The Billionaire's Dilemma

The next morning, Emily sat at her desk, staring at the scattered notes and documents in front of her. Julian's confession still echoed in her mind bribes, corruption, and a dangerous partnership with Marcus. It was the kind of story that could make her career… or destroy the man she was beginning to care for.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but she hesitated. Could she really expose him after everything he had told her in confidence?

A sharp knock at her office door pulled her out of her thoughts. It was Ava, her editor, with a cup of coffee and an expectant look.

"You've been quiet, Taylor," Ava said, leaning against the doorframe. "I assume you've found something juicy on Blackwood."

Emily forced a smile. "I'm working on it."

Ava's eyes narrowed. "You're getting too close, aren't you?" she asked, her tone cutting. "Don't forget this isn't a love story. It's an exposé. We need the truth, no matter how messy it gets."

Emily tensed. "I haven't forgotten," she lied.

"Good," Ava said, setting the coffee down. "Because if you're not willing to finish the job, I'll assign it to someone who will."

As the door shut behind her, the pressure on Emily's shoulders grew heavier. If she didn't publish, someone else would and they wouldn't care about Julian's side of the story.

She rubbed her temples, her mind torn between loyalty to her profession and the man who had risked everything to trust her.

Her phone buzzed a message from Julian.

Julian: Dinner tonight? I want to see you.

Her heart fluttered against her better judgment. She knew the lines were blurring, but she couldn't pull away now not when she was so close to uncovering the full truth.

Before she could reply, another email landed in her inbox. It was from an anonymous sender, with the subject line:

"You're digging in the wrong place."

Her pulse quickened as she opened the message. Attached was a document labeled:

"Marcus Caldwell Unauthorized Transactions."

Emily's breath caught. It wasn't just Julian with secrets Marcus was hiding something, too.

And if this document was real, it could

change everything.