Broken

Chapter 39: Breaking point

Brandon stormed down the hallway, shaking his head in disbelief at the chaos that had unfolded. Fatima had lost it. How could she think he was the one who betrayed her? After all the years of loyalty, the sleepless nights spent working on her legal affairs, and this was the thanks he got?

As he rounded the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Zac standing there, arms crossed and waiting. The tension was palpable, like a thunderstorm about to break.

"What's happening?" Zac asked, stepping forward, his voice tight with concern.

Brandon scoffed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "What's happening? Your sweet Fatima just fired me. She probably thinks you're some sort of saint and now she's blaming me for everything."

Zac's face darkened, and his jaw clenched. "What the fuck did you just say?" His tone was low, filled with warning.

Brandon sneered, undeterred. "Oh, don't play dumb. According to her, you can't do anything wrong. She's too busy acting like a bitch to see what's really going on."

That was it. Before Brandon could say another word, Zac surged forward, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the wall with a thud that echoed down the corridor. Brandon's eyes widened in shock, his feet scrambling for balance as Zac's grip tightened.

"Disrespect her again, and I'll mop the floor with your fucking face!" Zac spat, his voice a low growl, eyes blazing with fury.

Brandon's breath came in quick gasps as he struggled to push Zac off, his hands shaking as he tried to pry Zac's fingers from his suit. "You've lost your mind, Zachary!"

"Taylor!" a stern voice interrupted, and both men froze. Officer Cortez was approaching, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "Let Brandon go before you end up in a cell next to your lover."

Zac hesitated, his muscles taut with rage, but after a moment, he released Brandon and took a step back, his eyes never leaving Brandon's face. Brandon stumbled, straightening his suit and glaring at Zac.

"Threatening me in front of authority now, Zachary," Brandon sneered, adjusting his collar, his voice dripping with disdain.

Zac's voice was cold, unflinching. "No, I don't make threats. That was a warning."

Brandon's expression flickered with a mixture of fear and anger, but he didn't say anything else. He straightened his shoulders, glanced at Cortez, and then stalked away, leaving Zac standing there, chest heaving with barely contained rage.

Cortez watched Brandon disappear down the hall before turning to Zac, his expression grim. "You knew about this, didn't you?" Cortez accused, his voice sharp. "About Fatima's connection to Denzel Garcia. You knew all along."

Zac whipped his head toward Cortez, eyes wide with disbelief. "What? No. I didn't know a damn thing, Cortez."

Cortez crossed his arms, his gaze narrowing with suspicion. "Don't lie to me, Taylor. You're too close to her. You expect me to believe that you, a criminal lawyer, didn't know who she really was?"

"I'm telling you the truth!" Zac snapped, taking a step toward Cortez, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "She told me about her past, yes, but I didn't know it was going to come out like this. I didn't know it was going to blow up in the media!"

Cortez's eyes flickered with doubt. "So, she confides in you, and yet, you never thought to tell anyone about her connections to one of the most dangerous men in the country? You've been hiding the truth, Zac, whether you meant to or not."

Zac's frustration boiled over. "Fatima isn't involved in any of this!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hallway. "She's not running the drug world, she's not working with her father! She's a goddamn businesswoman, not a criminal!"