Chapter 32

"You're up?" As I opened the refrigerator, Ben's voice echoed throughout the flat. To get away from Emily, I had invited him to the house.

With my head buried in the refrigerator, I muttered, "Yeah, just grabbing something before heading to the office." Making eye contact was the last thing I needed.

Ben leaned on the counter and remarked, "You've been acting strange. More unusual than normal."

"I'm all right." I slammed the refrigerator door shut and picked up a bottle of water. "There is just a lot going on."

"Yeah." Ben gave me the look that conveyed his disbelief.

I walked right by him. "Ben, drop it. We're dealing with more serious problems than my mood swings."

Ben trailed me to the exit. "This goes beyond work, doesn't it? What's happening between Emily and you?"

With my hand on the handle, I froze. "Nothing is happening."

"Are you certain about that? Because she's avoiding you like you have the plague and you've been tense since yesterday night."

I pushed the door wide and said, "Just concentrate on keeping things together at the office. I've got it under control."

I ignored the anxiety in my chest and lost myself in my work at the workplace. I had to clear my mind and get rid of Emily. Distractions weren't something I could afford right now.

Mid-morning, Ben stormed into my office. "So, will you explain to me why you're avoiding Emily? Or must I make a guess?"

I flipped through a pile of papers without looking up, saying, "I'm not dodging anyone. My attention is on my work."

"You mean the job where you have to slink around and answer Victor's calls?" Ben's tone was stern as he asked. "Because, isn't that what this is all about?"

I tightened my jaw. "I told you, I've got it under control, Ben."

"Yes, and what precisely does handling it mean? While Emily is kept in the dark, are you drowning in paperwork?"

At last, I raised my head and met his gaze. "That's the way to go."

Ben's hands went up in the air. "Excellent strategy, Ethan. Very intelligent. Continue to lie to the one person who could truly help you."

I got up and paced the desk. "Ben, she doesn't have to know. This becomes increasingly risky for her the more she knows."

"You simply... what? Do Victor's dirty work and seem as though nothing is wrong."

I gritted my teeth and didn't respond.

Ben shook his head and muttered, "That's what I thought. You're going to get her hurt."

I turned to him and stopped pacing. "I'm taking this action to protect her. Do you believe I'd like this? Do you believe I appreciate the direction this is taking? Ben, I have no other option."

He shot back in a hushed voice, "You always have a choice. But you're going to lose her because you're so focused on keeping her safe."

The remainder of the day was a haze of stressful meetings and halting discussions. The memory of that night was like a kick to the gut every time I saw Emily. It had been an error in kissing. We shouldn't have crossed that line.

When my phone buzzed on the desk, I was sitting in my office massaging my temples.

**It's time. Check your safe.**

I felt sick to my stomach. That meant something to me.

With trembling hands, I walked to my office and typed the code in the safe behind the picture. When the door clicked open, a simple manila folder was seen. My throat tightened as I opened it.

illegal sales of weapons. My father had been involved in the same thing. It was the same disaster that had held Victor and me captive.

Ben entered the room as I was shoving the folder back into the safe and slamming it shut when I heard a knock on the door.

Ben replied, leaning against the doorframe, "You look like hell. What's happening?"

"Nothin'." I lied and turned back to my desk, saying, "Just work."

Ben's skepticism grew when his gaze strayed to the safe. "Victor again?"

I remained silent, but it was sufficient.

"You must stop doing this, Ethan. It will eventually catch up to you."

I mumbled, rearranging papers on my desk to keep my hands occupied, "I don't have a choice."

Ben remarked, "You say that all the time, but it's never true. What happens when Emily finds out? When she realizes what's going on?"

"She won't," I snapped. "Because I'm not telling her. And don't think you will too."

Ben sat opposite me on the other side of the room. "You are aware that won't work. Ethan, she's intelligent. She's going to figure it out."

I balled my hands, attempting to shake the thought of Emily learning about Victor. "I'll handle it."

Ben said, "Dude, you're burying yourself in lies. And it's not going to be pretty when they crash down."

With the folder still weighing heavily on my mind, I locked the office door behind me later that night. Now that Victor had officially placed the first of his dirty work in my lap, there was no going back. I had completed the necessary documentation for a shipment of weapons, one that would bring Monroe Enterprises millions of dollars.

I realized I couldn't keep this a secret indefinitely as I moved through the deserted hallways. However, I had no other option. Victor was too strong and too risky. Additionally, Emily was unable to know. Not quite yet.

The flat was silent when I got home, but I could still sense Emily's presence. I couldn't blame her for being aloof all day. After the kiss, I withdrew and attempted to reestablish the walls. However, the tension was always present and ready to blow up whenever we saw each other.

When I entered, she was reading a book while seated on the couch. When I walked in, she didn't look up.

"Busy day?" she asked, her voice neutral.

"Yeah. Just work," I said, attempting to maintain a steady tone.

Everything we weren't saying was buried in the quiet that hung between us. I avoided looking into her eyes, but I could feel the weight of her stare.

I required room. Distance. Anything to prevent her from approaching and learning the truth.

Her words halted me as I turned to go.

"Ethan?"

With my hand on the doorframe, I stopped. "Yes?"

"Is everything alright? You've been... different."

I forced myself to speak steadily as I swallowed hard. "I'm all right, Emily."

She remained silent, but I could sense her uncertainty. She was aware that something wasn't right, but I prevented her from going farther. Not right now.

With a soft click, I shut the door behind me and went to my room. I could still feel the weight of the folder pushing down on my chest as I thought about it. I wasn't sure how long I could keep Emily in the dark, and Victor wasn't going anywhere.

But I had to for the moment. For her sake.