Chapter 7: Secrets Unveiled

The café felt suffocating as I locked eyes with Victor Sterling. His gaze was calculating, cold, and it sent a shiver down my spine.

Julian stiffened beside me, his expression hardening as his father approached our table.

“What a coincidence, finding the two of you here,” Victor said smoothly, though there was nothing coincidental about his presence.

He slid into a chair opposite us without waiting for an invitation, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Victor,” I greeted curtly, trying to keep my voice steady. “What brings you here?”

He gave a thin smile. “Just catching up with my son. Imagine my surprise to see you here as well, Isobel. It seems fate has a way of bringing old acquaintances together.”

I glanced at Julian, whose jaw was clenched tight. He hadn’t told me his father would be joining us, and from the look on his face, he wasn’t pleased about it either.

“We were just discussing some… family matters,” Julian said, his voice tense. “Private matters.”

Victor’s smile didn’t waver. “Oh, I’m sure you were. But you see, Isobel, there are things about your family and mine that I believe you deserve to know. Things Julian might have left out.”

I felt a surge of anger. “What kind of things?”

Victor leaned back in his chair, his expression smug. “Things about your father’s involvement in certain business ventures, and how those ventures affected both our families.

Did Julian tell you about the scandal that nearly ruined Hartfield Technologies? Or how your father came to me for help when he was desperate?”

My heart pounded in my chest. “What are you talking about?”

“Enough, Dad,” Julian snapped, his voice low and dangerous. “Isobel doesn’t need to hear your version of the past. We’ve already discussed it.”

Victor’s eyes flicked to his son, a hint of amusement in them. “Have you? And did you tell her about the money laundering? About the people your father crossed to get out?”

I inhaled sharply. Julian hadn’t mentioned anything about money laundering. “What does he mean, Julian?” I demanded, turning to face him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Julian ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “It’s… complicated, Isobel. Our fathers were involved in some shady dealings back in the day. My father, more than yours. But when your father tried to pull out, he threatened to expose them all. That’s when things got dangerous.”

Victor chuckled softly. “Dangerous indeed. Your father was a fool, Isobel. He didn’t understand the kind of people he was dealing with. He thought he could walk away, but you don’t just walk away from people like that.”

I felt a wave of nausea. “And what about you, Victor? What did you do?”

Victor’s smile widened. “I did what I had to do to protect my interests. And to protect Julian, of course. Your father’s actions put us all at risk. I simply… mitigated that risk.”

I glared at him, my hands clenching into fists. “By getting involved with criminals?”

“By keeping them off our backs,” Victor corrected. “Your father’s naivety nearly cost us everything. But I made sure we were safe. That’s more than he ever did for you.”

“That’s enough,” Julian cut in, his voice sharp. “Isobel, we need to talk. Alone.”

Victor’s eyes glinted with something like satisfaction as Julian stood up and gestured for me to follow him. I hesitated, torn between wanting answers and wanting to get as far away from Victor as possible.

“Fine,” I said finally, standing up. “But this isn’t over, Victor.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Victor replied, his tone mocking. “After all, we’re practically family, aren’t we?”

I turned my back on him, following Julian out of the café and into the brisk afternoon air. We walked in silence for a few minutes, my mind racing with everything Victor had said.

When we were a safe distance away, I rounded on Julian. “What the hell was that about? What aren’t you telling me?”

Julian stopped, turning to face me with a grim expression. “I was trying to protect you, Isobel. There’s more to this than just our fathers’ business dealings.

There’s a whole network of people who would do anything to keep their secrets hidden. That’s why I didn’t want you involved.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Well, it’s too late for that now. I’m already involved. So start talking.”

Julian sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright. The truth is, our fathers got in over their heads with some very dangerous people.

People who used their companies to launder money, among other things. When your father tried to pull out, they saw it as a betrayal. And that’s when things got ugly.”

I frowned, trying to process what he was saying. “But why didn’t my father tell me any of this? Why keep it a secret?”

“Because he was afraid,” Julian said quietly. “Afraid of what they might do to you if they thought he was going to expose them. That’s why he went to my father for help. He thought Victor could protect you.”

I felt a pang of guilt, mixed with anger. My father had always been so secretive, so guarded. I’d never understood why, but now it was starting to make sense. “And your father? What did he do?”

Julian’s expression darkened. “He did what he always does. He made a deal. He promised to keep your father quiet, in exchange for their protection. But it came at a cost. A cost that’s still being paid today.”

I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself. “What kind of cost?”

Julian looked away, his jaw tightening. “Your company, Isobel. Hartfield Technologies is still under their thumb. And now that you’re digging into the past, they see you as a threat. That’s why I’ve been trying to keep you safe, to keep them from targeting you.”

My stomach dropped. “Are you saying they’re the ones who’ve been sabotaging my company?”

Julian nodded grimly. “Yes. And if we don’t find a way to stop them, they’ll destroy everything your father built. Everything you’ve worked for.”

I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. “So what do we do?”

“We work together,” Julian said firmly. “We find out who’s behind this and we take them down. But we have to be careful. We can’t trust anyone. Not even my father.”

I stared at him, searching his face for any sign of deceit. But all I saw was determination, and maybe a hint of desperation. “Alright,” I said finally. “I’ll work with you. But if I find out you’re hiding anything else from me, I’m done. Got it?”

Julian nodded. “Got it.”

Back at my office, I was trying to focus on anything other than the meeting with Julian. The weight of what I had learned was pressing down on me, making it hard to concentrate.

I knew I had to get to the bottom of this, but I couldn’t do it alone. And as much as I hated to admit it, Julian might be the only ally I had right now.

As I sifted through emails, a notification popped up on my screen. A security breach. My heart skipped a beat as I clicked on the alert, my eyes scanning the report.

It was bad. Really bad. Someone had hacked into our systems and planted a virus, corrupting files and deleting critical data. The latest project we had been working on for months was gone.

“Damn it!” I shouted, slamming my fist on the desk. How could this have happened? Who could have done this?

My phone buzzed, and I snatched it up, my hands shaking. It was a message from an unknown number. With a growing sense of dread, I opened it.

Unknown Number: You thought you could trust him? Think again. This is just the beginning.*

Attached was a screenshot of an email, supposedly from Julian, instructing someone to sabotage our systems. My blood ran cold. Was this another game, another manipulation? Or had Julian truly betrayed me?

I sat back in my chair, my mind whirling. I needed to confront Julian, to find out the truth. But if this message was real… I didn’t know who I could trust anymore.

As I sat there, staring at the screen, a knock sounded on my office door. I looked up to see Lydia standing there, her expression worried. “Isobel, what’s going on? I heard about the breach.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. “I don’t know yet. But I’m going to find out.”

Lydia nodded, stepping into the office. “And if it was Julian?”

I hesitated, my mind flashing back to everything that had happened. “Then he’s going to regret ever crossing me.”

As I said the words, I felt a renewed sense of determination. I would get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took. And if Julian was behind it… he wouldn’t know what hit him.

The door to my office suddenly burst open, and Ethan rushed in, his face pale and panicked. “Isobel, you need to see this. Now.” He handed me a tablet, showing live footage from our building’s security cameras.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched the screen. Outside, a group of men in dark suits were approaching the entrance.