SOPHIA:
Drake kissed me goodbye at seven AM and I had no idea it was the last time I'd ever trust him.
"Big meetings today?" he asked, handing me coffee made exactly how I liked it.
"Design review and client calls. Nothing exciting." I smiled up at him. "Tonight let's order takeout and watch that movie you mentioned."
"Sounds perfect." He kissed me again, lingering like he didn't want to leave. "I love you."
"Love you too."
He left for his office. I finished getting ready, feeling happy and secure. Life was finally good. I had a man who loved me, a company thriving, a future worth planning.
Everything was about to fall apart and I didn't see it coming.
My phone started ringing at eight fifteen.
First call was from Marie, my head designer.
"Have you seen the Sterling Luxe announcement?" Her voice was panicked. "Sophia, they launched a collection that looks exactly like our Paris designs."
My stomach dropped. "What are you talking about?"
"Check the industry news. It's everywhere."
I pulled up my phone with shaking hands. There it was, plastered across every fashion blog and trade site.
Sterling Luxe Debuts Revolutionary Collection. Sources say designs rival upcoming Castillo presentation.
The photos made me feel sick. My necklace designs. My exact specifications. The pieces I'd spent months perfecting, now displayed under Vanessa Sterling's name.
"This is impossible," I whispered. "Those designs are confidential. Nobody outside our team has seen them."
"Someone leaked them, Sophia. Someone gave Vanessa everything."
The calls kept coming. Suppliers asking if I approved Sterling's launch. Clients confused about which collection came first. Reporters wanting comments about the similarity.
I called an emergency meeting with my design team. Everyone gathered in the conference room looking worried.
"I want to know how this happened," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Who had access to the Paris collection files?"
"Just us," Marie said. "And you showed the sketches to a few trusted people."
My mind raced. I'd been so careful. Only shown the designs to people I completely trusted. Drake. Julian. A few senior staff members.
Drake. The thought made my chest tight. No. He wouldn't. He loved me. He was planning our future.
But Julian's warnings echoed in my head. Something's wrong with this guy. His interest came out of nowhere.
No. I pushed the thought away. Drake wasn't the leak. He couldn't be.
"Find out if anyone's computer was hacked," I ordered. "Check all our security systems. I want answers by end of day."
The team scattered. I sat alone in the conference room, trying not to panic.
My phone rang again. Unknown number.
"Ms. Castillo? This is Robert Chen from Paris Luxury Hotels. I wanted to inform you personally that we've awarded the jewelry contract to Harrington Industries."
The room tilted sideways.
"What? But we submitted the winning proposal."
"Harrington Industries submitted an identical proposal with better pricing. We appreciated your pitch, but they simply offered more value."
Identical proposal. My exact strategy.
"Can I ask when Harrington submitted their bid?"
"Two weeks ago. Very comprehensive. Clearly they'd done extensive research into what we were looking for."
Two weeks ago. Right after I told Drake about the Paris contract. Right after I explained my entire strategy over dinner, trusting him with confidential business information.
No. It couldn't be.
"Thank you for letting me know," I said through numb lips.
I hung up and stared at nothing. Fifteen million dollars. Gone. Awarded to Drake's company using my ideas.
Coincidence. It had to be coincidence.
But the sick feeling in my stomach said otherwise.
I tried calling Drake. It went straight to voicemail. Texted him. No response.
Where was he? Why wasn't he answering?
Julian burst into the conference room with fury radiating from every inch of him.
"We need to talk. Now."
"Julian, I'm dealing with a crisis right now."
"The crisis is Drake Harrington." He threw a folder on the table. "I've been digging deeper like I should have from the start. Your boyfriend has been acquiring shares in Castillo Designs for eight months. Small amounts through shell companies. Nobody noticed because the purchases were carefully hidden."
My heart started pounding. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying Drake Harrington has been planning something since before he met you. The stolen designs, the Paris contract, all of it happened after you started dating him. After you started sharing confidential information."
"Drake wouldn't do that. He loves me."
"Does he? Or does he love destroying your company?" Julian's voice was harsh. "Wake up, Sophia. You've been played."
"You don't know that. You're jumping to conclusions."
"Am I? Then why did Sterling Luxe launch your exact designs three days after you showed them to Drake? Why did Harrington Industries win the Paris contract using your proposal? Why has Drake been secretly buying shares in your company while pretending to build a future with you?"
Each question hit like a physical blow. The timeline made horrible sense. Every leak happened after I trusted Drake with information. Every disaster traced back to secrets I shared in bed.
No. I refused to believe it.
"There's an explanation. Drake wouldn't hurt me like this."
"Call him then. Ask him directly."
I tried again. Voicemail. Again. Voicemail.
Where was he?
Uncle Marcus appeared in the doorway looking concerned, which immediately made me suspicious.
"Sophia, darling. I heard about the Sterling situation and the Paris contract. Terrible news."
"What do you want, Marcus?"
"To help. I've called an emergency board meeting for tomorrow morning. We need to address these leaks and figure out how to protect the company." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Don't worry. We'll fix everything."
Something about his tone made my skin crawl. Like he was enjoying this.
"Who requested the emergency meeting?" I asked.
"Several board members. They're concerned about recent losses and want answers." Marcus patted my shoulder. "Just be there tomorrow at ten. We'll sort everything out."
He left. Julian and I stared at each other.
"Something's wrong," I said. "Marcus never helps me. Never offers support. Why would he start now?"
"Because he's part of whatever's happening." Julian's jaw was tight. "Sophia, I think you need to prepare for the worst. Tomorrow's meeting might not be what Marcus says it is."
"You think it's a trap."
"I think you should go home, talk to Drake, and figure out whose side he's really on."
I gathered my things with shaking hands. Tried calling Drake one more time. Nothing.
The sick feeling got worse.
I drove home too fast, needing answers. Needing Drake to explain everything. Needing him to prove Julian wrong.
The penthouse was quiet when I walked in.
Too quiet.
"Drake?" I called out. No answer.
I walked through our home, looking for him. The bedroom was empty. His home office was dark.
Then I saw them.
Packed bags by the front door. Two suitcases, neatly organized. Like he was leaving. Like he'd planned this.
My heart stopped.
A note sat on top of the luggage. White paper with Drake's handwriting.
My hands shook as I picked it up.
"See you at the meeting tomorrow."
That's all it said. Six words that destroyed everything I believed.
See you at the meeting tomorrow.
Not I love you. Not I'll be home soon. Not any explanation for the packed bags or the stolen designs or the Paris contract or the eight months of secretly buying shares in my company.
Just see you at the meeting tomorrow.
Like I was a business appointment. Like our entire relationship was leading to whatever happened in that conference room.
I stood there holding the note, staring at packed bags that told the truth I'd been refusing to see.
Drake Harrington had been using me. Every kiss, every promise, every moment of trust was calculated. He'd played me perfectly while destroying everything I built.
And tomorrow at that board meeting, I was going to find out exactly how thoroughly he'd ruined my life.
The man I loved was my enemy.
And I'd given him every weapon he needed to destroy me completely.