Chapter 17 - CHAPTER 17: BURIED IN SILLENT

.Episode 17 – Buried in SilenceThe energy in Phoenix Corp shifted like a brewing storm.What started as hushed whispers in the breakroom turned into sharp glances in corridors. The leaked documents had ignited chaos across every department, and Jasmine could feel the tension thick in the air like smoke. But what disturbed her more wasn't the scandal—it was Callum.After his abrupt exit the previous day, he hadn't spoken to her again.She tried to focus on her tasks, but her thoughts were constantly pulled back to their last conversation—his cold façade cracking, the raw emotion in his voice. And then, how quickly he had buried it again.By lunchtime, her inbox was flooded with internal alerts, meeting reshuffles, and warning emails from the legal team. Phoenix Corp was circling its wagons, and the atmosphere was laced with paranoia."Jasmine," a familiar voice called.She turned to see Ava, one of the marketing managers, approaching with a concerned look."Hey," Jasmine said."You okay?" Ava asked, lowering her voice. "I heard about the leak. Word is, the board is furious. Some are pointing fingers... at the CEO's office."Jasmine's stomach dropped. "What?"Ava nodded. "Nothing confirmed, but you know how people talk. They think it might have been internal sabotage—someone close."Someone close.That narrowed the circle down to very few people. And Jasmine was now one of them.She shook her head. "That's ridiculous.""Maybe. But watch your back, Jasmine. Things are getting ugly," Ava warned gently before walking off.Back in her office, Jasmine paced. Could someone really be framing Callum? Or… was it possible he had enemies inside his own empire?She didn't know why it bothered her so much. He had hurt her once—left without a word, shattered her heart, and now kept her at arm's length. But part of her still cared. Maybe too much.By late afternoon, a courier arrived with a sealed envelope addressed to her.Her fingers hesitated before tearing it open.Inside was a single piece of paper.> "Meet me at The Glass House. 9 PM. Come alone. – C"Her heart thumped.The Glass House was a private rooftop bar downtown—quiet, exclusive, and very unlike Callum's usual choices for business.Why there?And why at night?The sensible part of her wanted to ignore the note, to focus on work and stay out of whatever mess was brewing.But the rest of her—the part that still burned with questions and unfinished feelings—needed to go.---The city lights glimmered below her as Jasmine stepped onto the rooftop terrace of The Glass House at exactly 9 PM.The air was crisp, scented with expensive cologne and wine. A soft jazz melody played in the background, but she barely noticed. Her eyes were fixed on one figure sitting in the corner.Callum.He was dressed in black tonight—no tie, no cold expression. Just him. Raw. Unfiltered.She approached slowly."I wasn't sure you'd come," he said without looking up."I almost didn't," she replied. "This place isn't exactly screaming 'friendly chat'."He gave a half-smile. "It's the only place I can breathe these days."Jasmine sat across from him, uncertain. "So… why am I here?"Callum looked at her for a long time, and for once, there was no mask on his face."Because I need to tell someone the truth," he said. "And I trust you."That stopped her cold."You trust me?" she echoed. "After what you did five years ago?"His eyes darkened. "That's exactly why I trust you. Because you knew the real me. Before everything changed."She didn't speak.Callum looked away, his jaw tight."There's someone on the board trying to remove me," he said finally. "They planted the leak. And they're using you to get to me."Jasmine blinked. "Me?""You're new. You're connected to me in ways that raise eyebrows. They think if they can rattle me through you, I'll slip."She sat back, stunned."So this is political.""It always is," he muttered. "I brought you into a war, Jasmine. And I didn't warn you. That was my mistake."She swallowed hard. "Why are you telling me all this now?"His voice was low, almost a whisper. "Because if anything happens… I need you to know I didn't want you caught in the crossfire."The silence between them felt heavier than the city skyline behind them.Then, almost without thinking, Jasmine asked, "Why did you disappear back then?"Callum looked at her—really looked—and the answer was right there in his eyes, full of pain, regret, and something deeper.But before he could speak, a phone rang.He checked it. His face changed."I have to go," he said sharply."Callum—"But he was already on his feet."Stay away from the boardroom tomorrow," he warned. "Trust me."And with that, he vanished into the night, leaving Jasmine staring after him with a dozen new questions, and not a single answer.But she knew one thing for sure:Something big was coming.