The Angel And The Bastard

Hunted

Iris

The resort was a picture of paradise, but its allure had soured for me. Beneath its glistening surface, a storm was brewing, one that threatened to consume me entirely.

Adam's facade of charm and affluence had long since crumbled in my eyes, revealing the sinister truth beneath.

Luke's warnings had heightened my fear, but they also spurred me into action. I couldn't wait for him to gather evidence—I needed to find it myself.

Days turned into nights as I buried myself in research. I spent hours in the resort's business center, poring over financial records, obscure news articles, and shady forums.

The more I dug, the more I unearthed: whispers of gambling debts, allegations of money laundering, and connections to offshore accounts. But whispers weren't enough—I needed something concrete.

Adam's meticulous nature meant that he wouldn't leave incriminating evidence lying around. I had to be smart, careful, and most of all, I had to act fast. The night of his business dinner presented the perfect opportunity. My heart pounded with a mix of fear and determination as I approached his office, the corridors quiet save for the distant murmur of the ocean.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself, and slipped inside. The office was pristine, every item in its place,every picture framed and book tightly bound. I started with the desk, pulling open drawers and rifling through papers.

Contracts, business proposals, financial statements,fluttered out like paper butterflies,damn I'd have to clean those up later,

all meticulously organized but revealing nothing out of the ordinary. Adam was too clever to leave anything incriminating in plain sight.

Frustration clawed at me as I turned to the bookshelves. The books were neatly arranged, mostly titles on business and finance. A few stood out, either because they were out of place or because they were ones I'd never seen Adam read.

I pulled on a heavy tome titled "Global Financial Strategies," and to my astonishment, the bookcase swung open to reveal a hidden compartment.

My heart raced as I reached inside and pulled out a stack of papers. I quickly scanned through them, my eyes widening with each page.

Offshore accounts, wire transfers, coded messages—it was all here. This was the proof I needed. I grabbed my phone and started taking photos, making sure to capture every detail. I couldn't afford to miss anything.

Just as I was about to put the papers back, I heard a noise behind me. I froze, my blood running cold. I turned slowly to see Adam standing in the doorway, his eyes burning with anger.

"What do you think you're doing, Iris?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"I—I was just..." I stammered, unable to come up with a plausible excuse.

"Just what?" he said, stepping closer. "Snooping around? Looking for something?"

I backed away, clutching my phone tightly. "Adam, I can explain..."

His eyes flicked to the hidden compartment and the papers in my hand. His expression darkened. "You shouldn't have done that, Iris."

Before I could react, he lunged at me. I tried to scream, but his hand clamped over my mouth, muffling the sound. He wrestled the papers from my grasp and glanced at them, his jaw tightening with rage.

"You were going to betray me," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "You are everything to me Iris. And you were going to ruin me."

"Adam, please, let me go," I begged, my voice trembling. "You don't have to do this."