"Aubrey, what should I do?" he said, his voice breaking. "I can't accept this. I just can't!"
I watched as the man I thought was unshakable crumbled before my eyes. He grabbed me by the shoulders, his grip almost bruising. "This company is the result of more than a decade of our hard work!" His voice cracked and to my shock, tears streamed down his face.
I hesitated, my instincts warring with my heart. Then, slowly, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "We'll figure this out," I murmured, though deep down, I already knew the answer. There was only one way to save him and Cayden knew it too.
Three months later, I stood in court and took the fall for everything. The gavel came down and my world changed forever.
***
The first time Cayden visited me in prison, he sat across from me, his expression filled with guilt.
"Aubrey, the company is nothing like before now. I'm working hard to make it clean, so you won't have to worry about anything when you get out." His words were full of hope, as if he truly believed in the future he was building for us.
But the visits became less frequent as the years passed.