Chapter 48
“Adam, you’re really not making sense here,” Emilia said, the confusion evident in her voice as she leaned back in her chair, trying to process what he was asking after his explanation. “You want me to help you, but… what exactly are you asking for?”
Adam’s hands were shaking as he gripped his phone tighter, the weight of his situation pressing down on him. .
“Look, I don’t want you to talk to Alex. I just need you to get me an exclusive with one of the anchors. Someone who will listen to my side of the story—without bias,” Adam explained, his voice filled with urgency.
Emilia’s brow furrowed. “Wait… what?” She was silent for a moment, piecing it together in her mind. “You’re asking me to help you with the media… for a story about you and Sophie? The same Sophie Alex was in love with back in college?” She sounded surprised, and Adam could almost hear her eyes widening through the phone.
“Yeah,” Adam answered, his voice lower now. “She’s the one. Everything’s tangled up. It’s a mess.”
Emilia exhaled sharply. “Wow. That’s… complicated.”
She was quiet for a long while, and Adam could practically hear her thoughts turning in circles. Then she spoke again, a bit more cautious. “But, Adam, you’re asking for something huge here. You do realize that nothing goes on in the media company without Alex’s approval, especially if it involves you, right?”
Adam let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. “I know. I know how this works. But I don’t have anyone else I can turn to. I need you, Emilia. You’re the only one who can help me get my side out there.”
Emilia didn’t immediately respond. He could hear her breathing, her thoughts clearly racing. Then, she asked, “Adam… did you sleep with that secretary?”
Adam froze. The question hung in the air between them, heavy and loaded.
He swallowed hard, the memory of that night still haunting him. The decision to get drunk, the numbness that had followed, the mistake he had made. He couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror anymore without feeling disgust. But he couldn’t avoid the truth any longer.
He didn’t answer immediately, and Emilia seemed to sense that. “I saw the news, Adam. I know it looks bad, but I also know you well enough to know you wouldn’t just do something like that without reason. You’re not that kind of person.”
Adam’s breath caught. Her words were like a sharp reminder of how far he had fallen.
Emilia had always known him better than anyone. “I… I did it,” he said, cutting through the silence with the painful truth. His voice was strained, hoarse. “But it was a mistake. A drunken mistake.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line, and Adam could feel the weight of her gaze on him, even though they were miles apart. He waited for her response, dreading what she might say.
Finally, Emilia spoke, her voice soft but firm. “You’re really asking me to risk my career for this, Adam. I’m not saying I don’t care about you, but everything’s connected to Alex and my family. If I help you, if I go against them, it could cost me everything.”
Adam’s heart pounded in his chest. “Please,” he pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation. “I’m not asking you to go against Alex. I just need a chance. One chance to tell my side. I’ll explain everything, and you’ll see I’m not the villain everyone thinks I am.”
Emilia was silent again, her thoughts obviously weighing heavily on her. Adam could almost hear the inner battle she was fighting—loyalty to her family, loyalty to him, and the consequences of getting involved.
“You can’t promise me anything, Adam,” she finally said, her voice a little more resigned. “But I’ll help you… for old times’ sake.”
Adam’s heart surged with a mixture of relief and gratitude. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Emilia warned. “I’m doing this because I believe you deserve a chance to speak, but you need to understand the risks. If this goes wrong, it’ll affect both of us.”
“I know the stakes,” Adam said, his voice determined. “But I don’t have a choice. I’m going to lose everything if I don’t fix this, and I can’t let that happen.”
Emilia sighed, then paused. “Alright, Adam. I’ll make some calls. But we need to move fast. This kind of thing doesn’t stay quiet for long. I’ll also go see Alex.”
“I won’t waste your time,” Adam promised, relief washing over him. “I’ll get everything together, and I’ll be ready when you are.”
“Good. Just don’t make me regret this,” Emilia said with a small chuckle, though her tone remained cautious.
“I won’t,” Adam assured her. “I won’t.”
After a brief pause, Emilia spoke again. “You know, Adam… I always thought you were different from this. I never imagined you’d get tangled up with something like this.”
Adam smiled weakly, though there was no humor in it. “Neither did I.”
With one last goodbye, the call ended, and Adam sat down, feeling the weight of everything crashing down on him. He had one last shot at this, and Emilia was giving him the opportunity he needed. Now, it was up to him to make it count.
But deep down, Adam knew this was only the beginning. The road ahead was uncertain, and everything he’d done, every mistake, every lie, would eventually come to light.
