Chapter 54
“You want to know why I don’t hate Adam?” Emilia’s voice cut through the tension in the room like a blade.
Alex, arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. “Yes, please enlighten me, Emilia. Because frankly, I don’t get it.”
Sophie, sitting nearby, shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting between Alex and Emilia. Adam remained silent, looking like he was trying to blend into the couch.
Emilia smiled faintly, her eyes distant as she began. “Adam is the calmest man I’ve ever met. And the most honest, too. Do you know why I couldn’t bring myself to hate him, even after he broke up with me?”
Alex scoffed. “This should be good.”
Ignoring his sarcasm, Emilia continued. “It’s because I tested him. Back when we were dating, I wanted to see if he was truly the man I believed he was. So… I asked one of my friends to seduce him.”
Adam’s head snapped up, his expression one of shock and disbelief. “You what?”
Sophie’s eyes widened, her jaw dropping slightly. “Emilia, you… you did that?”
Emilia nodded, her cheeks flushing. “I know it sounds terrible, but I was young and insecure. I needed to know if he was the man I could trust with my heart.”
“And?” Alex leaned forward, his interest piqued despite himself.
“She failed,” Emilia said simply. “Miserably. Adam didn’t even give her a second glance. He was polite, of course, but he shut her down so thoroughly that she actually came back to me and apologized for even agreeing to the plan.”
Adam blinked, his voice low and incredulous. “I can’t believe you did that. And I didn’t even know.”
Emilia’s expression softened. “I know it was wrong. But when I saw how loyal and genuine you were, my love for you tripled. That’s why, when you broke up with me, it shattered me. Because I thought you were the one.”
The room fell silent. Alex looked dumbfounded, his usual sharp retorts absent for once. Sophie stared at Adam, a mix of emotions flickering across her face.
Finally, Alex broke the silence. “So you’re saying Adam’s a saint and we should all just bow down and forgive him?”
“No,” Emilia said firmly. “I’m saying he deserves the benefit of the doubt. He’s not perfect, but he’s not the monster Brenda is trying to make him out to be.”
Adam looked at Sophie, his eyes pleading. “Sophie, I swear I never betrayed you. Not intentionally. Please believe me.”
Sophie opened her mouth to respond, but the female anchor interrupted. “Shall we continue the interview?”
Adam nodded, taking a deep breath. “Let’s finish this.”
The cameras rolled again, and the anchor wasted no time diving back in.
“Adam, why do you think Brenda would do something like this? What could her motivation possibly be?”
Adam reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. “I have proof of her intentions.”
Sophie’s heart skipped a beat. “Proof?”
Adam unlocked his phone, scrolling through his messages. “This is a screenshot of our chat from this morning. Brenda sent me this.” He handed the phone to the anchor, who read aloud.
“‘You think you’re so high and mighty, don’t you? Snapping at me in front of the board like that. I told you I’d deal with you, Adam, and now you’ll regret it.’”
The room was dead silent as the anchor continued. “‘I’ve always had a crush on you, but you were too blind to see it. All you ever talked about was your precious wife. Well, now let’s see how much you love her when she thinks you’re a liar.’”
Sophie’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God…”
Alex, for once, looked stunned into silence.
Adam turned back to the anchor. “She admitted it, plain and simple. This wasn’t about me betraying my wife. This was about revenge. She wanted to ruin me because I embarrassed her in a board meeting. And when that wasn’t enough, she decided to take it a step further.”
The anchor set the phone down, her expression unreadable. “This changes things significantly. Have you considered taking legal action against Brenda?”
Adam nodded. “I have, and I will. But first, I needed the world to know the truth. I’m not the man she’s painting me to be.”
The anchor turned to Sophie. “Sophie, as Adam’s wife, how do you feel about this revelation?”
Sophie hesitated, her mind racing. She looked at Adam, then at the phone, and finally back at the anchor. “I… I don’t know what to say. I need time to process this.”
Alex stepped forward, his voice sharp. “And what if Brenda turns this around? What if she denies everything?”
“She won’t,” Emilia said confidently. “Not after this goes public. Brenda’s game is over.”
Adam met Sophie’s gaze, his eyes filled with regret. “Sophie, I know I’ve hurt you, but I swear I’ll do whatever it takes to make this right. Just… give me a chance.”
Sophie’s lips trembled as she turned away, her emotions overwhelming her.
The anchor signaled for the cameras to stop. “That’s a wrap. This will air immediately you give the orders.”
As the crew began packing up, Alex pulled Sophie aside. “Are you seriously considering forgiving him?”
“I don’t know,” Sophie whispered. “But I owe it to myself to find out the truth.”
Adam approached them cautiously. “Sophie, can we talk? Alone?”
Sophie nodded, her voice barely audible. “Okay.”
As they walked away, Alex turned to Emilia, his expression unreadable. “I don’t trust him.”
Emilia smiled faintly. “You don’t have to. But maybe it’s time you stopped letting your hatred blind you.”
Alex said nothing, watching as Adam and Sophie disappeared down the hallway.
