The room was dim, save for the pale morning light that filtered through the drapes. Arthur stood near the window of their old shared apartment, which Nick had moved out of weeks before, clutching the USB disk containing the truth. The video was faked, the deception that almost destroyed them.
He'd watched it a dozen times, examining each frame, comparing timestamps and expressions, and noting every minor inconsistency. He had the proof, finally. And it was time to put an end to this.
Ake was not going to win. It only took time.
Nick stopped his car in front of the upmarket café where Arthur had invited him to meet. He hadn't talked to Arthur much since the revelation; he was swamped with bringing back his business that Ake was hell-bent on destroying, but Arthur demanded they do this together.
"Is he coming"?" Nick questioned quietly as he entered.
Arthur nodded and rose from his seat. "Yes," I told him, I wanted to talk alone."
Nick's jaw constricted. "So he agreed?"
"He still thinks he has a chance." Arthur's gaze narrowed. "He thinks I'll choose him if he tears you down hard enough."
Nick let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Then he's more deluded than I thought."
Ake appeared a few minutes later, smart in a blue suit, a confident look on his face, eyes locked on Arthur as if no one else in the room existed.
"Arthur," Ake replied calmly. "You look stunning as always."
Nick scoffed, crossing his arms. "Are you always this slimy, or is today special?
Ake's attention shifted to Nick, and his smile widened. "I see you've brought your husband. Sweet, "Like old times."
Arthur stepped between them. "Cut the act, Ake. We aren't here to play your games. "We know exactly what you did."
Ake faked perplexity. "What are you talking about"?"
"I'm talking about the fake video," Arthur explained, his voice frigid. "The one you sent to Nick." I traced the source and reviewed the metadata. It has been tampered with, very bad
Nick tossed a printed screenshot onto the table—frame-by-frame breakdowns with red marks. "This is what betrayal looks like when it backfires."
Ake's eyes narrowed, and his smile started to crack. "You're bluffing."
"No," Arthur replied, getting closer. "You're caught."
The atmosphere shifted. Ake's stance straightened and his jaw tightened, but he rapidly recovered. So what? Do you think anyone cares about your tiny investigation? I can still wreck both of you. I have contacts."
"You had contacts," Nick interrupted. "The majority of your lies were exposed the moment Arthur and I began probing. The gossip, the sabotage, the phony investors—it's all traceable back to you. We have statements, emails, and "even confessions."
When one shareholder's name was mentioned, Ake's face turned pale.
"You used people, manipulated them, and pushed them until they broke," Arthur added, his voice trembling slightly. "And for what? Because I did not love you back?"
"I was present when he wasn't!" Ake exclaimed, his cool exterior finally shattered. "When Nick left, I stayed! I was there; I cared for you, Arthur! I loved you in ways that he never could!
"You used me," Arthur retorted. "You pretended to be my friend and then turned my pain into a game." I was specific; I told you I was only making You told me you understood; you said you knew I still loved Nick very much. How can you change all of a sudden? Even after realizing I got married to Nick, you should have just stayed away.
"I tried to save you!" Ake's voice cracked. "Nick destroyed you once. Do you think he won't do it again?
Nick stepped nearer, his gaze fixed on Ake's. "I will spend the rest of my life making amends for the mistakes I have made. I will keep rebuilding my trust with Arthur until I get better. , on the other hand, keep producing more."
Ake looked at Arthur, desperate. "Did you really choose him? After everything
"I already chose him," Arthur explained. "Each time, even when I despised him, even after he broke my heart, it was always Nick. And it will continue to be him. He is mine forever.
Ake stayed motionless for a minute, the silence between them growing frigid and final.
"You never really saw me," he mumbled, giving Arthur a sour smile. "You just manipulated me to make him jealous. And I allowed you "because I was stupid enough to think that meant something."
"I didn't mean to hurt you," Arthur explained, his tone softening. "But I never offered you false hopes. You knew I loved Nick."
Ake nodded slowly. Then he looked at Nick with hollow eyes. "Enjoy this second chance. Let's see how long this lasts. "it will last forever," Nick replied
He left the café without looking back.
Later that evening, Arthur and Nick sat in the calm of their home, which had before felt like a battleground but was now returning to tranquility.
Neither talked for a time, the tension from the confrontation persisting.
Arthur interrupted the silence. "He won't be returning," he knows it's ove"r.
Nick slumped back on the couch and rubbed his face. "I cannot believe how close we were to losing everything again."
Arthur reached over and threaded their fingers together. "But we didn't."
Nick glanced at him with soft eyes. "Do you still love me?"
Arthur smiled, tired but genuine. "Always, even when I'm upset, even after you pushed me away. I've never stopped. Even after I have put you through, from the university stage till now we are married, I don't deserve your love, Arthur. I can't even forgive myself. I doubt you with a every given opportunity, it's not healthy Arthur, Nick's eyes were filled with tears rolling down his cheek. Arthur held his hands and assured him that he will always be there for him; they are soulmates and are meant to be forever. Against all odds, they will keep standing tall.
Nick drew him into his arms and buried his face on Arthur's throat. "Let's get started on fixing this." I do not care how long it takes. "I just want us back."
Arthur nodded and held him tight. "We will." "Take one step at a time."
The storm had gone in that tranquil moment, and while their love had been tested, what remained was something stronger than ever: a redeemed love and a future free of the shadows of the past.