Chapter 5

Emerson POV:

The giant screen behind Axel flickered to life. A glossy, professionally produced video montage began to play. It showcased 'ThrillSeeker Media' – my company, my passion project, my life's work. But the face on the screen wasn't mine. It was Alicia's.

Every daring stunt, every breathtaking landscape, every adrenaline-fueled jump – all of it had been meticulously edited to feature her. My voiceovers were replaced with hers. My name, conspicuously absent, replaced by hers. It was a digital erasure, a brutal theft of my identity.

I remembered the sleepless nights, the endless hours I spent editing, the fear I swallowed before every jump. The pride I felt seeing my vision come to life. This gallery represented four years of my work-my soul-hung on these pristine white walls. And now, it was hers.

Alicia, beaming, stepped forward as the video ended. "And with this new direction," she announced, her voice saccharine sweet, "we'll be making some exciting changes. Starting with... restructuring the team. All existing contracts will, unfortunately, be terminated."

A murmur of confusion rippled through the room. My team members, many of whom were here tonight, looked at me, their faces etched with shock and betrayal. They were my family. My support system. And she was dismantling them, effortlessly, ruthlessly.

Rage, cold and pure, surged through me. My heart hammered against my ribs, a desperate drumbeat. I had to speak. I had to expose her.

"This is a lie!" I screamed, lunging forward. "She's a thief! This is my company! My work!"

But before the words fully left my lips, a hand clamped over my mouth, stifling my cries. Axel. His grip was viselike, his eyes cold and unyielding. I struggled, clawing at his arm, but he held me fast.

"Emerson, calm down," he hissed into my ear, his voice tight with barely suppressed anger. "You're making a scene."

I thrashed, desperate to break free, desperate to reach my team, to warn them. But then, a sharp prick in my arm. A sudden, burning sensation.

My struggles weakened. My vision blurred. The room spun. A heavy drowsiness enveloped me, dragging me down into a dark, suffocating abyss.

When I woke, the room was dimly lit. My head throbbed, my limbs felt heavy, like lead. Axel was sitting beside the bed, his face grim.

Panic seized me. The studio! My team! I had to get up. I had to stop her.

"Axel!" I croaked, trying to sit up. "The studio! She's taking it! My team! I have to go!"

He pushed me gently back down, his hand resting on my forehead. "It's too late, Em. It's done."

"No!" I cried, tears streaming down my face. "It can't be! Make her stop! Tell them the truth!"

He just looked at me, a strange, hollow look in his eyes. "There's nothing to tell, Emerson. It's all legal. All above board."

A new horror dawned on me. His words. His eyes. The way he avoided my gaze. He knew. He was a part of it.

"You knew," I whispered, the words catching in my throat. "You helped her." My mind flashed back to the many times I'd shared my ideas, my passwords, my vision with him. He had always been so supportive, so interested.

He was gathering information. The realization hit me with the force of a physical blow. He had given her everything. My heart shattered into a million pieces.

I stared at him, my eyes wide with disbelief, then with a crushing, soul-deep disappointment. He tried to reach out, to cover my eyes, as if he couldn't bear to see the truth reflected there. But I pulled away, my gaze unwavering.

My chest tightened, a suffocating pain. I couldn't breathe. "Why?" I choked out, tears streaming down my face. "Why, Axel? After everything?"

He gently wiped a tear from my cheek, his touch surprisingly tender, yet utterly devoid of understanding. "Emerson, you don't need that little studio. It was just a hobby, an indulgence." His voice was soothing, but his words were a betrayal. "I'll get you something better. A chain of luxury boutiques. Anything you want."

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Alicia... she needs this, Em. Her family lost everything helping mine. Her marriage was a disaster. I owe her. We owe her." He looked at me, his eyes pleading for understanding. "This is a small price to pay, considering."

My mind reeled. A small price? My life's work. My identity. My sense of self. All for his misplaced guilt, his twisted sense of debt.

I looked at him, my hope, my love, fading into a cold, hard resolve. He would never stand with me. He would never choose me.

"My team," I whispered, a final plea. "Please, Axel. Don't let her fire them. They're good people. Talented. They have families."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Emerson, I can't interfere with Alicia's decisions. It's her studio now."

The finality of his words was a death knell. My throat closed up. My hands fell limp at my sides. He had condemned them. He had condemned me. The world, once a vibrant tapestry of possibility, had shrunk to a dark, suffocating cage.