Chapter 5 Dangerous Truths

Dangerous Truths

Isabella

By the time we returned to the office, I felt as though I had barely survived a high-stakes negotiation. Lunch with Adrian had been more than just a meal-it had been a test. Every glance, every carefully worded question had been a move in whatever game he was playing.

And I hated that I was still trying to figure out the rules.

I stepped into my office, exhaling sharply as I set my bag down on the desk. The sleek, minimalist decor of my workspace did little to soothe my nerves. The modern glass walls gave me a clear view of the bustling floor outside-employees moving efficiently through their tasks, focused on their work, oblivious to the turmoil I was battling inside.

I smoothed my hands over the surface of my desk before sinking into my chair. The files Adrian had given me that morning still sat neatly stacked in front of me, waiting to be reviewed. Legal work had always been my refuge, a place where logic trumped emotion. If I focused on the work, I could ignore the fact that Adrian Sinclair still had the ability to unravel me.

Taking a deep breath, I flipped open the first document. The text blurred slightly before coming into focus-pages upon pages of legal jargon detailing Sinclair Enterprises' ongoing merger with a European conglomerate. It was a deal worth billions, and the stakes were high. A single misstep in the contracts could cost the company millions.

I reached for my pen and began making notes in the margins, immersing myself in the precise wording of each clause, dissecting its implications. For a while, I succeeded in pushing everything else aside.

Until a knock at my office door broke my concentration.

I looked up, my pulse quickening slightly as Ethan Carter stepped inside.

Dressed in a sharp charcoal suit, he carried himself with an effortless confidence that reminded me of Adrian-polished, poised, and always in control. His gaze flickered over my desk before settling on me, an easy smile playing on his lips.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked, though he was already moving toward the chair opposite mine.

I straightened in my seat, schooling my expression. "Of course, Mr. Carter."

"Just Ethan," he corrected smoothly as he sat down, crossing one leg over the other. "No need for formalities."

There was something in his tone that made me wary-an underlying curiosity that set me on edge.

"So," he began, resting his elbow on the armrest and leaning slightly forward, "you're the woman everyone's whispering about."

I arched a brow. "I wasn't aware I was a topic of interest."

Ethan chuckled. "Adrian personally hiring someone? That's bound to make people curious. He doesn't do that. Ever." He studied me for a beat. "But I prefer to form my own impressions. So tell me, Isabella-why did you really leave Westford & Co.?"

My fingers tensed around my pen.

There it was again.

That question.

I met his gaze with carefully measured neutrality. "Personal reasons."

Ethan didn't react right away. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, watching me as though assessing a chessboard before making his next move.

"That's a very... careful answer," he noted, his lips curving.

"Because it's the truth," I replied evenly.

A charged silence stretched between us before he finally nodded.

"Fair enough," he said as he stood, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve. "But if you ever feel like sharing the real story, I'd be very interested."

I forced a tight smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

Ethan's smirk deepened as he turned and strolled toward the door.

Only when he was gone did I allow myself to exhale.

I didn't like this.

Adrian was already looking into my past. Now, it seemed his people were, too.

And that meant I had to be even more careful.

---

Adrian

From my office, I had a direct view of Isabella through the glass wall that separated our workspaces.

I had watched as Ethan walked into her office, watched the way her shoulders tensed slightly, the way she masked her reaction with a composed expression.

She was good.

But not good enough.

I had spent years mastering the ability to read people-to pick apart the minute tells that revealed what they were truly thinking. And Isabella? She was hiding something.

I leaned back in my chair, drumming my fingers against the desk.

Ethan had been testing her.

I didn't blame him. I had done the same thing.

But something about the way she reacted to the mention of Westford & Co. didn't sit right with me.

I reached for my phone and dialed a familiar number.

A gruff voice answered. "What do you need?"

"I want you to go deeper into Isabella Reed's departure from Westford & Co.," I said smoothly. "Whatever's being hidden-I want to know it."

There was a pause before the voice responded, "This isn't the first request we've had about her."

I straightened slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Someone else has been looking into her, too. Recently."

A slow, cold wave of suspicion settled over me.

"Find out who," I ordered.

Because if someone else was already digging into Isabella-

Then I wasn't the only one who knew she was hiding something.

---

Isabella

The hours passed in a blur of contracts and legal briefings, and by the time evening rolled around, I had managed to push aside the gnawing anxiety in my chest.

I gathered my things, slipping my laptop into my bag before shrugging on my coat. The office was quieter now, with most employees having already left for the day.

Just as I stepped out of my office, I nearly collided with Adrian.

His gaze locked onto mine, unreadable. "Going somewhere?"

I swallowed, shifting my bag on my shoulder. "Home. It's late."

"Walk with me."

It wasn't a request.

Wordlessly, I fell into step beside him, my pulse unsteady as he led me toward his office.

The floor-to-ceiling windows framed the city skyline, the glittering lights of Manhattan stretching into the distance. The view was breathtaking, but I barely noticed.

Adrian turned to face me, his hands casually in his pockets, his expression deceptively calm.

"Why did you leave Westford & Co.?"

My stomach clenched.

Not this again.

I forced my voice to remain steady. "I already answered that question."

"And I already told you I don't believe you." His tone was smooth, but there was something sharper beneath it. "Something happened there, Isabella. Something you don't want me to know."

I forced myself to hold his gaze. "It's none of your business."

He took a step closer, erasing the space between us. "Everything about you is my business now."

My breath hitched.

This wasn't just about the job.

It was about power. Control.

And Adrian Sinclair was a man who didn't like being kept in the dark.

I turned away. "If you hired me expecting me to be an open book, then maybe I'm not the right person for this job."

A tense silence filled the air.

Then, to my surprise, Adrian let out a low chuckle.

"Now why would I let you go," he murmured, "when the game is just getting interesting?"

His words sent a shiver down my spine.

Because I had the sinking feeling that whatever game Adrian Sinclair was playing-

I was already losing.