The conference room was colder than usual.
Zara noticed it the moment she stepped inside, though the air conditioner hadn't changed. What had changed was the tension. It sat heavy on the long glass table, in the stiff shoulders of the executives, in the way no one met Adrian's eyes.
Adrian sat at the far end of the table, spine straight, expression unreadable. His fingers rested calmly on a leather folder, but Zara saw the faint tightening of his jaw. He was bracing himself.
She took the empty seat beside him.
That small action drew attention. A few heads turned. Someone cleared their throat.
Zara ignored it.
The meeting began without pleasantries.
"As you're all aware," Mr. Holloway said, adjusting his glasses, "we're here to address concerns regarding the Riverside Project and Mr. Adrian Cole's involvement."
The words were polite. The meaning was not.
Zara's stomach twisted. She had heard the whispers all morning. Delays. Budget gaps. Anonymous complaints sent to the board overnight.
And every accusation pointed in one direction.
Adrian.
"We received documents early this morning," another board member added, sliding a tablet forward. "They suggest mismanagement of funds and unilateral decision-making."
The screen glowed with charts and highlighted figures.
Zara glanced at Adrian. He didn't look at the screen. He looked at the people across the table. Calm. Controlled. Alone.
"You may respond," Mr. Holloway said.
Adrian inhaled slowly. "Those documents are incomplete."
A murmur spread through the room.
"The figures don't reflect the revised contracts approved last quarter," Adrian continued. "I submitted the updated reports two weeks ago."
"They were not included in what we received," someone said sharply.
Adrian's gaze hardened. "Then someone removed them."
Silence followed.
The accusation hung in the air, dangerous and unspoken.
Zara felt anger spark beneath her ribs. Not loud anger. Focused anger.
She raised her hand.
The movement was subtle, but it stopped the room.
"Yes, Zara?" Mr. Holloway asked, surprised.
She met his gaze. "May I speak?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "Briefly."
Zara straightened in her chair. Her heart pounded, but her voice stayed steady.
"I work directly with Mr. Cole on the Riverside Project," she said. "Every financial decision goes through a documented approval process. I personally submitted the revised contracts to the internal server."
She paused, letting that sink in.
"They were approved. I saw the confirmation."
Eyes shifted. A few people frowned.
"That's a serious claim," Mr. Holloway said.
"So are the accusations," Zara replied.
Adrian turned to look at her for the first time. His expression cracked—just slightly. Surprise flickered in his eyes.
Zara kept going.
"If the board did not receive those files," she said, "then the issue isn't mismanagement. It's interference."
The room erupted.
"That's speculation."
"Are you accusing someone here?"
"This is inappropriate—"
Mr. Holloway raised his hand for silence. His gaze sharpened as it moved between Zara and Adrian.
"Do you have proof?" he asked.
Zara swallowed.
She hadn't planned this far.
But she wasn't backing down.
"Yes," she said.
Adrian's head snapped toward her.
She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Her fingers moved quickly, opening a folder she had saved without thinking it would matter.
Emails. Time stamps. Approval confirmations.
She stood and walked to the screen, connecting her phone to the display.
The documents appeared one by one.
Dates. Signatures. Digital approval trails.
A few board members leaned forward.
"These are internal confirmations," Zara said. "They match the missing reports exactly."
Silence returned, heavier than before.
Mr. Holloway studied the screen for a long moment. "These files weren't part of the board package."
"No," Zara said. "They weren't."
Someone shifted uncomfortably.
Adrian finally spoke. "Which means someone altered the submission."
His voice was calm, but it carried weight.
The implication was clear.
Mr. Holloway exhaled slowly. "We'll need to investigate."
"That's all we're asking," Adrian said. "An investigation. Not a verdict."
The board exchanged looks.
"Until then," Mr. Holloway said, "this meeting is adjourned."
Chairs scraped back. People stood. Conversations broke out in low, hurried tones.
Zara unplugged her phone, hands trembling now that the moment had passed.
She turned—and almost collided with Adrian.
"Zara," he said quietly.
She looked up at him. Really looked. The composure was still there, but beneath it was something raw.
"You didn't have to do that," he said.
"Yes," she replied. "I did."
He studied her, as if seeing her for the first time.
"Thank you," he said.
The words were simple. The emotion behind them wasn't.
They walked out together.
The hallway buzzed with gossip. Whispers followed them like shadows.
"She challenged the board."
"She defended him."
"Are they—"
Zara kept her head high.
Inside the elevator, the doors slid shut, cutting off the noise.
Only then did she exhale.
Her legs felt weak. Her hands shook openly now.
Adrian noticed.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded. Then shook her head. "Ask me again in five minutes."
A faint smile touched his lips.
The elevator descended in silence.
When the doors opened, Adrian spoke again. "That investigation won't be simple."
"I know," Zara said. "But it's better than letting lies stand."
He hesitated. "You've made yourself a target."
She met his gaze. "So have you."
Their eyes locked. Something unspoken passed between them—trust, fear, resolve.
The office floor was unusually quiet when they stepped out.
"Zara," Adrian said, stopping her near her desk. "Why did you really do it?"
She considered lying.
She didn't.
"Because I know what it's like," she said softly, "to be judged before being heard."
His expression softened.
"And," she added, "because it was right."
He nodded slowly. "I won't forget this."
She watched him walk away, shoulders still squared, but no longer alone.
Zara sat at her desk, heart racing.
She had crossed a line today.
She had chosen a side.
And there was no turning back.
Outside her window, the city moved on, unaware that something had shifted inside those walls.
All she knew was this: standing up had changed everything.
But what would it cost her?
And what would it mean for her growing feelings for Adrian—now that the whole office was watching?
What do you think Zara risked the most in this chapter—her career or her heart?
Should Adrian trust her completely, or stay guarded?
Drop your thoughts in the comments, vote if you enjoyed the chapter, and let me know what you want to see next!