Chapter 18: The Weight of Secrets
Elena spent the night pacing the length of her guest room, her bare feet silent on the carpet. The system's mission pulsed in her head like a countdown she couldn't silence.
[ Mission: Share a Vulnerability with Target. Time Remaining: 71:02:15 ]
Every second ticked like a hammer. She could still feel Adrian's storm from earlier—the grief, the rage, the sharp wound of betrayal that had never healed. His confession about his uncle had been devastating. And now the system demanded her turn.
But what could she give?
If I tell him the truth about my past, will he use it against me one day? Or… will he see me differently? Less?
She hugged herself tightly. Her father's debts. The nights she had gone without food. The betrayal of the one man she once trusted, who had abandoned her when she had nothing. The scars she kept hidden were ugly, shameful. Could she really bare them to Adrian Blackwood—the man who seemed untouchable?
And yet… hadn't he already bared his?
Her chest hurt with the weight of it.
---
By morning, she dragged herself into the living room, exhausted but determined. Adrian was already there, seated on the leather sofa, jacket off, tie undone, sleeves rolled up as he scrolled through documents on his tablet. His jaw was set, but his eyes flicked up immediately when she entered.
"You didn't sleep again," he observed softly.
Elena forced a small smile. "Neither did you."
He chuckled dryly. "We're becoming a pair of insomniacs."
The synchronization hummed between them—his weariness tugging at her bones, her anxiety feeding into his restlessness. It was a vicious loop neither could escape.
Adrian set the tablet down. "The board will call a vote within the week. My uncle's moving fast. He's not just after my position, Elena—he wants to erase me entirely."
Her throat tightened. "And me?"
His eyes darkened. "He'll come after you too. Through the press. Through whispers. Maybe worse."
Fear prickled her skin, but the system pulsed a cruel reminder:
[ Vulnerability must be shared. ]
She swallowed hard, pushing the words down. Not yet. Not like this.
---
Later, at the office, the storm intensified.
The PR department scrambled to counter fabricated reports about Blackwood Corporation's supposed "corruption." Analysts debated stock projections. Adrian's executives whispered behind closed doors.
And everywhere Elena walked, she felt eyes on her.
The whispers followed like shadows.
"That's her, isn't it?"
"The secretary who bewitched him."
"She's the reason we're under attack."
Her fists clenched. The synchronization pulsed hot, and she realized with horror that Adrian was hearing it too. Not the words—but the sting they left in her chest.
Suddenly, he was at her side, his hand closing gently but firmly over hers. His presence shielded her like an invisible wall.
"They don't matter," he said quietly, only for her ears. "None of them."
Her breath hitched. "But they're right. I'm dragging you down—"
His eyes flashed dangerously. "You're the only reason I haven't burned the entire board to the ground already."
The synchronization flared, flooding her with his conviction, his protectiveness, his simmering fury. It left her dizzy, trembling.
She pulled her hand back, whispering, "You shouldn't feel what I feel."
Adrian tilted his head, studying her. "And yet… I do."
---
That night, Elena finally broke.
She sat by the window in her room, knees drawn to her chest, staring at the city lights. Her chest felt too full, as if the system had inflated her emotions until they pressed painfully against her ribs.
[ Mission Deadline: 46:12:08 ]
Tears slid down her cheeks silently. She couldn't do it. She couldn't expose herself like that.
A knock came at the door.
"Elena." His voice, low, rough.
Her heart leapt. "Come in," she whispered.
Adrian entered quietly, his tie already discarded, his shirt slightly undone. He looked tired but dangerously beautiful, shadows under his eyes, his presence filling the room.
He stopped when he saw her tears. The synchronization roared alive, his chest tightening, his breath catching.
"Elena…" His voice was ragged. He crossed the room in three strides and crouched before her. "Why are you crying?"
She shook her head helplessly. "I—I don't want you to feel this."
"I already do," he whispered. His hand rose, brushing away a tear. "Tell me why."
Her throat closed. The system blazed in her mind, the countdown screaming.
[ Share Vulnerability Now. ]
Her body trembled. "Because… I know what it's like to lose everything."
Adrian froze.
She forced the words out, each one cutting her open. "When I was sixteen, my father gambled away everything we had. Debts piled up. Men came to our house demanding money. And when I begged the one person I thought would stay by me—the boy I loved—he left. Said I wasn't worth the trouble."
Her voice broke. "I had nothing, Adrian. No home, no money, no one. I worked myself raw just to survive. And when I finally found stability, I swore I would never depend on anyone again."
The silence was crushing. Her tears dripped onto her knees.
Adrian's chest heaved once, as if the confession had ripped through him too. Through the synchronization, she felt it—his fury at her father, his disgust at the boy who had abandoned her, his aching sorrow for the girl she had been.
"Elena…" His voice was low, dangerous. "If that bastard ever crossed my path, I'd—" He cut himself off, forcing control. He lifted her chin, his eyes burning. "You are not alone anymore. Do you hear me? Not now. Not ever."
The system chimed, triumphant.
[ Mission Complete: Vulnerability Shared. ]
[ Reward: Emotional Synchronization +15%. Current Level: 40%. ]
[ Warning: Synchronization increasing. Emotional transfer risk heightened. ]
Elena gasped as warmth surged through her chest, tethering her even tighter to him.
Adrian's hand didn't leave her face. "I should thank him," he said softly. "For being too much of a coward to deserve you. Because now you're here. With me."
Her heart pounded wildly. Through the synchronization, she felt his heart racing too.
"Adrian…" she whispered.
The moment stretched, fragile, burning.
But then his phone vibrated sharply in his pocket, shattering it. He stood abruptly, jaw tight, answering with clipped precision.
"This is Blackwood." A pause, then his face darkened. "I see. Prepare the documents. I'll face him myself."
He hung up, his expression carved from stone.
"What is it?" Elena asked, dread curling in her stomach.
Adrian turned slowly, eyes like steel. "My uncle just forced the board to move the vote forward. Three days from now. He wants my seat, Elena—and he's willing to destroy everything to take it."
Her blood ran cold.
And yet, through the synchronization, she felt not just his fear—but his iron resolve.
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