Chapter 27– "The Truth That Breaks"
The sun rose on a silent apartment.
The usual warmth of morning light held no comfort—only a haunting stillness that clung to every corner like dust. May sat at the edge of the bed, still in the clothes from last night, her makeup smudged by tears and her heart heavy like lead in her chest.
"Nice to see May still likes playing in the dark.
Wonder if Shane knows what happened that night..."
Her vision blurred. Her chest tightened.
"No…" she whispered, a desperate tremor in her voice.
May frantically called Shane's assistant, barely managing words between breaths. "Where is she? Please… I need her—I need Shane…"
But the last thing May heard before everything went black was the sound of her own phone clattering to the floor.
The assistant's hands shook as she redialed Shane's number again. "Shane—Shane, it's May. Something's wrong—she collapsed while I was on the phone."
The silence on the line lasted a second too long. Then—
"I'm coming."
Shane burst through the front door like a storm unleashed. Her eyes searched wildly, and then she saw her—May, curled on the floor, skin pale, lips trembling, barely conscious.
"May!"
She dropped to her knees, scooping May into her arms like she weighed nothing. "Baby, wake up—look at me."
Tears streamed down Shane's face. She hadn't cried in years. Not when her father left. Not when Alexa broke her. But this—seeing May like this—broke her soul.
She carried her like a bride, whispering against her forehead, "Stay with me. I'm not letting you go."
The sun rose on a silent apartment.
The usual warmth of morning light held no comfort—only a haunting stillness that clung to every corner like dust. May sat at the edge of the bed, still in the clothes from last night, her makeup smudged by tears and her heart heavy like lead in her chest.
Shane was gone.
No note.
No call.
Only the scent of her cologne lingering faintly on the pillows—a scent that now smelled like abandonment.
With trembling fingers, May reached for her phone. No messages. Nothing. Just one missed call… "Adam."
Her stomach twisted.
Why now? After everything, why would he reach out?
Before she could breathe, her phone buzzed again.
A message.
Unknown number.
"Nice to see May still likes playing in the dark.
Wonder if Shane knows what happened that night..."
Her vision blurred. Her chest tightened.
"No…" she whispered, a desperate tremor in her voice.
May frantically called Shane's assistant, barely managing words between breaths. "Where is she? Please… I need her—I need Shane…"
But the last thing May heard before everything went black was the sound of her own phone clattering to the floor.
The assistant's hands shook as she redialed Shane's number again. "Shane—Shane, it's May. Something's wrong—she collapsed while I was on the phone."
The silence on the line lasted a second too long. Then—
"I'm coming."
Shane burst through the front door like a storm unleashed. Her eyes searched wildly, and then she saw her—May, curled on the floor, skin pale, lips trembling, barely conscious.
"May!"
She dropped to her knees, scooping May into her arms like she weighed nothing. "Baby, wake up—look at me."
Tears streamed down Shane's face. She hadn't cried in years. Not when her father left. Not when Alexa broke her. But this—seeing May like this—broke her soul.
She carried her like a bride, whispering against her forehead, "Stay with me. I'm not letting you go."
The hospital reeked of sterile air and cold tension.
Three hours later, May's eyes fluttered open. Soft light. The sound of machines. A dull ache in her chest.
And Shane… standing by the window, her back to her.
"Shane…" May's voice was weak.
Shane didn't turn.
Tears filled May's eyes again. "Please… talk to me. Please don't leave me alone."
Silence.
Then the door opened.
Shane's assistant entered with her tablet clutched tightly, her face pale.
"I found something," she said, voice low. "I was reviewing the calls… and there's this one."
She hit play.
Alexa's voice, sharp and cruel.
"She's breaking. I didn't even need to lie much."
Adam laughed:
"Yeah, not part of our plan, but it's working better than we hoped."
Alexa chuckled darkly:
"May's practically going insane looking for Shane. Pathetic. But I'll go to her. Pretend I'm the savior. She always wanted saving."
The call ended.
Shane's entire body went still.
May's sob broke through the silence. "I didn't know, Shane… I swear. I didn't do anything wrong. I love you. I love you so much it hurts."
Shane turned slowly.
Her face was unreadable. Her eyes glassy.
"Do you know what it feels like… to hear someone talk about breaking you for fun?" she said softly. "Because I do now."
May reached out with trembling fingers. "I never wanted to hurt you."
Shane hesitated—then took a slow step forward.
"Then why…" she looked down, holding up her bruised, bandaged hand, "…did I punch a tree so hard I bled, because I didn't know if you still loved me?"
May gasped softly. "You… what?"
She gently reached for Shane's hand. Blood still crusted along the knuckles. Shane pulled it away.
"I couldn't breathe without you. But I couldn't trust anything anymore either," Shane whispered.
May sobbed harder, her hand covering her mouth. "Please, Shane…"
Shane's body shook—then she suddenly swayed.
May sat up quickly, despite the IV in her arm, and caught her. "Shane?"
But Shane was just exhausted. Her body finally giving out after hours of chaos and pain. Her head dropped gently to May's shoulder.
"I'm tired…" she whispered.
May wrapped her arms around her. "Sleep. I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere."
And as Shane drifted into sleep, May sat with tears rolling down her cheeks, her heart still breaking—but her arms strong.
Because love… love stayed.
Even when the world tried to tear it apart.
May held Shane close, her fingers gently combing through her hair, the silence between them heavier than the storm outside. Rain tapped against the hospital window, matching the rhythm of her heartbeat.
Shane's hand twitched in her sleep. Her breathing uneven. Even in unconsciousness, the pain lingered.
May kissed her forehead softly. "You don't have to fight alone anymore…"
The door creaked open again, and Shane's assistant stepped in, still holding the tablet like it was a loaded weapon. Her eyes landed on May, who looked up, eyes still swollen but steadier now.
"We've got more," the assistant whispered. "You need to see this."
May gently shifted Shane onto the pillows, brushing strands of hair from her face before following the assistant outside. They stood in the quiet hallway as she played the rest of the recorded conversation.
Adam's voice, smug and venomous.
"You think she'll stay with Shane after she sees the clip?"
Alexa:
"She won't. May's already doubting her. That's all I needed. I just planted the seed."
Adam:
"Still… can't believe I had her in my arms that night, and she thought I was Shane. I should thank you for that setup."
Alexa, laughing:
"You're welcome. Shane destroyed me. It's only fair I return the favor."
May's knees buckled.
She grabbed the wall for balance, her breath caught in her throat. "They… they were using us. Both of us. This whole time."
The assistant's voice was gentle. "We can leak this, May. Ruin them both."
But May shook her head, eyes flickering like fire. "No. Not like this."
Her gaze hardened as she turned back toward the room. "They wanted to tear us apart. I'm not giving them that satisfaction."
Later that evening, Shane stirred again, slowly opening her eyes. Her voice was low, husky. "You're still here."
May sat at the edge of her bed, her hand folded over Shane's.
"Of course, I am," she whispered.
Shane blinked slowly. "After everything... why?"
May leaned in, brushing her lips just above Shane's bruised knuckles.
"Because I saw how you bled for me. Because when I collapsed, the first person I heard calling my name was you. Because… I love you."
Shane looked at her with a gaze that was no longer just guarded—it was shattered, uncertain.
"I didn't tell you about Adam because I didn't want to believe he was real. That he could take you from me."
May shook her head, pressing her forehead against Shane's.
"No one can take me from you. Not unless you let go."
They stayed like that for a while, foreheads touching, breaths syncing.
Until Shane whispered, "We're going to burn them both."
May smiled—sadly, darkly. "We'll do it together."
Back at Alexa's penthouse, laughter filled the candle-lit space. Wine glasses clinked. Adam lounged lazily on the leather sofa, the smugness on his face so thick it could drown a man.
"Do you think they've broken up yet?" he asked, sipping from his glass.
Alexa smiled, smug and cruel. "If they haven't now, they will by morning."
Just then, both their phones buzzed at the same time.
A new headline flashed across the screen.
"Alexa Moreau and Adam Larkson Caught Plotting Against Billionaire Shane Kingston and Partner – Audio Leak Sends Shockwaves Through Media"
Adam's glass slipped from his hand. "What the hell?!"
Alexa paled, grabbing her phone and tapping the audio. Her own voice played back.
Every word.
Every damn word.
"No…" she whispered. "No, no, no!"
Their empire of lies was crumbling, brick by brick.
Back at the hospital, Shane stood by the window once more, her phone in hand. She watched as notification after notification poured in.
Her lips curled into a smile. Not the soft one May loved.
A dangerous one. A promise of war.
May came up behind her and wrapped her arms around Shane's waist.
"What now?" she asked softly.
Shane turned, kissed the top of May's head, and whispered, "Now we remind them who the hell they messed with."
And outside, as the rain continued to pour, the city held its breath for the storm that was coming.
Because love, when betrayed, doesn't just break.
It burns everything to the ground.