I was still staring at the document in my hands. My best friend's name was printed clearly across it. I hoped my eyes were deceiving me.
But the longer I stared, the clearer the truth became. The hand holding the paper began to tremble.
“How long?” I finally asked. My voice came out barely above a whisper.
Daniel didn't answer right away.
“How long have they been together?” I asked again, more firmly this time.
Daniel leaned back in his chair.
“I don't have definitive proof of when their relationship began.”
I looked at him.
“Then why did you say their relationship might have been going on for longer?”
“Because there were several transactions and meetings involving both of them.”
I frowned.
“Transactions?”
Daniel nodded.
“Your best friend appeared several times in reports related to Adrian's company.”
I looked at the document again.
“So she's involved in Adrian's business?”
“At least, that's what the data we have indicates.”
I slowly shook my head.
“That can't be.”
Daniel fell silent.
“You don't know her,” I continued. “She's been my best friend for years.” I almost laughed because I sounded so foolish.
My best friend.
The person who had always been by my side. The person who knew everything about my relationship with Adrian. She knew how much I loved that man. She knew about our wedding plans.
Then how could this possibly...
I closed my eyes. The tears I'd been holding back finally fell. Daniel said nothing.
He simply let me cry.
Strange.
I thought he'd feel uncomfortable seeing a woman cry in front of him. But the man remained silent.
He didn't try to touch me. He didn't offer any hollow words of comfort. For some reason, his attitude actually made me feel a little calmer.
I quickly wiped away my tears.
“Why are you showing me all this?”
“Because there's something you need to know before you make a decision.”
“What decision?”
“A decision about Adrian.”
I fell silent.
Daniel continued.
“If this were only about infidelity, it wouldn't be my concern.”
I looked at him.
“But?”
“But if Adrian is using your relationship to cover up something bigger, then I believe you need to know.”
My chest tightened again.
“What do you mean?”
Daniel opened another folder.
“Adrian is dealing with financial problems.”
I frowned.
“Financial problems?”
“His company has a substantial amount of debt.”
I fell silent.
“How much?”
Daniel named a figure. I was rendered speechless. The amount was far greater than I could ever have imagined.
“That can't be.”
“Data doesn't lie.”
I shook my head.
“Adrian never told me.”
“That's precisely the problem.”
I looked at Daniel.
“Why would he hide it?”
Daniel stared at me for a long moment.
“I can't say for certain yet.”
“Then what does it have to do with me?”
Daniel didn't answer right away.
I began to feel uneasy.
“Daniel.”
“Your relationship with Adrian gave him a certain level of access.”
I furrowed my brow.
“What kind of access?”
“Your family name.”
I froze.
“Don't tell me...”
“Adrian used his business connections with your family as one of the reasons for gaining the trust of several parties.”
It felt as though the blood had stopped flowing through my veins.
“So all this time...”
I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. Had Adrian approached me because of my family? Had all the attention he'd given me been nothing more than part of a plan?
No.
I didn't want to believe it.
I loved Adrian.
Or at least...
I had loved him once.
I rose from my chair.
“Enough.”
Daniel looked up.
“I want to go home.”
I no longer cared about any of those documents. I just wanted to get out of that room. I wanted to breathe some fresh air. I wanted to make sure the life I'd been living all this time wasn't one giant lie.
But before I reached the door, Daniel's voice stopped me.
“Don't trust anyone for the time being.”
I stopped.
Slowly, I turned around.
“What do you mean?”
“Not even the people closest to you.”
I stared at him.
“Why would you say that?”
Daniel didn't answer.
I waited.
But the man only said,
“Go home. Think everything through calmly.”
I bit my lip.
“And these documents?”
“Take them.”
I looked at the folder still lying on the desk.
“Why?”
“Because I want you to see them for yourself.”
I picked up the folder.
“Thank you.”
Daniel merely nodded.
I turned and walked out. But after only a few steps from the door, I heard his voice again.
“Miss Elena.”
I turned around.
“Yes?”
“Don't tell Adrian that you met with me today.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
Daniel's expression turned serious.
“Because I want to see what he'll do when he doesn't know that you've already found out everything.”
I fell silent.
There was something about those words that sent a shiver down my spine.
I finally nodded and left.
All the way home, my mind wouldn't stop racing. I placed the folder from Daniel on the seat beside me. Several times, I wanted to open it again.
But I held myself back. I was afraid of finding something even worse. When the car stopped in front of the house, I didn't get out right away.
I stared at the mansion standing majestically before me. The place that had always been my refuge. Today, it felt different.
I began questioning so many things. Adrian. My best friend. The reason they were together. Even myself.
Had I really never noticed the signs? Or had I simply trusted them too much?
I finally got out of the car and went inside. After only a few steps, I heard Mommy's voice from the family room.
“El?”
I turned around.
Mommy walked toward me.
“You're home?”
I nodded.
“Yeah, Mom.”
“How did your meeting with Daniel go?”
I fell silent.
Mommy immediately noticed the change in my expression.
“What happened?”
I forced a smile.
“Nothing.”
“What did Daniel say?”
I tightened my grip on the folder in my hand. I didn't know why, but Daniel's warning suddenly came back to me. Don't tell anyone.
Not even Mommy? I'd never hidden anything from her.
But this time...
For some reason, I felt like I needed to be careful.
“Just business, Mom.”
Mommy studied me for a moment.
Then she nodded.
“Then go get some rest.”
I smiled.
“Okay.”
I headed toward the stairs. But just as I reached the first step, my phone rang.
I looked at the screen. Adrian's number. I let the call ring until it stopped. A few seconds later, a message came in. I opened it.
El, we need to talk. There's something I've never told you.
I stared at the message without blinking. Before I could reply, a second message came in. And this isn't about my affair.
My heart immediately began pounding.
His affair?
Not about that?
Then what was it about?
I read the message again.
My hands felt cold.
For the first time, I began to fear learning the truth.
Because maybe...
Adrian's affair was only a small part of something far bigger.
And I had just opened the door to the secret they'd been hiding from me all this time.