Beneath the Surface

Chapter 5: The Plot Twist

The days that followed were a whirlwind of tension. Amelia found herself caught between two forces—Daniel's warmth and Adrian's intensity. Both men seemed to occupy her thoughts, leaving her more conflicted than ever.

But everything changed the evening of the Easton presentation.

The boardroom buzzed with energy as Adrian and Amelia prepared for the pitch. Daniel was there too, setting up his part of the presentation. His easy demeanor was a sharp contrast to Adrian's cool professionalism.

As the meeting began, Adrian delivered his portion of the pitch flawlessly, his commanding presence captivating the room. Amelia watched him, momentarily forgetting the tension between them.

But when it was Daniel's turn to present, things took an unexpected turn.

Halfway through his presentation, a slide appeared on the screen that Amelia had never seen before. It detailed sensitive financial information—data that should have been confidential.

Adrian's face darkened as murmurs rippled through the room. "Daniel," he said sharply, "where did you get that information?"

Daniel hesitated, but only for a moment. "It was in the shared files."

"That's impossible," Adrian said, his voice icy. "Those files are restricted."

The room fell silent, all eyes on Daniel. Amelia's heart pounded as realization dawned.

Adrian stood, his gaze locked on Daniel. "You accessed information you weren't authorized to see. That's a breach of protocol—and trust."

Daniel's easy charm faltered, replaced by a defensive edge. "I didn't do anything wrong. Maybe you should ask your assistant how those files ended up in the wrong hands."

Amelia's breath caught. "What are you talking about?"

Daniel turned to her, his expression cold. "Come on, Amelia. You're the one who has access to everything. Maybe you slipped up."

Adrian stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. "Leave her out of this."

But Daniel wasn't done. "Or maybe you've been too busy worrying about her to notice what's happening under your nose."

The words hit like a slap, and for a moment, the room was still.

"Enough," Adrian said, his tone final. "We'll deal with this later. For now, the presentation is over."

As the board members filed out, Amelia stood frozen, her mind reeling.

Daniel walked past her without a word, but Adrian stayed behind, his gaze softening as he turned to her.

"This isn't your fault," he said quietly. "I'll handle it."

But as Amelia met his eyes, she couldn't shake the feeling that things were far from over.