The metallic glint of the earbud on the marble dressing table felt like a live grenade. But years of living in a house full of deception had taught her how to build a camouflage in seconds.
She didn't flinch. She didn't gasp. Slowly, she pulled herself up and leaned forward, as if the small white object were merely a curiosity.
"Oh, I was wondering where that went," she said, her voice terrifyingly steady. She met Tony's eyes. "It must have fallen out when I went for my run this morning. Where did you find it?"
Tony's eyes narrowed. The silence in the room stretched, thick and suffocating.
"I found it by the elevator," he rasped. It was a lie. They both knew it. "You should be more careful with your things."
"I will be," Emily murmured.
Tony turned toward the door. But just before he could reach it her voice stopped him.
"Why would I go to the old mill at Black Creek? It's a ruin."
The strike hit home. Tony's gaze met hers. He could see her daring him to answer but he couldn't press further. To admit he knew she was at the mill was to admit he had been there, too, standing over Scott Raymond's body.
"You should get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day with the ground breaking ceremony for Project Titan and I will need you by my side at all times."
"Of course, what use am I? If not to be at your side all the time," she mocked. "The little girl you married out of your benevolence."
Tony's jaw tightened, a flash of fury flickering in his eyes. He left without another word.
As the door clicked shut, Emily let out a breath that felt like glass.
***
The steam from the shower filled the master suite of Victoria's apartment. Alex stepped out, a towel slung low on his hips, but his mind was still trapped in the swamp of Black Creek.
"Where were you, Alex?"
Victoria stood by the window, dressed in a sharp, ivory suit that screamed corporate power. She had her eyes on her phone, her thumb tapping against the screen.
"What?" Alex's voice wavered.
"You left before I woke up. You didn't come for the team meeting. Then I came home to find you in my shower." She finally looked at him with a disappointing stare. "So, where were you all day?"
"I… I had to run an errand for my uncle," he managed.
"Really?" Victoria tilted her head. "Because he called me asking how the meeting went. He said he couldn't reach you."
Alex froze.
"I had to tell him it went well even though it didn't hold," she continued, stepping closer. "If I am going to put my neck on the line, I need to know where you were."
Alex let out a long sigh,
"Is this about the Cosgrove factor? Victoria asked, "I love you Alex but I can't let you screw this up for my father. Should I talk to Tony about this?"
"No… No, I told you, I am on board."
"Then what happened?"
Alex forced his face into a disguise of burning shame. He looked at the floor. "It's… embarrassing."
Victoria stared at him, waiting.
"I went home to get ready. Left early. I stopped for Chinese food, and for some reason… my body didn't agree with it." He let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "I tried to make it home, but I didn't even get out of the park before I lost… control. Your place was closer so I came here to clean up."
The silence stretched for a heartbeat before Victoria broke into a genuine laugh. The tension in her shoulders vanished.
"You should have called me," she said, her voice dripping with mock concern.
"And say what? 'Hey beautiful, your fiance pooed his pants. He's a big baby who needs a diaper?'"
Victoria laughed again, moving closer to him. "Come on Alex, if we are going to be married, we need to be able to tell each other anything. Even the most embarrassing."
Alex nodded, his heart still pounding. "You are right. I'm sorry about the meeting. And… Thanks for having my back."
"Always, darling."
She reached out, her fingers grazing his chest as she began to unbutton the shirt he'd just started to put on. "Well, since the meeting did not hold and the ground breaking ceremony is tomorrow, we have a lot to discuss. Why not stay the night?"
She leaned in, her lips pressing against his in a slow, lingering kiss.
Alex felt her warmth, the scent of her expensive perfume, the soft press of her body against his. But inside? Nothing. Yet he had to stay and play the doting fiancé.
***
At the construction site, the air smelt of fresh turned earth and expensive perfume. Tony, Richard, Victoria, and Alex stood on the podium with golden shovels, flashing 'perfect' smiles for a sea of cameras. It was a 'New Era,' but as Alex watched the ground dug, all he saw was a grave.
At the reception, the champagne flowed like water. Soft music played and cameras flashed.
Alex found Emily near the bar, her emerald dress a sharp strike against the sterile white of the tent.
"Dance with me," he whispered, his hand sliding around her waist before she could protest.
"Alex, people are watching," she said, but let him lead her to the center of the floor.
As they moved together, the heat between them was the only thing that felt real in the crowded room.
"Tony is onto me," she whispered against his ear. "He found my earbud."
"No wonder he's been watching you like a hawk," Alex replied, his hand sliding a small, heavy object into her hand. "I got you a burner. Call Lawrence. If you need to meet up or go to the bank, this is your only window. You may never get another with his guard swarming over you. Let me know when you are going so I'll cover up for you."
As the song peaked, Alex and Emily locked eyes, the air between them charged. They leaned in, the world blurring until their lips were inches apart, only for the music to stop. Applause erupted, shattering the moment and dragging them back to reality. They pulled apart and blended into the clapping crowd.
A few yards away, Victoria stood there, two glasses of champagne in her hand, her eyes burning with fury.
In a secluded corner, Dave Cosgrove and Richard Hart talked in hush tones.
"You need to talk to him, Richard." Cosgrove said. "You assured him he had control when you linked me with him. But I think he is beginning to lose it."
Richard signaled to Tony, who detached himself from a group of elite men and joined them.
"Cosgrove says Emily is becoming a problem," Richard began, "Why didn't you tell me about Old mill?"
"It's nothing to worry about," Tony replied, "I got it handled."
"Did you?" Cosgrove countered, "I can take her off your hands for free for the sake of this partnership."
"Back off, Dave," Tony's voice was a low, dangerous growl. "I handle my own house."
Cosgrove leaned in, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You didn't seem to have a handle on things when you wanted her father gone."
The air between them turned electric with the threat of violence.
"Okay, now, both of you, ease up." Richard stepped in. "The cameras are watching.".
They both straightened, their lethal expressions vanishing in a seamless transition.
Tony brushed past them, his face a storm of suppressed rage. He didn't get far before Victoria intercepted him, extending a flute of champagne like it was a peace offering. He collected and drowned it in one go.
"We need to talk about Emily… And Alex," her gaze hardening into ice.
Tony stopped in his tracks.
***
Emily slipped into the ladies' room, her heart pounding. She pulled out the burner and yellow parchment paper, her fingers trembling as she dialed Lawrence.
"Hello?" a woman's voice answered.
"It's Emily Lawson. I need to speak to Lawrence."
"Hello Emily," the woman's voice was calm. "You have a package to pick up. Meet me at the corner of 5th and Main in thirty minutes, nothing more."
Emily's blood turned to ice. She shoved the phone away and bolted for the door, her mind racing. She had to move. Now.
As she reached the tent's exit, a voice cut through the air.
"Going somewhere, Mrs Torredo?"
She turned to see Amos, Tony's most trusted and lethal guard.
"I am just going for fresh air," Emily lied, "I will be right back."
"Mr. Torredo wants you. Now." Amos growled.
"Of course. Tell him I will be there in a moment."
She tried to go, but he stepped forward, his hand gripping Emily's arm with a strength that left no room for escape.
"Now."
Emily looked back toward the ballroom, but Alex was already being pulled away by Richard Hart. She was trapped. And the thirty-minute clock was already ticking.