Chapter 2

The morning after seeing Lucas once more, I felt like I hadn’t slept in any respect. My mind had been spinning, replaying the entirety he said, seeking to make experience of it. His apology saved bouncing around in my head. It felt unreal—like some cruel twist of fate that he become again in my existence, commencing old wounds.

I dragged myself to work, hoping to lose myself in my obligations, but my thoughts refused to cognizance. I saved zoning out, staring at my display screen, and slightly making sense of the emails piling up. Mia, my assistant, noticed proper away.

“You appear off nowadays. Is everything k?”

I forced a smile, even though it felt susceptible. “Yeah, just... A lot on my thoughts.”

She didn’t push similarly, but her worried appearance made me recognise how badly I turned into hiding my emotions. I didn’t need to speak approximately Lucas with all people, specifically considering I didn’t even recognise how I felt myself. I wasn’t equipped for the flood of questions or judgments.

Later, at some stage in lunch, I called Sarah. I wished to talk to a person, and she or he’d always been there for me through thick and thin. We met at a espresso keep no longer far from my workplace, and the second one I sat down with my cappuccino, I knew I couldn’t keep lower back anymore.

“How are you doing?” Sarah requested, her voice filled with subject.

I sighed, staring down at my cup. “Lucas is returned. He apologized, said he desired to make things proper, but... I don’t recognize, Sarah. Part of me desires to see him go through for what he did. But any other part of me… I just don’t know what to assume.”

Sarah leaned ahead, her expression soft. “It’s understandable. He harm you badly, Emma. But you don’t ought to rush into whatever. Take some time to determine out what you actually need.”

I nodded, even though it didn’t ease the knot in my stomach. “I just don’t want to react out of anger. I need to suppose in reality.”

We talked a bit greater before my phone buzzed. It was Daniel Reed, my former lawyer. He desired to fulfill to talk about something important, and I agreed to look him that afternoon. My curiosity changed into piqued—what may want to Daniel have to inform me now?

When I met him at a café, he smiled warmly, but something about his demeanor seemed off.

“I heard Lucas is again,” Daniel said. “I’ve been looking into some vintage files and located some thing you might need to realize.”

“What is it?” I asked, my heart suddenly pounding.

“I missed some matters again then. It seems Cassandra manipulated lots greater than we first of all thought. She performed a larger function to your cut up with Lucas than either of you realized.”

My blood ran cold. “So, Cassandra become pulling the strings this complete time?”

Daniel nodded. “I’m nevertheless piecing matters together, however it looks as if she orchestrated the entire fallout among you two.”

The anger I felt became nearly suffocating. Cassandra—Lucas’s supposed ‘buddy’—had continually seemed too worried, too inquisitive about what turned into happening between us. But I in no way imagined she’d move this far. Now, matters have been beginning to make feel, however it didn’t make the betrayal hurt any less.

“Thank you for this, Daniel,” I stated, my mind racing. “I want to understand everything.”

“I’ll maintain digging,” Daniel promised. “And if you want any felony recommendation, I’m here.”

As I left the café, I felt a surge of determination. I wasn’t just going to take a seat lower back and let matters unravel on their own. If Cassandra was in the back of this, I changed into going to make certain she faced the outcomes.

That night, I attended a enterprise birthday party, hoping to distract myself with work. The track, the laughter, the conversations—it must’ve helped. But all I should consider turned into Lucas and the entirety Daniel had simply informed me.

Toward the stop of the night, Lucas texted, asking to fulfill once more. At first, I neglected it, looking to hold my distance, but finally, curiosity got the higher of me. I agreed to fulfill him for coffee tomorrow.

The following afternoon, I walked into the café and found Lucas waiting at a corner desk. He stood as I approached, his expression cautious, almost worried.

“Thanks for assembly me,” he said as I sat down. “I recognize you’re busy.”

“I’ve been questioning loads approximately what you said,” I replied, preserving my tone even. “You said you need to make matters right.”

He nodded, looking extra serious than I’d ever visible him. “I do. I’ve been considering the whole lot that went incorrect, and I need to show to you that I’ve modified.”

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my palms. “What precisely do you have got in mind?”

“I want that will help you, Emma. I need to help carry Cassandra’s lies into the open. I know she’s liable for lots of what befell between us, and I need to make amends, no longer only for you, but for myself too.”

My heart raced. The concept of Lucas helping to show Cassandra become tempting, however I couldn’t permit myself agree with him so without difficulty. “How do I know this isn’t simply any other way to get me lower back?”

Lucas sighed, rubbing the returned of his neck. “I recognize why you’d experience that manner, however this isn’t about us getting lower back collectively. It’s about doing what’s right. I want to restoration the mess I made, and I understand helping you with Cassandra is step one.”

I studied him, searching his face for any signs and symptoms of deception. But all I saw changed into a man who regarded without a doubt remorseful.

“Okay,” I said ultimately. “But understand this, Lucas—I’m still cautious. I need to see real actions, not simply phrases.”

Relief washed over him, and he nodded. “I’ll prove it to you, Emma. Whatever it takes.”

As I left the café, I felt a strange mix of wish and uncertainty. Lucas was presenting to assist, however I wasn’t certain if I may want to accept as true with him yet. The street ahead changed into going to be long and complicated, but at least now, I had extra portions of the puzzle. And I wasn’t going to permit every person—specifically Cassandra—break out with what they'd accomplished.

Later that evening, Daniel referred to as once more with more facts. Cassandra’s involvement became deeper than we had thought, and we had to act quickly. I agreed to satisfy him the next day. This was a long way from over.

As I lay in bed that night time, I knew one element for certain: I wasn’t going to permit anybody control my life again. This time, I changed into going to fight again.