tear that had escaped.
"You've broken me, Adrian," she whispered, though her words were heavy with the weight of everything that had transpired. "I can't trust you. Not now, not ever."
Adrian stood still, watching her, his hands clenched at his sides. His heart ached, but he didn't move. She wasn't just angry; she was devastated—and that hit him harder than he'd ever imagined. But he couldn't back down now.
"No," he said finally, his voice low and almost bitter. "You're not done with me. You never were."
Evelyn slowly turned around to face him again, her face flushed with anger and emotion. "No, Adrian. I'm done. We're done."
Adrian's heart skipped a beat, and for a split second, he felt something almost akin to panic. But then he remembered why he'd done this—why it had to be done. He'd chosen the greater good, and Evelyn would understand that one day.
But that day wasn't today.
"I'm not going to apologize for what I did," Adrian said, his voice flat. "I did what needed to be done. For both of us."
"Then there's nothing left to say," Evelyn replied, her voice shaking but determined. "You've shattered everything, Adrian. You've shattered me."
She walked toward the door, pausing just as her hand touched the handle. "I'll let you keep the lies. I'll let you keep the plan. But don't ever try to come back to me. We're through."
And with that, she opened the door, stepping out into the hall without a second glance at him. Adrian stood motionless, his heart pounding in his chest as the reality of her words hit him.
His mind screamed at him to fix it, to somehow undo the damage. But he knew deep down that he had gone too far. He had burned the bridge, and Evelyn would never trust him again.
He was alone now.
And the laughter that had bubbled in his chest earlier, the triumphant feeling of victory—now it felt empty. Hollow.
Evelyn had made her decision.
Adrian closed his eyes, leaning against the desk as the weight of the betrayal crashed down on him. The plan had worked, but at what cost?
In the end, he realized, it was never about saving Evelyn.
It was about saving himself.
And now, they were both lost.