Chapter 83

Richard's

pov.

I couldn't help but feel that gnawing feeling at the back of my mind, like I was constantly being watched.

Every step I took, every meeting I attended, I kept noticing these little things, small signs that didn't feel right.

Employees looked away too quickly when I walked by, whispers that died down just as I entered the room, the way certain people held back in conversations.

And it wasn't just paranoia, was it? I'd found myself caught between James and Susan, with Sarah now looking at me like I was a stranger.

Those business deals-they'd all happened years ago, a lifetime ago, or so I'd thought. But seeing Sarah's hurt, that pain I'd caused just by hiding the truth, it all came rushing back to me.

And I couldn't help wondering: if Susan and James had dragged Sarah into this, who else in my life might be working with them?

In the beginning, I'd brushed it off. Told myself I was just stressed, that I was seeing patterns where there were none. But as the days went on, I started to notice things I couldn't ignore. Take Frank, for instance-one of my longest-serving managers. He'd been with the company through thick and thin, through all the ups and downs.

Lately, though, he seemed... off. Always leaving meetings early, his phone buzzing constantly with "urgent" messages he never explained.

He used to be the one I trusted most, but now? Every time he walked away from me, I wondered: was he hiding something?

One evening, after a particularly tense day at the office, I sat alone in my study. Papers were scattered across my desk, a messy reminder of the day's work.

But my mind wasn't on business. It was on Frank, on the way he'd avoided my questions about the latest contract. How he'd dodged the specifics when I'd asked him about some of the delays.

my head, telling myself I was being ridiculous. Frank had been loyal for years. Yet, the

hand through my hair. "Who else would even

air. I could feel my mind racing, going through a mental list of every person I'd worked with, every business partner who might have a reason to

process," she'd say with a smile that seemed just a little too wide. I shook my head again, trying to clear my thoughts. This wasn't me. I wasn't

leaned back in my chair,

as if on cue, my phone buzzed on the desk beside

Sarah.

paranoia was going, how I'd started to see shadows in places where maybe there were none. I picked up, trying to keep my voice

her voice soft but tense. "Just... checking in. Thought I'd see how

trying to find the right words. "I'm... alright.

a moment, and I could hear the unspoken words between us. "Are you sure?"

hit me harder than it should

to my own ears. "Just

the line. "If there's something going on, Richard, you can tell me. You don't have

explain everything, to let her in on the mess my mind had become. But the

I said finally. "But it's just... work stuff. Nothing for you to

growing. "Alright," she said, her voice barely

she hung up, I sat there, phone still in my hand, feeling a strange mix of relief and regret. I'd

know if my suspicions were real or if I was just driving myself mad. I called Frank into my office, watching him carefully as he entered. "Close

surprised but did as I asked. "Is something

folding my arms. "I just wanted to go over that new contract with you. The one you

hesitated, just for a split second, but I caught it. "Of course," he said, smiling in a way that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Is there something

"Just wanted to make sure

he explained the details, my mind kept wandering, focusing on every little gesture, every pause. Was he nervous? Was he hiding

more at ease than before. If anything, I was more unsettled. I didn't know if

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