The day had started like any other, the sun streaming through the office windows as Amelia sat at her desk, reviewing the latest set of financial reports. But there was something different about today. A heavy weight hung in the air, an unease she couldn't shake. It had been building over the past few weeks—the strange tension between her, Liam, and Julian, the unanswered questions about her father that had lingered in the back of her mind for months. And now, a new piece of the puzzle had arrived, a piece that threatened to change everything.
Amelia leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples, trying to focus. She had been juggling her responsibilities at work with her complicated personal life—her increasing feelings for both Liam and Julian, the growing distance between her and her father, and the ongoing uncertainty about the true nature of her family's business. But it was this latest discovery that threatened to unravel everything she thought she knew.
Her phone buzzed, the sudden noise breaking her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen: Private Number. She hesitated for a moment before answering, knowing that at this point, anything could be a sign of something important.
"Hello?" she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Amelia, it's Nick," the voice on the other end of the line said, a name that made her heart skip a beat. Nick was one of her father's old associates, someone she hadn't spoken to in years. She hadn't even realized he was still alive, let alone still connected to her father's business.
"Nick? What's going on?" Amelia asked, her pulse quickening. She hadn't expected to hear from him, especially not now, not when so much was hanging in the balance.
"I've got something you need to see," he replied, his voice low and serious. "It's about your father."
Amelia's stomach twisted in knots. Her father had been an enigma for as long as she could remember—his work, his relationships, his secrets. She had spent so many years trying to piece together the truth about him, but it had always seemed just out of reach. And now, it seemed like Nick was offering her a piece of the puzzle that could shatter everything.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice shaky despite her attempts to remain calm.
"You need to come to the office," Nick insisted. "I'll explain everything when you get here. Just don't tell anyone, especially not your father."
The warning in his tone made her heart race. Amelia's mind was already spinning with questions, but she knew she couldn't ignore the call. This was too important.
"Okay," she said, after a long pause. "I'll be there in an hour."
Amelia arrived at the small office building in downtown Manhattan just as the sun was beginning to set, the city skyline casting long shadows across the street. She didn't know why, but something about the place felt familiar—like a ghost from her past that had been lurking just out of sight. It was as though everything she had tried to forget about her father's world was suddenly being dragged back to the surface.
Nick was waiting for her in the lobby, his graying hair and weathered face marking him as someone who had seen far more than he should have. He stood up as soon as she walked in, his expression grim.
"You came," he said, his voice low.
"Of course I came," Amelia replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "What's this about, Nick?"
He didn't answer immediately, instead leading her down a narrow hallway to a small, windowless office at the end. Inside, there was a large desk piled with papers, an old computer, and a single chair across from it. Nick motioned for her to sit down, and after a moment's hesitation, she did.
Nick sat down across from her, his gaze never leaving her face. "This isn't going to be easy to hear," he said quietly. "But you need to know the truth about your father. About what he was really involved in."
Amelia felt a chill run through her at the mention of her father. She had never truly known what he did in his spare time, what he had been involved in before his death, but she had always assumed it was business as usual—manipulation, power plays, maybe a little corruption here and there. But this… this felt different.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nick hesitated, his hands trembling slightly as he opened a folder on the desk. He pulled out several pieces of paper, laying them carefully in front of her.
"Your father wasn't just running a business," Nick said, his voice thick with emotion. "He was involved in something much darker. Something far more dangerous than anyone ever knew."
Amelia's breath caught in her throat as she looked down at the papers. They were legal documents, contracts, and correspondence, all relating to a series of shady deals—deals that her father had never once mentioned to her, let alone included her in. These were not the kind of business transactions she had grown up with. These were about power, control, and manipulation on a much larger scale. And as she read through the papers, the name that kept cropping up was Liam Blackthorne.
Liam.
Her heart sank as she read the details. Her father had been involved in a series of high-stakes business dealings with Liam's family, deals that had gone sour. The documents suggested that her father had been using illegal methods to try to regain control of these ventures, attempting to force Liam's family out of certain deals by any means necessary. Blackmail, coercion, and even threats.
Amelia's mind raced, the pieces clicking together in a way she hadn't expected. The animosity between Liam and her father, the tension between them—it wasn't just personal. It was business, deadly business, rooted in betrayal, manipulation, and power struggles that stretched far beyond anything she had imagined.
"This is…" Amelia began, her voice shaking. "This is why Liam hates my father, isn't it? This is why he's been doing everything he can to destroy my family."
Nick nodded slowly, his face etched with sorrow. "Yes. Your father was trying to destroy Liam's family, and in turn, Liam had his own plans for revenge. He's been using you as part of that plan, whether you realize it or not."
Amelia felt the floor beneath her shift. All this time, she had believed she was just a pawn in some twisted game between Liam and her father, but now, she realized the truth: She had been part of a much bigger, much darker web of lies and deceit. Liam hadn't just been manipulating her. He had been using her as a weapon against her own family.
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back. "So all of this… everything we've been through, everything I've been feeling—it was a lie? A game?"
Nick didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes. Amelia stood up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. She couldn't stay here, couldn't look at these papers anymore. She needed to leave, to process everything she had just learned.
"I need to go," she said quickly, her voice cracking. "I need to think."
Nick reached out to stop her, but she shook her head, backing away. "I can't do this right now. I need to be alone."
Without another word, she turned and left the office, the weight of the truth pressing down on her like a heavy stone. The city outside seemed distant and cold as she made her way back to her apartment, her mind reeling from the revelations. She had trusted Liam, had let him in, but now… now everything felt like a lie. Her world had been turned upside down, and she had no idea where to go from here.
As she sat in her apartment, the hours slipping by unnoticed, Amelia realized she had a choice to make. She could confront Liam, demand the truth from him, or she could walk away, leave it all behind. But whatever she chose, nothing would ever be the same again.