Jaden's footsteps echoed down the hallway of his penthouse.
The city lights below shimmered like fallen stars, but his thoughts were far from beautiful.
He poured himself a glass of whiskey, sat by the window, and finally unlocked his phone.
The message glared back at him:
> "You can't hide her forever, Jaden. She deserves to know the truth." – A.
He exhaled sharply, setting the glass down with a thud.
Of all the people to resurface tonight, it had to be him.
The initials "A." burned in his mind. Alexander — his half-brother.
The one person who knew everything about the past he swore to bury.
Jaden closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting unwillingly to that night — the deal gone wrong, the betrayal, the loss that changed everything.
And now Lydia… she reminded him too much of what he'd once loved and lost.
He clenched his jaw. No. She can't know. Not yet.
Not about the woman he failed to save.
Not about the empire built on something darker than money.
His phone buzzed again.
> A: "You think you can keep playing hero? She'll find out sooner or later."
Jaden didn't respond this time. He simply typed one line before tossing the phone onto the couch:
> Jaden: "Stay away from her."
Then he looked out at the skyline again — and for the first time in years, his confidence cracked.
---
Meanwhile, Lydia sat by her window, still in her dress, replaying every word he said that night.
He'd gone from charming to cold in seconds. It wasn't just business — she was sure of it.
> "You see through things I'd rather keep buried."
Those words haunted her. What exactly was he hiding?
And why did it feel like getting close to him would change everything?
She sighed, looking at her phone — no text, no call, nothing.
Her heart wanted to reach out.
Her mind whispered, Don't.
But deep down, Lydia already knew the truth.
Whatever
secrets Jaden was hiding — she was already part of them.