Chapter 7- The Breaking Point
Adrian had never driven recklessly.
Tonight, he didn't care.
The city lights blurred past as his car sped toward the airport. His hands were steady on the steering wheel—but inside, something was unraveling.
London.
Transfer effective immediately.
Approved by Camila Laurent.
He replayed it again and again in his head.
He hadn't signed off on any London transfer. Emilia hadn't mentioned it.
Which meant one thing.
Camila had acted in his name.
And Emilia had believed he allowed it.
His jaw tightened.
He had ignored Emilia.
Prioritized Camila.
Dismissed her hurt.
But this?
This was sabotage.
?
Earlier – Emilia's Apartment
Emilia stood in the middle of her living room, suitcase open on the couch.
Not packed.
Just open.
Like her heart—half exposed, half bleeding.
Arjun leaned against the kitchen counter, arms folded.
"You don't have to leave tonight," he said quietly.
"I do."
"You're running."
She smiled faintly. "No. I'm choosing myself."
Arjun studied her. "Do you still love him?"
The silence stretched.
She didn't cry.
Didn't break.
But her voice came softer than usual.
"Yes."
A simple admission.
Painfully honest.
"But love isn't enough when you're second to someone else," she added.
Her phone screen lit up again.
Camila Laurent's post.
The picture.
Adrian holding her waist in the parking level.
Camila's head resting against his shoulder.
The caption: Unbreakable since childhood.
Emilia swallowed.
Emotional cheating wasn't about bodies.
It was about intimacy.
And Adrian had given that freely.
Repeatedly.
She closed the suitcase.
"I'm done being an option."
?
Airport – 10:47 PM
Adrian ran.
He didn't care that people recognized him. Didn't care about whispers.
He spotted Arjun first near the entrance.
"Where is she?" Adrian demanded.
Arjun didn't look surprised.
"Security."
Adrian's chest tightened. "You knew?"
"I knew she deserved better."
That hit harder than expected.
Adrian exhaled sharply. "Did you know about the transfer?"
Arjun's eyes narrowed slightly. "She didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
Arjun's expression changed.
Something clicked.
"She said you approved it."
Adrian went still.
"I never saw it," he said slowly. "Camila signed it under delegated authority."
Silence.
For the first time, doubt flickered in Arjun's eyes.
"She told Emilia you wanted distance," Arjun said carefully. "Said the London office needed stronger leadership and this was... convenient."
Adrian felt physically sick.
Camila hadn't just interfered.
She had engineered this.
?
Inside the terminal, Emilia stood near the glass panels overlooking the runway.
Her boarding pass trembled between her fingers.
She felt him before she saw him.
"Don't."
His voice was hoarse.
She closed her eyes.
Then turned.
He looked undone.
Not powerful.
Not composed.
Just... desperate.
"You shouldn't be here," she said softly.
"You're leaving."
"Yes."
"Because of that post?"
She gave a hollow laugh. "No. Not because of the post. Because it confirmed what I already knew."
"And what's that?"
"That you'll always choose Camila."
The accusation wasn't loud.
It was worse.
It was certain.
"I didn't approve this transfer," he said immediately. "I didn't even know about it."
She blinked.
For a second—just a second—hope flickered.
"She signed it. Under my authority."
"And you expect me to believe you had no idea?" she asked quietly.
He stepped closer. "Look at me."
She did.
And this time, his expression wasn't defensive.
It was furious.
Not at her.
At himself.
"She has been interfering every time I tried to get close to you," he admitted. "Calls. Crises. Emergencies."
"You still answered them."
The truth sliced cleanly.
He had.
Every time.
"I thought I was protecting a friendship."
"And what about protecting us?"
That question broke something inside him.
There had been no us lately.
Only avoidance.
Only priorities misplaced.
"I never touched her," he said, voice low.
Emilia's lips trembled slightly. "That's not the point."
He froze.
She took a breath.
"You gave her your time. Your attention. Your instinct to show up. Do you know what that does to someone who loves you?"
He couldn't answer.
Because he finally understood.
Emotional betrayal wasn't about physical lines.
It was about presence.
And he had been absent.
Repeatedly.
?
A boarding announcement echoed overhead.
Flight to London.
Final call in fifteen minutes.
Adrian's pulse spiked.
"Don't go," he said.
"Give me one reason."
He hesitated.
Because the truth wasn't romantic.
It wasn't dramatic.
It was raw.
"Because I'm wrong," he said finally. "And I want the chance to fix it."
Her eyes softened.
Just barely.
"You've had chances."
"I didn't see it."
"You didn't want to."
That one hurt most.
Because she wasn't wrong.
Camila had been there since childhood.
Loyal.
Close.
Comfortable.
And Emilia?
Emilia demanded depth.
Vulnerability.
Risk.
He had chosen the easier relationship.
Over the real one.
?
"You deserve better," Arjun's voice echoed in his mind from earlier.
Adrian stepped closer.
This time, she didn't step back.
"Don't leave like this," he murmured.
"Like what?"
"Thinking I chose her."
Her voice broke slightly now. "Didn't you?"
Silence.
Because in actions?
Yes.
In heart?
No.
But intentions didn't erase damage.
He reached for her hand slowly.
She let him.
Just for a second.
The contact felt electric.
Familiar.
Painful.
"I love you," he said.
The words landed between them like something fragile.
Her breath hitched.
She had waited months to hear that.
And now it felt almost cruel.
"Love isn't words," she whispered. "It's consistency."
Boarding call again.
Five minutes.
Adrian's grip tightened slightly.
"Give me one month."
She looked at him, startled.
"One month?"
"To fix this. To confront her. To clean up what I allowed to become messy."
"And if nothing changes?"
"Then I'll let you go."
That promise cost him.
Because he meant it.
Her eyes searched his face.
Looking for manipulation.
For ego.
For pride.
There was none.
Only regret.
And fear.
She slowly pulled her hand from his.
The loss was immediate.
"I won't board tonight," she said finally.
Relief flooded him so fast it almost made him weak.
"But I'm not coming back to you either," she added.
His expression tightened.
"You get your month. Not to win me."
"To deserve me."
She turned away.
Walking toward the exit instead of the gate.
Adrian stood there, breathing hard.
One month.
To dismantle years of misplaced loyalty.
To confront Camila Laurent.
To prove that Emilia Hartman was not second.
As Emilia walked past Arjun, he raised an eyebrow.
"You staying?"
"For now," she replied.
"Do you trust him?"
She didn't answer immediately.
"No," she said honestly. "But I want to see who he becomes when he realizes he's losing me."
?
Across the terminal entrance, Adrian's phone buzzed again.
Camila.
He stared at her name.
Then declined the call.
For the first time.
Seconds later, a message appeared.
Camila Laurent:
Why aren't you answering? I need you.
Adrian typed slowly.
Not tonight.
Three dots appeared instantly.
Then:
Is this about her?
He didn't reply.
Because for the first time—
It wasn't about Camila.
It was about Emilia.
And if Camila had truly orchestrated this transfer—
She had just made the worst mistake of her life.
Adrian slipped his phone into his pocket.
One month.
He intended to use every second of it.
?
End of Chapter 7