In the shadows, behind the mirror, a faint sound echoed—a soft, mournful whisper.
"Help me..."
I froze in the hallway, the whisper reverberating through my bones.
And I knew—I couldn’t stay away.
"Tiffany, what do you think you’re doing?"
Nathaniel’s voice cracked through the silence like a whip, startling me. My hands froze mid-motion, the stack of papers trembling in my grasp.
I turned slowly, trying to mask the guilt painted all over my face. "I… I was just—"
"Just snooping through my private documents?" he snarled, his storm-gray eyes narrowing. "Don’t even try to lie."
The fury radiating off him was almost palpable, but beneath it, I caught a flicker of something else—panic.
My heart pounded in my chest as I scrambled to think of an excuse. The damning file still rested in my hands, bold letters spelling out "MERGER AGREEMENT" mocking me.
"This isn’t what it looks like," I started, my voice trembling despite my best efforts.
"Really? Then what is it?" His tone was scathing, a blade meant to cut.
I squared my shoulders, trying to channel every ounce of courage I had. "I saw my father’s name. I had to know what you were planning."