The Accidental Affair

Chapter...4

The folder felt heavier with each step I took back to the apartment. By the time I unlocked the door, my chest was tight, and my thoughts were a jumbled mess. Eloise was seated on the couch, scrolling through her phone with a bowl of popcorn in her lap.

“Hey,” she said, barely looking up. “How was your meeting? You look…” She paused, narrowing her eyes at me. “Wait, why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

I dropped the folder on the coffee table and collapsed onto the couch. “Because I might have,” I muttered.

Eloise set her phone down and turned to me, her expression shifting to concern. “Talk to me. What happened?”

“Lorenzo happened,” I said bitterly, rubbing my temples. “He claims there’s trouble with my dad’s company. Fraud, embezzlement, and somehow, my name is being dragged into it.”

Eloise’s mouth fell open. “What? That’s insane! You’ve been here, focusing on your fashion line. How could you possibly be involved?”

“Exactly what I said,” I replied, gesturing toward the folder. “But he gave me this. Says it’s proof. I don’t know if I should even look at it.”

Eloise hesitated, then reached for the folder. “Aurora, if there’s even a chance that this is true, you need to know what’s in here.”

Reluctantly, I nodded. She opened it, pulling out a stack of documents. The first was a printed email thread between senior executives at Ricci Tech Hub, discussing diverted funds and falsified records. Eloise flipped through the pages, her expression growing darker with each one.

“This… this doesn’t look good,” she said finally, holding up a page with my name typed in bold letters. “They’re making it seem like you authorized some of this.”

“That’s ridiculous!” I exclaimed, snatching the paper from her. “I haven’t had anything to do with the company in over a year! My grandparents are running it.”

“Could they be involved?” Eloise asked cautiously.

I shook my head. “No way. They’re old-fashioned but honest. They’d never risk tarnishing the company or my father’s name.”

“Then someone’s trying to frame you,” Eloise said, her voice firm.

I slumped back against the couch, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Eloise reached over and squeezed my hand. “You start by finding out who’s behind this. And if Lorenzo’s right, you’ll need a lawyer. A good one.”

The mention of Lorenzo made my stomach twist. As much as I hated admitting it, he might have been telling the truth. “Do you think I can trust him?”

Eloise frowned. “Lorenzo broke your heart, but he doesn’t strike me as the type to make up something like this. Still, keep your guard up. You don’t know what his motives are.”

I nodded, her words sinking in. “Okay. Tomorrow, I’ll call my grandparents and get to the bottom of this.”

The next morning, I dialled my grandfather’s number. He picked up after the second ring.

“Aurora, my dear! How are you?” his warm voice greeted me.

“Hi, Nonno. I’m fine, but… I need to talk to you about something serious,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

There was a pause on the other end. “What is it?”

“Someone’s claiming there’s fraud happening at Ricci Tech Hub, and my name is being tied to it,” I explained. “I need to know if you’ve heard anything about this.”

The line went silent for a moment, and then he sighed heavily. “Aurora, there have been… whispers. Unusual activity in the accounts. Your grandmother and I have been trying to investigate, but it’s complicated.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, frustration bubbling up.

“We didn’t want to worry you,” he said softly. “You’ve been through so much already.”

“I need to know everything, Nonno,” I insisted.

He hesitated, then said, “Come home, Aurora. We’ll talk in person. There’s more to this than I can explain over the phone.”

“Okay,” I said, my heart sinking. “I’ll book a flight today.”

As I hung up, Eloise walked into the room, holding a cup of coffee. “What’s the plan?” she asked.

“I’m going back to Venice,” I said, standing up. “Nonno says he’ll explain everything in person.”

Eloise frowned. “Do you want me to come with you?”

I smiled weakly. “No, I’ll be fine. You’ve got work, and this is something I need to handle on my own.”

She nodded reluctantly. “Okay. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I will,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d handle what was waiting for me in Venice.

As I packed my bags, a mix of fear and determination settled over me. If someone was trying to ruin my name, they’d picked the wrong woman to mess with.