Maya awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing relentlessly on the nightstand. She groggily reached for it, squinting at the screen as she read the name on the caller ID: Elias.
Her heart skipped. It was barely six in the morning, and Elias was already calling. Her mind raced with a thousand questions. Had something happened last night? Was he in trouble?
She answered the call, her voice cautious. "Elias?"
"Maya," he said, his voice low, urgent. "Get dressed. We're leaving in thirty minutes."
"What's going on?" she asked, sitting up in bed, still half asleep. "Where are we going?"
"I'll explain later," he replied. "Just be ready."
The line went dead before she could ask another question. Maya quickly hung up, her thoughts swirling in a haze of confusion and fear. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew Elias was not the kind of man who made rushed, unannounced calls unless something serious was happening.
She didn't have time to dwell on it. Grabbing the nearest outfit—a sleek black dress she hadn't worn in weeks—she quickly changed, brushing her hair into a loose wave. The mirror in front of her reflected a woman she didn't recognize: poised, composed, but terrified. Her heart was racing as she tried to shake off the feeling that something terrible was coming.
Thirty minutes later, Elias's black SUV was parked outside the penthouse, the engine idling. Maya hesitated for a moment before stepping out, feeling the cold morning air cut through her. Elias was already in the car, his jaw tight, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.
"Where are we going?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady as she climbed into the vehicle.
"We need to get ahead of something," he said, his gaze hard as he stared out the window. "There's been a breach."
"A breach?" Maya repeated, her confusion growing. "What do you mean?"
Elias didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled away from the curb, the car weaving smoothly through the early morning traffic.
"Someone's trying to take us down," he finally said, his voice so cold it sent a shiver down her spine. "Someone who knows about us. About the marriage. They're using it against me."
Maya felt a lump form in her throat. "What does that have to do with me?"
"Everything," Elias replied, his eyes flicking to her for the briefest of moments. "They know you're not really my wife. They know this is a contract. And now, they're going to use that to their advantage."
Maya's stomach twisted. "Who? Who would do that?"
"I'll explain when we get there," he said, cutting the conversation short. But Maya could tell from the set of his shoulders and the way he gripped the steering wheel that things were worse than he was letting on.
The ride felt long, each passing minute filled with heavy silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Maya could barely breathe, her mind racing with questions and scenarios, none of them good.
They finally arrived at a nondescript building on the outskirts of the city—a place Maya had never seen before. The area was quiet, almost eerie, the kind of place you wouldn't expect someone like Elias to frequent.
Elias led her inside without saying a word, his movements sharp and calculated. Maya followed, her footsteps echoing in the cold, empty hallway. The building smelled sterile, the air thick with tension.
When they reached the door at the end of the hallway, Elias knocked twice, then opened it without waiting for a response. Inside, a man in his mid-forties stood by a desk, papers scattered in front of him. His face was pale, his eyes frantic. He turned as they entered, and his eyes locked onto Elias.
"Elias, thank God you're here," the man said, his voice shaking. "We've got a problem."
Elias didn't waste time with pleasantries. "What's going on?"
The man, whose name Maya learned was Adrian, quickly handed Elias a file. "This just came in. Someone from inside the company leaked everything. They've got your entire financial history, all the family secrets. Everything. And they're going public with it. This—" he gestured to the file, "—is the least of your worries. They've got information on Maya, too."
Maya's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, my information?"
"They know about your background," Adrian said, his voice low, almost apologetic. "Your father's debts. Your mother's... history."
Maya froze, her mind spinning. She hadn't even told Elias everything. How could anyone have found out about her past?
Elias stepped in front of her, his face a mask of fury. "Who's behind this? Who's leaking this information?"
"I don't know," Adrian admitted, shaking his head. "But whoever it is, they've got access to everything. They're going to use it to destroy you."
The weight of the situation settled heavily on Maya's chest. This wasn't just about her anymore. This was about Elias. This was about his family's secrets—secrets that could destroy everything they had built. And now, they were pulling her into it.
Elias's gaze shifted to Maya, his eyes hard. "This is why I didn't want you to get involved. I didn't want you in this world."
Maya shook her head, her voice firm despite the fear rising inside her. "You think I don't know that? But I'm in it now, Elias. I signed up for this. And I'm not walking away."
He didn't respond immediately, just turned away, his mind clearly working through the new crisis. Adrian looked between them, sensing the tension.
"I'll find out who did this," Elias finally said, his voice cold. "I'll make sure this doesn't get out."
Maya couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. She had signed a contract for protection, for security. But now, it seemed like the lies were catching up with them, and the game Elias was playing was much more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.
As they left the building, Maya's thoughts were consumed with the thought that there was no going back now. The darkness of Elias's world had claimed her, and there was no way to escape.