Mr. Roberts had always been a man of careful balance, a devoted husband at home, yet entangled in a dangerous affair at Wolfe Industries. His affair with Rose had lasted five years, a secret well-kept, neatly tucked behind locked doors and stolen moments. He never questioned her intentions beyond their arrangement. As long as his family remained untouched, he let Rose do as she pleased.
But something had shifted. Rose had changed.
The moment Anna Banner stepped into Wolfe Industries, Rose's obsession transformed from an infatuation with Kelvin to an unchecked fury toward the young intern. Robert watched as the woman he once knew, cunning, ambitious, yet controlled, began unraveling, her every move now fixated on eliminating Anna.
At first, he dismissed it as petty jealousy, a temporary irritation that would fade. But it didn't.
Rose schemed tirelessly, planting whispers in the right ears, orchestrating scenarios to frame Anna, weaving an intricate web designed to bury the girl.
Robert found himself in the middle of it all, a silent witness to Rose's calculated destruction. And while he didn't pretend to understand her hatred, he also never stepped in to stop it.
After all, as long as his world remained intact, did it matter?
Robert was at his wit end. His pulse thundered in his ears, drowning out rational thought. The clever CEO, Kelvin Wolfe, was closing in, and Robert could feel the noose tightening around Rose, his mistress and, by extension, himself.
He had never imagined that Kelvin would go to such great lengths to unravel the truth. It had started as a simple scheme, a calculated frame job, meant to put a pesky intern in her place. Nothing more, nothing less. But somehow, Kelvin had managed to claw his way through the deception. Against all odds, he had uncovered the one piece of evidence that no one had thought to check the CCTV footage.
Now, Rose's secret was exposed, the intricate lie shattered before their eyes. And Robert? He wasn't safe, not by a long shot. He had promised to get to the root of the case when Kelvin pressed him, but now that the truth was out, he found himself standing on the premise of his downfall.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he weighed his options. He couldn't afford to let Rose take the fall alone, not when she could drag him down with her. If she was backed into a corner, there was no telling what she might do. She could expose him, twist the blade, ruin everything. The fact that he had allowed Kelvin access to that footage would be enough to make him complicit.
But what could he do? Kelvin owned the company he had the power, the authority, and the resources. Robert was little more than a pawn in a game where the rules had already been set.
One option remained. He had to warn Rose.
With trembling fingers, he dialed her number, barely breathing as the call connected. She picked up on the second ring.
Kelvin knows, he blurted before she could even greet him. He's got the CCTV footage, he knows everything.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Then, Rose exploded.
What do you mean, he's got the footage? Why the hell didn't you get rid of it before he could lay his hands on it? She shrieked, her fury slicing through the receiver like a knife.
Robert swallowed hard. I didn't think he would care. I thought this was just about some intern. I never imagined he would dig so deep
Are you serious right now? Her voice was raw with fury, disbelief curling around the edges of her words. You were taken unawares? Do you even realize what you have done? Do you have any idea what this means for me?
I can fix this, Robert pleaded, though he wasn't sure how. Just breathe for a second
No!! Her voice dropped to something lethal, something cold and final. I'm not going down alone, Robert. If I burn, you burn too.
Ice clawed at his spine.
You wouldn't, he whispered, but the truth was, he wasn't sure. Rose was desperate, desperate people did reckless things.
Oh, I would, she snarled. Your fake police certificate? I will make sure everyone knows how you forged it to get this job. Your wife and kids? They willl find out exactly how long you have been lying, five years of betrayal. And don't think I will spare you from the other little secrets, either. Your painkiller addiction? I will make sure they know everything.
Robert closed his eyes, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts.
She wasn't bluffing.
She promised him hell, and he knew if he didn't act fast, he was about to get it.