Chapter 46 River
FORTY-SIX
RIVER
There’s something poetic about sitting at my desk in the same cubicle that, only a few weeks ago, I had considered my personal hell.
The way the sunlight slices through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm golden bars across the open floorplan, makes NovaPlay’s office look like something out of an architectural magazine. But it’s not the lighting that makes it feel different today.
It’s everything else.
The truth is out.
Helena has been arrested. Publicly. Loudly.
Just the way she liked things—only this time, she wasn’t the one pulling the strings.
The headlines were impossible to ignore: “Gaming Exec Behind Developer Deaths, Digital Crimes.” Her smug mugshot splashed across tech blogs and industry newsfeeds like poetic justice.
Now we’re back at work, and the fallout is still raining down.
“I still can’t believe it was her,” whispers one developer behind me.
“I mean, yeah, she was cold,” another adds, “but murder?”
I sip my coffee slowly, letting the voices wash over me. No one’s whispering about me today. For the first time in… forever.
My inbox is full of polite messages from HR and Legal, most asking for my cooperation or sending formal apologies. I haven’t answered any of them yet. I don’t need a corporate apology. What I needed was Gage—and I got him.
And today, the world is watching the rest of the dominos fall.
“Holy shit,” someone mutters near the breakroom.
I look up just in time to see two uniformed police officers walking through the glass doors at reception.
The whole office goes still.
Like someone pressed pause on a video game mid-action.
“Is that…?”
“Tasha,” I murmur under my breath, rising from my desk.
She’s standing near her desk, spine straight, lips parted slightly in surprise as the officers approach. She doesn't resist—doesn’t flinch—but there’s a flicker of disbelief in her eyes as they read her rights and place her in handcuffs.
My heart thuds.
I knew this part was coming. Gage had warned me.
Helena’s confession implicated multiple people—Tasha among them.
She had been the internal eyes and ears, planting stories, manipulating the pipeline to isolate me, feeding Helena my movements.
And worst of all, she helped erase digital breadcrumbs after the murders.
She turns her head just as the officers lead her toward the exit, and for one breathless moment, our eyes meet.
I don’t look away.
She does.
Whispers fill the silence again, growing louder.
“Wait—Tasha?!”
“She was in on it?”
“Is this some kind of movie?!”
It feels surreal.
Not triumphant. Just… complete.
Like a wound closing.
I return to my desk, heart racing, hands shaking slightly.
Gage is out today—handling a few last meetings with Maddox Security and finalizing statements for the legal team.
I had offered to come with him, but he kissed my forehead and said, “I think this time, you deserve to be the one walking through those doors proud.”
He was right.
And it turns out… I am.
“River?”
I glance up to see two of my coworkers—Justin and Marla—lingering awkwardly near my desk.
Justin clears his throat. “We, uh… just wanted to say we’re sorry.”
Marla nods quickly. “For everything. For believing that crap about you and spreading rumors. We thought—well, we were wrong. Really wrong.”
Justin rubs the back of his neck. “Turns out the golden boy wasn’t so golden after all.”
At first, I don’t know what to say. There’s a thousand responses on the tip of my tongue—sarcastic, scathing, biting.
But instead, I just say, “Thank you.”
Because I’ve already lived in that hurt. And today isn’t about clinging to it.
It’s about letting it go.
They nod and walk away, looking relieved. A few other coworkers stop by with similar sentiments throughout the morning—some more genuine than others. But none of them matter as much as the man who approaches my desk just before lunch.
Andrew.
His shoulders are slumped. His badge is no longer clipped to his belt. There’s no corporate armor left—just regret.
“River,” he starts. “Can I… talk to you for a sec?”
I glance up, surprised. “Sure.”
“I’m fired. I’m here just tying up loose ends.” He hesitates. “I, uh, just wanted to say I’m sorry. For not believing you. For not protecting you when I should’ve. I got caught up in politics and perception and—hell, I knew something felt off, but I ignored it. I was weak.”
His voice cracks. Just slightly.
“I can’t fix what I did,” he says. “But I can tell you I’ve recommended you for my position. The team would be lucky to have you leading them.”
My heart twists.
I should feel validated.
But I don’t.
Because I already know what I’m going to say.
“Thank you,” I say. “But I’m going to have to pass.”
His brow furrows. “Why?”
“Because if I take that job, I’ll be reporting directly to the board. And one of their conditions is no dating within senior leadership.” I smile softly. “And I’m not giving up Gage.”
Andrew’s eyes widen. “You’re together?”
I nod. “Really together.”
He exhales, almost like he’s jealous. But also… relieved. “Then I hope you’re happy, River. Truly. You deserve that much.”
I watch him walk away. And for the first time since starting at NovaPlay, I don’t feel like the quiet outsider. I feel like me.
Strong. Clear. Seen.
Later that evening, we’re at my apartment. Gage’s chopping vegetables in the kitchen, bare feet on the tile, sleeves rolled to his elbows. There’s music playing low on the speakers—some mellow indie band he’s trying to get me into.
I sneak up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist.
He leans back into me instantly.
“How was work?” he asks.
“Wild. Emotional. Surreal.”
“You see the Tasha thing?”
“Oh yeah,” I whisper. “Front row.”
He chuckles. “I bet that was satisfying.”
“More than it should’ve been.”
He turns, eyes searching mine. “You okay?”
“Better than okay.” I rest my hands on his chest. “I got offered Andrew’s job.”
He stills. “And?”
“I said no.”
He blinks. “You what?”
“I said no,” I repeat, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Because it would mean not being able to date you. And I’m not giving you up. Not for a job. Not for anything.”
For a moment, he just stares.
“Do you want the job?”
I shrug. “Honestly, I don’t think I even want NovaPlay anymore. The board doesn’t care about me. About their employees.”
Gage nods. “I’ve been thinking about that too, and well…”
“What?” I ask.
“Dean offered us both positions. Says he could use our computer skills on his team.”
I’m shocked.
Like really shocked.
“What did you say?”
His eyes meet mine and he inches closer. “Said I’d have to talk to you first.”
“I think I like that idea.” I wrap my arms around his neck and tug him closer.
Then he kisses me.
Hard. Deep. Like I just gave him the world.
“Damn it, Riv,” he whispers against my lips. “You’re gonna wreck me.”
“You already wrecked me,” I say, kissing him back. “Let’s call it even.”
He laughs, and it’s the most beautiful sound in the world.
We eat dinner curled together on the couch, sharing bites off each other’s plates, watching trash TV and pretending we don’t both want to carry each other to bed the second the credits roll. But tonight isn’t about urgency.
It’s about peace.
It’s about healing.
And it’s about us.
As we lay in bed, the moonlight spilling across the sheets, Gage pulls me close and whispers against my temple.
“I used to think I’d never deserve this,” he says. “You. Love. Something real.”
I tilt my face up to meet his gaze. “And I used to think I’d never have a voice.”
“You do now,” he murmurs. “And it’s beautiful.”
So we fall asleep wrapped around each other, our bodies tangled, our futures wide open.
No more secrets.
No more shadows.
Just love.
Real, honest, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love.
And for the first time in my life…
I believe I’ve won.