Chapter 3 The Leak.

Alex's breath caught as Maya's eyes scanned the headline again, disbelief and fear mingling in her expression.

"This... this means everyone knows," she whispered, voice trembling. "The media, your business rivals, even your family."

Alex nodded, swallowing hard. "It's worse than I thought. Someone wanted this out and they wanted it out fast."

Maya stepped back, closing the door behind her. "We need to talk. But not here. Not with phones and cameras everywhere."

He looked at her, the weight of their shared secret now fully exposed between them. "I have to protect you and my family. We have to figure out who did this, and how to stop it from destroying everything."

Outside, the city buzzed, unaware that the life of one of its most powerful men was unraveling by the hour.

Alex pulled Maya inside, closing the door quietly behind them. The apartment's warm light contrasted sharply with the storm raging inside his mind.

"We need to be smart," he said, pacing the small living room. "If this leak was deliberate, it means someone close, someone with access."

Maya nodded, crossing her arms. "You think it's a business rival?"

"Maybe. Or someone in my circle who wants to see me fall." He ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. "Either way, we can't let them control the narrative."

She met his gaze, steady despite the fear. "Then we fight.

Alex shook his head. " I need to know who's behind this. If Evelyn sees this from the media ... it'll destroy her."

Maya's voice softened. "And what about us? How long can we keep pretending this didn't happen?"

Before Alex could answer, his phone buzzed again with a message from an unknown number.

He glanced at the screen, eyes narrowing.

The message was simple and chilling:

"You're running out of time, Alex. Choose wisely."

Alex stared at the message, his jaw tightening. "This just got more dangerous."

He looked up at Maya, his voice low but urgent. "They know about the affair. The kids probably know too. They heard Evelyn and I arguing this morning, but... they don't know it's you."

Maya's eyes widened, a flicker of relief mixed with apprehension crossing her face. "So they think it's... someone else?"

"Exactly. That's why we have a little time, but not much. Once they figure out it's you, everything changes."

She nodded slowly, biting her lip. "I want to protect them, Alex. Your family. But this secret is tearing me apart."

He reached out, taking her hand briefly. "I don't want to lose you. But I also can't lose my family. We have to be careful."

The weight of the secret pressed down on them both, heavier than ever.

Outside, the city's lights flickered like distant warnings as the clock ticked toward an inevitable reckoning.

Meanwhile, across town, Evelyn sat at the kitchen table. Jason and Karen sat opposite her, their expressions guarded but exhausted.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I know things have been hard lately... harder than I ever wanted for us." Her voice cracked slightly, but she kept her eyes on them. "Whatever you're feeling, anger, confusion, sadness, it's okay. You're not alone."

Jason clenched his jaw, breaking the silence. "Mom, it's not just hard. It's a mess. Dad lied to all of us."

Karen's eyes filled with tears. "How could he do this? To us... to you?"

Evelyn swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't have all the answers. But I promise you, I'm going to do everything I can to protect you both. No matter what happens, we face this as a family, remember?"

Jason's voice softened, but the hurt remained. "Does this mean the marriage is over?"

Evelyn hesitated, then shook her head. "I don't know yet. But right now, what matters is that we stick together. We'll figure out the rest, one day at a time."

As the kids absorbed her words, a sharp ping from her phone broke the fragile calm. A message from an unknown number flashed on the screen:

"You don't know the half of it, Evelyn." Her fingers trembled as she read it.

Evelyn's phone buzzed relentlessly, messages flooding in from friends, colleagues, and even news alerts; her husband's scandal was out, plastered all over the city. Whispers and rumors spread like wildfire. Her world was crumbling in real-time.

Her voice firm but shaking, she turned to Jason and Karen. "Go to your rooms. Lock the doors. Stay there until I say otherwise." She couldn't let them witness the storm about to break loose.

Clutching her coat, Evelyn's mind raced as she pieced together the final detail, one of the photos showed the unmistakable doorway to Maya's apartment. The other woman. The betrayal was no longer a secret.

Determined, she drove through the city streets, rage tightening her chest, heart pounding like a war drum. Arriving at Maya's building, she stormed inside and up the stairs without hesitation.

When Maya opened the door, Evelyn didn't hesitate. Words became screams, fury unleashed. "You! How dare you!" Her hands lashed out, slapping Maya fiercely. Shocked, Maya tried to shield herself as Evelyn shoved her, her nails digging into Maya's arms.

Alex appeared, helpless, pleading. "Evelyn, please-stop! This isn't the way."

But Evelyn's wrath was merciless. She tore at Maya's blouse, ripping fabric as she screamed accusations. Neighbors peeked from doorways, horrified, murmuring "Husband snatcher!" and "Shame on her!"

Maya's tears streamed freely as she crumpled to the floor, begging for mercy. "Evelyn, please, I never meant to hurt your family. I love him."

Evelyn's voice was cold as ice. "Love? You stole my husband. You're poison." Alex watched, torn, unable to stop the chaos unfolding before him.

Evelyn's chest heaved with rage as she finally stepped back, leaving a trembling Maya slumped near the doorway. With one last piercing glare, Evelyn turned on her heel and stormed down the stairwell.

At the building's entrance, a swarm of reporters awaited, their cameras flashing, microphones pushed forward.

"Mrs. Carrington! How does it feel to confront your husband's betrayal face-to-face?"

"Are you considering divorce?"

"Do you regret the years you spent with Alex?"

Evelyn's icy gaze swept over them. She said nothing at first, her silence louder than any answer. Then, with a voice steady but cold, she said, "This is a private matter. But rest assured, I will not be a victim."

Her words hung in the air as she pushed past the crowd, leaving a trail of stunned silence and a city hungry for the next chapter in the Carrington scandal.