Chapitre 51: Chapter Fourty Nine: A Reckoning Looms
Mia awoke to the sound of her phone ringing violently on the nightstand. Her eyes fluttered open, disoriented from the restless night she had spent tossing and turning, thinking about the fallout from the tabloid scandal. She reached for her phone, only to see that it was Adrian calling.
The moment she answered, his deep, familiar voice came through, filled with urgency. "Mia, we need to talk."
Her stomach twisted into a knot. "Adrian, I can't keep doing this. This entire mess is just… too much." She pressed her hand against her forehead, trying to steady her nerves.
"I know," Adrian replied, his voice filled with remorse. "But I need you to trust me. You have to believe I didn't want any of this. I'm doing everything I can to stop her."
Mia closed her eyes, trying to hold onto some semblance of composure. "I do believe you, but I can't pretend that everything is fine anymore. My name is being dragged through the mud, and people I thought were my friends are now turning their backs on me. This is my life, Adrian. It's not just your reputation at risk, it's mine too."
She could hear Adrian's sigh on the other end of the line, a weight of helplessness in it that made her chest tighten. "Mia, you don't have to face this alone. I'm here. I won't let her win. I will fight for you. But I need you to stay with me. Stay by my side."
Mia stared out the window, the early morning light filtering through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. Despite everything, a part of her still wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that they could somehow overcome this storm, that the love they shared was strong enough to weather the chaos Sophie had unleashed.
"I don't know how much longer I can do this," Mia whispered, the vulnerability in her voice too raw for her liking. "I don't know how much longer I can be strong."
"Mia," Adrian said softly, "you're stronger than you think. And I won't stop fighting. We're going to expose Sophie for the liar that she is, and when we do, this whole thing will be over."
But Mia wasn't so sure. She had heard promises before, promises of protection, of everything getting better, only for things to worsen. Sophie's campaign of sabotage had been calculated, every step designed to push her into a corner. And each time Mia thought she might catch her breath, another blow would fall.
"You said you'd fix it, Adrian," Mia said quietly. "But she's already sent out another story—another article. This one has my personal details. Things no one outside of my close circle could possibly know."
Adrian's voice faltered. "She's crossing a line, Mia. This isn't just a tabloid war anymore. She's trying to break you, break us. But I'm not going to let that happen."
"I don't know if I can handle much more," Mia admitted. The weight of everything—her work, her reputation, and now the constant fear that Sophie's words would find a way to penetrate the fabric of her life—was becoming unbearable.
There was a long silence on the other end. "You don't have to handle it alone," Adrian finally said, his tone resolute. "We'll face this together."
---
Hours later, Mia sat across from Adrian in his office, their meeting scheduled to go over the next steps in the battle against Sophie. The room felt stifling, the tension between them palpable. Adrian's assistant, Susan, entered and placed a folder on the table.
"This just came through," Susan said, her voice flat. "It's another leak from Sophie's side. It's worse than the last one."
Mia's heart skipped a beat as she opened the folder. Inside was a printout of another tabloid article, this one even more vicious than the previous ones. It contained alleged private messages between Adrian and Sophie, photos taken from their time together in the past, all presented with the intention of making it seem like Mia had stolen Adrian from Sophie while they were still involved.
Mia's hands trembled as she read the accusations. Each word felt like a dagger to her heart, each sentence twisted to suit Sophie's narrative.
Adrian slammed his fist on the table, his frustration boiling over. "This is it. This is the last straw. I'm going public with everything—Sophie's manipulation, the blackmail, everything. I don't care if it ruins me. I won't let her destroy you."
Mia reached for his hand, her fingers brushing against his. "We can't rush into anything. We need to be strategic. If we go public with everything now, it might look like we're retaliating out of desperation. We have to be smarter than this."
He nodded, his expression dark but understanding. "You're right. We need to take our time. But we need to act fast."
---
That evening, Adrian and Mia spent hours poring over every bit of evidence they had gathered. From Sophie's financial records to the messages from the people Sophie had bribed to lie about their relationship, they compiled everything in preparation for their final confrontation.
Mia couldn't help but feel a sense of dread creep over her. What if they exposed Sophie, only for it to backfire? What if the truth didn't set them free, but instead led to even more chaos?
"Adrian," Mia said, her voice soft but serious, "what if we don't win? What if exposing Sophie only makes everything worse?"
Adrian placed a hand on hers, his grip firm but reassuring. "We will win, Mia. I won't let her break us."
"But Sophie…" Mia began, shaking her head. "She's dangerous. She'll stop at nothing."
Adrian met her gaze, his eyes filled with determination. "And neither will we."
---
The next day, they sat in a conference room with Adrian's lawyers, preparing to take the next steps. The tension was thick as they reviewed the evidence, crafting their strategy to expose Sophie for her lies and manipulation.
It was then that Adrian's phone buzzed, the message flashing on the screen.
"Is it Sophie again?" Mia asked, her voice laced with frustration.
Adrian shook his head, his eyes narrowing as he read the message. It was from one of Sophie's former friends, someone who had been feeding her information for years. The message was clear:
The truth will come out soon, whether you like it or not.
Adrian's jaw clenched. "This is far from over."
Mia sighed, her heart sinking. "I wish I could believe that."
As the day drew to a close, Mia found herself standing at a crossroads. The battle against Sophie was far from finished. But one thing was certain: she wasn't going down without a fight.
The storm was far from over, but Mia was finally ready to face it head-on.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone