The weight of Victoria's visit lingered like a shadow that refused to lift. Even hours later, after she'd left without another word, the leather-bound folder remained on my kitchen island, a constant reminder of the fragile foundation my life now stood upon.
I touched the worn leather cover lightly, as if it might bite.
The truth was a knife — sharp and precise.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to hold it or throw it away.
—
I hadn't slept.
How could I?
My mind replayed the photos and letters, the cold words penned by the man I had married.
"She's useful—but dangerous."
What did that even mean?
I felt both like a weapon and a target.
I paced the penthouse, the click of my heels an uneven metronome to my spiraling thoughts.
I needed answers.
But first, I needed clarity.
—
The next morning, I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the city awaken under a gray sky.
My phone buzzed again.
Aiden.
"Please. We need to talk. I didn't want you to find out this way."
I didn't reply.
Instead, I sent a message to Elias Wolfe, the man I had tentatively trusted.
"Can we meet? Urgent."
Minutes later, his text came back.
"Coffee at Blackwood Foundation in 30."
—
Elias was waiting, calm and professional as ever, but his eyes showed concern.
"Scarlett," he said immediately. "Victoria came to see you?"
I nodded.
"She dropped a folder on me," I said flatly. "Photos, letters… things I never wanted to see."
He sighed. "She's protective, in her way."
"Protective or warning?"
"Both," he admitted. "The Blackwoods have a long history of controlling everything and everyone. Including their own family."
I swallowed hard.
"Did Aiden know you were meeting me?" I asked.
"No. And if he did, he wouldn't approve."
"Good." I ran my hands over the folder's edge. "I need to know how deep this goes. If he's playing me…"
"He's definitely playing something," Elias said. "But not necessarily you."
I looked at him, confused.
"What do you mean?"
Elias hesitated.
"Victoria's visit wasn't just about warning you. It's about a bigger game inside the family. A power struggle."
I frowned.
"Are you saying I'm caught in the middle?"
He nodded.
"Exactly."
—
The coffee meeting left me shaken but more focused.
I had to get ahead of this.
Before anyone else decided my fate.
—
That afternoon, I returned to the penthouse with a plan.
I pulled open my laptop and started combing through every email, message, and document Aiden had ever sent me.
Looking for anything that might explain the gaps.
The lies.
The secrets.
But all I found were carefully worded promises.
Empty of real emotion.
—
My thoughts were interrupted by the soft ding of the door.
I glanced up to see Aiden entering, his presence filling the space like a storm about to break.
He didn't say hello.
He didn't ask if I was okay.
He just looked at me.
And the folder.
—
"We need to talk," he said, voice low.
I stood, heart pounding.
"About Victoria's visit."
His eyes darkened.
"I warned her to stay away."
"Clearly, she didn't listen."
He stepped closer.
"You don't understand what you're dealing with."
"Try me."
He ran a hand through his hair, frustration flickering in his gaze.
"This family… they're ruthless."
"And I'm just collateral?"
"No."
He paused.
"You're more than that."
The words hung between us, heavy with meaning I wasn't sure I could accept.
—
I swallowed hard.
"Why keep these secrets?"
"Because some truths could destroy you."
I shook my head.
"Or they could destroy us."
—
We spent hours talking.
For the first time, the mask slipped.
Aiden showed me pieces of his past — fractured memories, betrayals, a childhood where love was conditional and trust was a luxury.
I listened, my heart breaking and hardening all at once.
Because I realized that beneath the cold exterior was a man fighting his own demons.
—
But trust?
Trust was still fragile.
—
The next day, I confronted Travis.
If Aiden's past was a shadow, Travis was the ghost haunting my present.
I met him in a quiet café.
His smile was easy, too easy.
But his eyes were sharp.
"Scarlett," he said, voice smooth. "I hear things are… complicated."
"Understatement."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"You don't have to be alone."
I stared.
"Are you offering help or warning?"
"Both," he said cryptically.
I stood, ready to leave.
But he grabbed my wrist.
"Watch your back."
—
Back at the penthouse, I sat in silence.
The stakes had never been higher.
I was surrounded by secrets.
By men whose games could break me.
But I wasn't ready to fold.
—
I sent a message to Elias.
"I'm ready to move forward. Let's expose the truth — all of it."
His reply was immediate.
"I'm with you."
—
That night, as the city lights twinkled below, I stood by the window and whispered to myself:
I won't be anyone's pawn.
Not anymore.