Trevor Pov
Trevor barely slept.
His mind stayed awake even when his body tried to rest. Victor's words kept repeating in his head. One week. Show me progress.
He woke up early and sat at the small table in his room. He spread his notes out and stared at them. The ideas were there, but turning ideas into action was harder than writing them down.
He needed data. Contacts. Support.
He packed his bag and headed out.
Trevor spent the day walking into offices and small companies, asking questions. Some people ignored him. Some laughed. A few listened.
By afternoon, his phone battery was low and his energy was gone. He sat on a bench and rubbed his face.
"This is harder than I thought," he muttered.
A man stopped in front of him.
"You again," the man said.
Trevor looked up. It was his former manager.
"Still pretending you're important?" the man added.
Trevor stood up calmly. "I'm building something."
The manager laughed. "With what money?"
Trevor did not reply. He walked away.
But the words stayed with him.
Across town, Emma sat in a meeting she did not want to attend.
The board members spoke about numbers and image. One of them leaned forward.
"Your personal life is becoming a concern," the man said.
Emma frowned. "My personal life does not affect company profit."
"Public image does," another replied.
Emma's jaw tightened. "I will handle it."
After the meeting, Lisa followed her into the hallway.
"They're watching you," Lisa said quietly.
"I know," Emma replied. "And Andrew is pushing them."
Lisa hesitated. "I think Andrew is investigating someone."
Emma's heart skipped. "Who?"
Lisa met her eyes. "Trevor."
Emma stopped walking. "How much does he know?"
"I don't know yet," Lisa said. "But he's asking questions."
Emma felt a wave of guilt. "This is my fault."
Lisa shook her head. "No. This is about control."
That evening, Trevor received a strange call.
"Trevor Hale?" a voice asked.
"Yes."
"This is Andrew Whitmore's office. We'd like to meet."
Trevor frowned. "About what?"
"Business," the voice replied. "Tomorrow at ten."
The call ended.
Trevor stared at his phone.
Andrew.
He remembered Emma mentioning him. The fiancé.
Something felt wrong.
He typed a message
Trevor: Can we talk later? Something feels off.
The reply came a minute later.
Emma: Yes. Please be careful.
Trevor swallowed.
The next morning, Trevor stood outside a tall office building. Everything inside looked expensive. Too expensive for him.
Andrew sat behind a large desk when Trevor entered.
"Sit," Andrew said.
Trevor remained standing. "Why am I here?"
Andrew smiled politely. "I hear you're chasing big dreams."
Trevor crossed his arms. "I work hard. That's all."
Andrew leaned forward. "Stay away from Emma."
Trevor felt his chest tighten. "That's not your decision."
Andrew's smile faded. "It is when I say it is."
Trevor took a deep breath. "I don't belong to your world. And she doesn't belong to you."
Andrew stood up. "You're nothing," he said coldly. "And I'll make sure you stay that way."
Trevor turned and walked out.
His hands were shaking, but his steps were firm.
That night, Emma and Trevor spoke on the phone for the first time.
Andrew's shadow hung between them.
"I'm sorry," Emma said quietly.
Trevor replied, "I'm not afraid. But I won't let him hurt you."
Emma closed her eyes.