Chapter 4 - Caught in the CrossfireMaya backed away from the door silently, her sneakers making no sound on the plush carpet. Her mind raced with panic. An accessory to fraud? Victoria had the power, the connections, and the ruthless cunning to frame her completely.
She turned to rush toward the elevators, but a heavy hand gripped her shoulder, spinning her around.
It was Ethan.
His face was pale, his eyes wild with a mixture of terror and desperation. He had heard her footsteps.
"Maya," he breathed, his grip tightening protectively. "You shouldn't have been out here."
"Let go of me, Ethan," she whispered, fighting the sudden surge of tears. "Your partner just threatened to frame me for a crime she committed. She has the board, she has the legal team, and you're standing here trying to protect your legacy while I become the scapegoat?"
"I am not protecting my legacy; I am protecting you!" Ethan shouted in a harsh whisper, pulling her into an empty conference room and slamming the door behind them. He trapped her against the glass wall, his hands flat on either side of her head, his chest heaving. "Do you think I care about the money? Do you think I care about the building, the gala, the board members? The second I found out what Victoria was doing six months ago, I started building an independent federal case against her. But I needed proof that couldn't be destroyed from the inside."
Maya stared up at him, her anger faltering under the raw, burning sincerity in his dark eyes. "You're working with federal investigators?"
"Quietly," Ethan murmured, his forehead resting gently against hers, his breath warm on her skin. "Because if Victoria knew I was moving against her, she would have destroyed you to get to me. That's why I kept my distance. That's why I went insane when Cole looked at you at the party—because every second I spend wanting you publicly is another target I paint on your back."
Maya reached up, her fingers sliding into his dark hair, feeling the tremor in his hands. "We don't have to wait, Ethan. I copied the files. I have the drive."
Before Ethan could answer, the conference room lights snapped on.
May you like
Standing in the doorway was Victoria Finch, flanked by two corporate security guards and accompanied by the firm’s chief legal counsel.
"How touching," Victoria sneered, leaning heavily on her cane. "A romantic conspiracy right up until the end. Security, take Ms. Bennett's bag. We found corporate espionage files downloaded to an unauthorized external drive."
