Elena stayed awake as Sleep refused to come.
Elena sat by her window, knees pulled to her chest, the city humming quietly below. The night stretched long and heavy, broken only by the ticking of the old wall clock. She had tried closing her eyes, but every time she did, she saw Adrian's face on that balcony — confused, hurt, searching for answers he didn't know existed.
And that was what unsettled her most.
He didn't know.
In her past life, she had replayed his betrayal a thousand times — the meeting that ruined her reputation, the leaked blueprints, the way Maya had whispered that Adrian had sold her out. And when she'd confronted him, he'd only said, "You wouldn't understand."
Then the accident happened.
But if he didn't remember…
She stood abruptly, pacing. Something wasn't adding up.
The next morning, she walked into the office early, long before the others arrived. The quiet hum of computers greeted her as she slipped into her chair. Her reflection in the monitor looked tired — but determined.
She began digging through old project files — the designs, contracts, and memos from the year before her "accident." Each folder was like a ghost she was finally daring to open.
Then she found it.
A memo signed under Adrian's name. The same one that had once circulated after her fall — the document that had labeled her a liability to the company.
But this time, something stood out.
The signature.
It wasn't quite right. The letters in his last name looped differently. The date format wasn't his usual.
Someone had forged it.
Her breath caught.
If Adrian hadn't signed this, then who had?
"Elena?"
She nearly jumped. Ryan stood at her desk, holding two cups of coffee.
"You scared me," she said, exhaling.
"Sorry," he said with a grin, setting one cup in front of her. "You looked like you were planning world domination."
"Maybe I am."
He smiled, but then his expression softened. "Rough night?"
"Something like that."
He studied her for a moment before pulling a folded file from his bag. "Actually, I wanted to show you something. You mentioned wanting to understand what happened before your… disappearance from the company records."
Her heartbeat quickened. "You found something?"
He nodded, sliding the folder across the desk. "Financial audits from that year. There were funds moved under your department's name — large amounts. It was what justified your suspension back then. But—" he pointed to the printout "—the transfer was made from an IP address linked to someone in Adrian's personal office, not yours."
Elena froze. "You're sure?"
"Positive. I cross-checked it twice."
Her throat felt dry.
That meant someone had framed her, using Adrian's name to cover their tracks.
But why?
Later that day, Adrian called for a department meeting. The usual chatter filled the conference room until he walked in — sharp suit, expression calm, the weight of authority following him.
"Elena," he said as the meeting ended, "can I have a word?"
She wanted to refuse. But something inside her needed to know more.
They stepped into his office — all glass walls and quiet air.
He gestured toward the chair. "Please."
"I'll stand," she said.
He hesitated, then nodded slowly. "You seemed upset last night."
She gave a soft, humorless laugh. "You noticed?"
"I notice more than you think."
That caught her off guard.
For a second, the mask slipped — he looked tired, maybe even lost.
"Adrian," she said carefully, "do you remember the Brooks proposal? The one that got leaked five years ago?"
He frowned. "Of course. It nearly cost the company millions."
"Do you remember who leaked it?"
He hesitated. "You… signed the memo admitting responsibility."
Her heart stung. "Do you still have that memo?"
"Yes, archived. Why?"
"I'd like to see it."
He studied her face for a long time. "Elena, what are you trying to find?"
"The truth."
Something flickered in his eyes — curiosity, maybe fear. But he turned to his computer, typing quietly. After a few seconds, he printed the file and handed it to her.
She scanned it quickly, her pulse racing.
It was the same memo she'd found that morning. Same words. Same timestamp. Same forged signature.
She looked up. "Did you ever notice the signature?"
"What about it?"
"It's not yours."
He blinked. "What?"
"The loops in the letters — you don't write your Ls that way. You never have."
Adrian frowned, pulling the paper closer. As his eyes moved over the text, she saw it — that moment of realization.
"Elena," he said slowly, "I didn't write this."
She met his gaze. "I know."
Silence filled the space between them, heavy and sharp.
"Then who did?" he asked quietly.
"I'm going to find out," she said, gathering the paper. "And when I do, I'll make sure everyone knows the truth."
"Elena—"
But she was already at the door.
When she turned back, his expression was unreadable — a mixture of guilt, confusion, and something softer.
"Whoever forged that wanted us to destroy each other," she said quietly. "And they almost succeeded."
Then she left him standing there, the truth unraveling slowly behind his eyes.
That night, she met Ryan again — this time at a small café near the river.
He was already there, tapping his pen against a notepad. When he saw her, he smiled. "You look like someone who just cracked a safe."
"Maybe I did," she said, sliding into the seat across from him.
He leaned forward, voice low. "So what now?"
"Now," she said, sipping her coffee, "we find out who's behind it all."
Ryan grinned. "You know, I think I like this version of you."
Elena looked at him, eyes steady. "This is who I should've been all along."
The city lights reflected in her eyes — sharp, alive, unbroken.
And somewhere across town, Adrian sat in his office, staring at the forged memo, his mind spinning with questions that no longer had simple answers.
For the first time, he began to wonder if he'd spent years hating the wrong person.