The following week brought a calm rhythm to Lila's days — a rhythm she hadn't felt in months. Work was progressing smoothly, and for once, Ethan and she could be in the same room without the sharp edge of old pain cutting between them.
They began to talk again, not just about work, but about life — the small things that built the bridges between strangers. It felt almost natural, almost safe.
But peace, as always, was fragile.
It began one morning when Lila overheard two executives whispering in the hallway. Their tone was hushed, cautious, yet sharp enough to catch her attention.
"…the merger last year, the one that caused his father's downfall…"
"Yeah. Rumor is, Ethan took the fall for someone else. But the deal wasn't clean. That's why he disappeared before his wedding."
Lila froze. The words sliced through her like ice.
She confronted Ethan later that day, unable to hold it in any longer.
"Tell me the truth," she demanded, cornering him in the quiet of his office.
He looked up from his papers, startled. "Lila, what—?"
"About the merger. About your father. About why you really left me."
Ethan went pale, the weight of unspoken years pressing down on him. He sighed, setting his pen aside. "I knew this would come up eventually."
"Then stop hiding," she said, her voice trembling. "Just tell me."
He rose slowly, walked to the window, and spoke in a low voice. "My father's company was collapsing. One of our senior partners had been laundering money, and the press was closing in. If the story broke before the merger, everything would've fallen apart. My father would've been ruined, thousands of employees laid off. I made a deal — I took responsibility for a deal I didn't make to protect them."
Lila stared at him. "So you sacrificed your reputation?"
He nodded. "It wasn't just that. The media wouldn't stop. Our family name was poison overnight. Your father begged me to call off the wedding — said I'd drag you into a scandal you didn't deserve."
Tears filled her eyes. "You listened to him."
"I thought I was doing the right thing," he said softly. "I thought losing you would hurt less than watching you be destroyed by my mistakes."
Lila turned away, trembling. "All this time… I thought you didn't love me enough to stay. But you left because you thought you were saving me."
"I never stopped loving you," he whispered. "I just didn't believe I deserved you anymore."
The room went quiet, thick with emotion. The truth should've made her feel better — but instead, it hurt even more. Because love, when built on secrets, always left scars.
She looked back at him, eyes wet. "You should've trusted me enough to stand beside you. That's what love is, Ethan."
"I know," he said. "And I'll spend the rest of my life proving I finally understand that."
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