Chapter 11: The Truth Simone Buried
I returned home before sunrise.
The entire drive, I said nothing.
Not because I had no questions.
Because I had too many.
Every person around me had a version of the truth.
And every version had missing pieces.
When I entered the apartment, Simone was sitting on the gray sofa.
Waiting.
She looked exhausted.
Like she had spent the whole night awake.
When she saw my face, she stood.
“What happened?””
I looked at her.
“You tell me.””
Her expression changed.
“What does that mean?””
I rolled closer.
“Marcus says you know about a second betrayal.””
The color disappeared from her face.
I saw it.
The fear.
The recognition.
“You talked to him?””
“No.””
I placed my phone on the table.
“He talked to me.””
Simone looked down.
“I didn’t want you to know.””
I laughed softly.
There it was again.
The sentence everyone used.
“I didn’t want you to know.””
“You keep saying that.””
She looked at me.
“Because I was scared.””
“Of what?””
She sat down slowly.
“Of losing everything.””
I stared at her.
“You already did.””
Her eyes filled.
“I know.””
The honesty caught me off guard.
For once, she wasn’t defending herself.
She wasn’t blaming circumstances.
She was just admitting the damage.
“What is the second betrayal?””
She looked toward the window.
“Your company.””
I waited.
“Someone inside your company gave Marcus information.””
“I know.””
Her eyes moved back to mine.
“You know?””
“Yes.””
“Then you know who.””
I nodded.
“The CFO.””
Simone looked surprised.
“Yes.””
She closed her eyes.
“But that’s not the betrayal I meant.””
My stomach tightened.
“Then what?””
She hesitated.
“Me.””
The answer was quiet.
But it was the loudest thing she had said.
I stared at her.
“What did you do?””
She wiped her tears.
“Before Marcus…”
She stopped.
“Before Marcus what?””
“Before Marcus came into my life, I found out something.””
I waited.
“About your illness.””
The room became still.
My fingers froze.
“What about it?””
She looked terrified.
“Adrian…”
“Say it.””
She swallowed.
“I found evidence that someone may have caused it.””
For a moment, I couldn’t understand the words.
“What?””
“I didn’t know if it was true.””
“Who?””
She looked down.
“I don’t know.””
“You knew?””
“I suspected.””
My voice became cold.
“And you didn’t tell me?””
She started crying.
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
She looked at me.
“Of what would happen if I was wrong.””
I stared at her.
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You were afraid of what would happen if you were right.””
She didn’t answer.
Because she knew.
I moved closer.
“What did you find?””
She reached into her bag.
Slowly.
Carefully.
She pulled out a folder.
My entire body went still.
“I kept it.””
“Why?””
“Because I couldn’t destroy it.””
She placed it on the table.
“I knew someday you would need the truth.””
I opened it.
Medical records.
Reports.
A timeline.
And one name.
The same name that had appeared everywhere.
Marcus.
But this time, there was something else.
A signature.
A doctor’s approval.
I stared at it.
My hands went cold.
“Dr. Harris.””
Simone nodded.
“Yes.””
The man who treated me.
The man who told me I was lucky to survive.
The man who knew my condition better than anyone.
My phone rang.
Evelyn.
I answered.
“Adrian.””
Her voice sounded urgent.
“We found something.””
“What?””
“Marcus isn’t trying to take your company.””
I looked at the folder.
“Then what?””
A pause.
“He’s trying to erase evidence.””
My expression changed.
“Evidence of what?””
Evelyn lowered her voice.
“Of what happened to you.””
I looked at Simone.
She looked terrified.
Then Evelyn said:
“Adrian, you need to leave the apartment.””
“Why?””
“Because someone just accessed your security system.””
I looked around.
The lights.
The windows.
The doors.
Everything suddenly felt unfamiliar.
“Who?””
Evelyn went silent.
Then:
“The person inside your home.””
The call ended.
And before I could react, I heard a sound.
A door closing.
Not the front door.
The bedroom door.
Simone looked at me.
Her face went pale.
“Adrian…”
I turned toward the hallway.
May you like
Because there was someone else inside.
Someone who had been listening.
