Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
NOVA
The door to Liam's office slams shut behind me, and I know this isn't going to be good. Liam's back is to me, but the tension radiates off him in waves. His hands tremble as he holds a piece of paper, knuckles white with the pressure.
"Nova," he says, his voice low and dangerous. He doesn't turn around.
My stomach drops. "Liam, what's going on?"
He whips around, eyes blazing with a mix of fury and betrayal. "This." He thrusts the crumpled document and my missing notebook at me.
I take them with shaking hands, my heart pounding in my chest. The document is a printout of an email exchange between Sam Draper and me, detailing my undercover mission at QuantumLeap, and the notebook has all the details I was cataloging. My blood runs cold.
"Liam, I can explain?—"
"Explain?" he interrupts, voice rising. "You lied to me! Used me! Was anything real?"
I feel the weight of his words crashing down on me. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," I say, my voice cracking. "At first, it was just a job, but then..."
"Then what?" His jaw clenches, eyes narrowing. "You thought you'd get close to me and dig up some dirt? Was it all an act?"
I shake my head desperately. "No! I never meant to hurt you."
"But you did," he snaps. "You played me for a fool."
I can see the pain in his eyes, and it guts me. "Liam, please?—"
He holds up a hand to stop me. "I trusted you," he says softly, almost to himself. "I let you in."
My vision blurs with tears. "Liam, I know I messed up. But what we had—what we have—is real."
"Real?" He laughs bitterly. "How can I believe anything you say now?"
His words slice through me like a knife. "Because I'm standing here telling you the truth," I plead.
Liam turns away again, staring out the window at the city skyline. The silence stretches on, heavy and suffocating.
"You need to leave," he finally says, his voice void of emotion.
My heart shatters into a million pieces. "Liam..."
"Go," he repeats firmly.
I stand there, frozen in disbelief, as Liam's words crash over me like icy water. My heart races, and I struggle to breathe. This can't be happening.
"Clear your desk," Liam repeats, his voice cold and distant. "You're fired."
The finality in his tone sends a shiver down my spine. I open my mouth to protest, to explain, but no words come out. My legs feel weak, and I have to grip the edge of his desk to steady myself. But his eyes, once warm and full of affection, now regard me with a mixture of anger and betrayal. He turns away, effectively dismissing me.
I nod numbly and walk out of his office, feeling like I've lost everything that ever mattered to me.
As I step into the hallway, the reality of my actions hits me like a freight train. I've betrayed the one person who believed in me for who I am.
With trembling hands, I gather my few personal items from my desk. Tears blur my vision as I stuff everything into my bag, acutely aware of the curious stares from my now ex-coworkers.
As I head towards the elevator, I cast one last desperate glance at Liam's office. But the door is closed, a clear message that our story—whatever it was or could have been—is over.
I stumble into my tiny apartment, my spirit thoroughly crushed. Tossing my bag aside, I collapse onto the worn sofa, surrounded by the eclectic clutter that usually brings me comfort.
But tonight, it only emphasizes how alone I am. Tears threaten to spill as I curl up, hugging a pillow to my chest. The silence of the room feels deafening, a stark reminder of everything I've lost.
My gaze drifts to the coffee mug collection on the shelf, each one a memento of past adventures and stories. Now they just mock me, relics of a life that seems so far away.
How did everything go so wrong? How did I let ambition blind me to what really mattered?
My notebook sits open on the desk, pages filled with notes about RealityPlus and scribbles about Liam—moments we shared, things he said that made my heart flutter. The ink smudges as tears fall onto the paper.
"I've got to fix this," I whisper through sobs.
Liam's words echo in my mind: “I trusted you.”
Trust—something so fragile yet vital. How do you rebuild trust when it's been utterly destroyed?
The enormity of what I've done crashes over me like a wave, leaving me gasping for breath.
Liam Novak—the man who hid behind walls of logic and precision because he feared letting anyone in—had let me in. And I had betrayed him in the worst way possible.
I wipe my tears with shaking hands and look at the notes again.
Sam Draper—he's behind this mess as much as I am. He set this all in motion by trying to push the SilenceBreakers narrative.
If there's any way to make things right with Liam, it starts with exposing Sam for who he really is.
A flicker of resolve ignites within me amidst the overwhelming guilt and heartbreak.
I have to try—for Liam’s sake and mine. But first comes facing Sam Draper head-on.
I take a deep breath, my hands trembling as I dial Liam's number. My heart pounds in my chest, each ring echoing in my ears like a thunderclap. When he finally answers, his voice is cold and distant.
"Liam," I begin, my voice cracking. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from right now, but please, just give me a chance to explain."
There's a long pause, and for a moment, I think he might hang up. But then I hear him exhale slowly. "You have two minutes, Nova. Make it count."
I close my eyes, trying to gather my thoughts. How do I even begin to explain the tangled web of lies and half-truths that led us here? But I have to try. For Liam's sake, for mine, for the connection we've built that now hangs by a thread.
"I never meant for any of this to happen," I say, the words tumbling out in a rush. "When I first came to QuantumLeap, yes, I was undercover. But then I met you, Liam, and everything changed. You have to believe me. Everything that happened between us, everything I felt... that was real. It still is."
His voice is tight with anger. "Changed? Do you expect me to believe that?"
"Yes!" I plead, tears blurring my vision. "Liam, please believe me. I never wanted this to happen."
"Then why did you lie?" he demands. "Why did you use me?"
My voice cracks under the weight of my guilt. "I didn't know it would become... this. I thought I could handle it, but then I got to know you, the real you."
"Real me?" he scoffs bitterly. "You don't know anything about me."
"I do," I insist. "I know about the pressure you face, the expectations from your parents, the loneliness..."
There's a pause, and I can almost see his eyes flickering with something—pain? Recognition?
"Don't," he warns. "Don't pretend to understand my life."
"I'm not pretending," I plead. "I see how hard you work, how much you sacrifice."
He laughs harshly. "And yet you still tried to stab me in the back."
"I know," I sob. "I'm so sorry, Liam. Please give me a chance to make it right."
The silence on the other end is heavy and oppressive. Finally, he speaks, his voice quiet and pained. "I let you in. I trusted you."
The weight of his words crushes me further. "Liam..."
"This conversation is over," he says firmly.
"Please, Liam, don't?—"
"Goodbye, Nova," he interrupts, his tone final.
The line goes dead, leaving me alone with my guilt and despair.
I bury my face in my hands, sobs wracking my body. "I'm so sorry, Liam," I choke out, but the words feel hollow in the empty room.
I grab my notebook again, my fingers trembling, and flip through the pages. Each word is a testament to my betrayal. A strangled cry escapes me as I rip out page after page, crumpling them into balls and hurling them across the room. They scatter like fallen leaves, evidence of my shattered dreams and broken promises.
I slump forward, my forehead resting on the cool surface of the desk. Tears pool beneath me, blurring the ink of my remaining notes. The taste of salt on my lips mingles with the bitterness of regret.
"I've lost him forever," I whisper to myself, the truth of it piercing through me like a physical pain.
The silence of the apartment is deafening. No more late-night conversations, no more shared laughter over coffee. Just emptiness and the echoes of what could have been.
I force myself to sit up, wiping my eyes with shaking hands. My reflection in the computer screen startles me—puffy eyes, mascara streaked down my cheeks. I barely recognize myself.
My phone buzzes, and for a split second, hope flares in my chest. But it's just a news alert, reminding me of the world outside this bubble of pain. Reality crashes back in, and fresh tears spill over.
I've ruined everything. My career, my integrity, and worst of all, I've hurt the one person who saw past my ambition and believed in me. The weight of my actions settles over me like a shroud, heavy and suffocating.
I crawl into bed, my head pounding like a jackhammer. The events of the day swirl in my mind, a chaotic mess of betrayal and revelation. Sam's smug face flashes before my eyes, and I clench my fists in the darkness.
"I'll expose you," I whisper fiercely, my voice hoarse with exhaustion and anger. "Every dirty secret, every lie. You won't get away with this."
As I pull the covers up, I make a solemn vow to myself. No matter what it takes, I'll bring Sam down. My eyes flutter closed, heavy with fatigue, but my resolve burns bright. Tomorrow, the real fight begins.