Chapter 41 41 Chapter 41 - Seeds of Doubt Morris's POV Darkness enveloped my apartment as I sat alone, unable to even look at my bed. Every glance reminded me of that night with Monica-a memory now tainted by betrayal. The emptiness in my chest felt like a physical wound. How could I have been so blind? So foolish? Since losing my parents years ago at that damned party, I'd sworn off love. I built walls, kept everyone at a distance. Then Monica appeared and somehow breached every defense without effort. She didn't just enter my life-she consumed it. And like the snake in Eden, she'd struck when I was most vulnerable. Hours ago, I was floating on cloud nine. Now I was drowning in hell. When the hacker called requesting only Darren, Paula, and me to meet, insisting he knew where the information leak originated, I never imagined it would lead to her. The woman who had somehow made me fall in love again. Those emails destroyed me. The first one might have been explainable. But the second? Learning she had calculated her seduction, used me as a pawn in some corporate game-it shattered everything. Rage and heartbreak collided like warring storms inside me. I'd thrown her out. Banished her from my company and my life. She'd committed the ultimate betrayal, yet somehow I was the one feeling hollow. How had I fallen for a woman who never truly existed? How had I allowed her past my carefully constructed barriers? I couldn't bear to stay at the office after she left. Darren and Paula would have hovered, questioned, tried to help. For the first time ever, I turned off my phone completely. I ignored the doorbell, the intercom-determined to drown in my misery alone. Then suddenly, light flooded my apartment. "Forgot we have the key?" Darren's voice broke through my isolation as he dropped onto the sofa beside me. Paula positioned herself directly across from me, unflinching as I glared at her. "I'm not afraid of your death stares, she declared. "You've had your tantrum, your solitude. Now you'll listen to us, and you'll do it quietly." She spoke with the same authoritative tone my mother once used. I opened my mouth to protest-I had no desire to discuss Monica-when Darren dangled handcuffs and a gag my face. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way" he said calmly. "But you will listen." "You expect me to let you use your bedroom accessories on me?" I growled. before "You don't need to let me. Now shut up and pay attention." Darren's tone left no room for argument. "Paula and I have been talking. Monica leaking information makes absolutely no C 41 Chapter 41 - Seeds of Doubt sense. You vetted her yourself, Morris. So did Paula. The entire audit strategy was her idea. She personally recommended Harris-who's been friends with all our parents for decades. He's beyond reproach, and he's convinced someone framed Monica. He'd stake his reputation on it. She deserves the benefit of the doubt." "What exactly are you suggesting?" I scoffed. "That someone snuck into the executive suite, accessed her computer, and sent those emails just to frame her? Even though I restricted access before those emails were sent? You can't be that naive" "No, Morris," Darren replied with maddening patience. "I'm saying the traitor could be someone else within the executive offices." "Darren, everyone there has worked for us for more than a decade! That's impossible!" I slammed my fist against the arm of the sofa. Is it really, Morris? Someone's been stealing from the company for years, and we only just discovered it. Is it so unthinkable that someone could have infiltrated the executive level without our knowledge?" Darren pressed, forcing me to consider the possibility. "Initially, I was convinced of Monica's guilt too. But man, when I showed her those emails, what I saw in her eyes wasn't guilt-it was confusion. Hurt, anger, disappointment, yes. But not guilt." 1 exhaled slowly, turning his words over in my mind. Nothing made sense anymore. Paula leaned forward, her voice gentle but firm. "We've started investigating, Morris. I couldn't live with myself if we condemned Monica without being absolutely certain. The security cameras were installed today, though the one in Monica's office malfunctioned. The footage is being reviewed, and the hacker is trying to recover data. But we've also developed another strategy." I eyed her suspiciously. "What strategy, Paula?" "We're testing each board member, including Jason. We've already begun with Irina. We asked her to take some documents to Darren's office while Jason was away. We deliberately mentioned we'd be examining last year's accounts. We already have those documents, but if any go missing, we'll know she's involved. Harris's team is checking tonight." "Irina?" I laughed bitterly. "What a waste of time! She's been with us forever!" "It's easier to blame Monica than admit we might have been deceived for years by someone we thought was loyal, Darren said wearily. "Monica told me exactly that today. And she's right. We need to investigate everyone, Morris. Open your mind to the possibility." I sighed, exhaustion weighing on me. "Fine. Investigate. Be thorough." "One more thing: Darren added. "I have a detective friend in Bellwood. I've asked him to look into Monica's background-so you can be certain about who she really is." It seemed extreme, but I couldn't deny my need to know the truth. I nodded silently, wondering if I'd ever recover if Monica truly had betrayed me. In "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" by CrushReel, the storyline unfolds as renowned photographer Jane finds herself drawn to the charismatic rookie model, Hector. Little does she know that Hector harbors a secret—he is actually the heir to a powerful business empire. 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