Chapter 33: Parted
The city woke up to noise.
Headlines screamed across screens and billboards, phones buzzed nonstop, and whispers followed Amber everywhere she went. By the time the sun climbed fully into the sky, the scandal had evolved from rumor to wildfire. Gareth Accessories was trending, not for innovation or elegance, but for betrayal, leaked information, and an unnamed source close to the company.
Amber stood in her private office, staring at the floor-to-ceiling glass window as the city moved below her. She hadn't slept. Her mind had refused rest, replaying conversations, glances, and the sharp edge of Alex Wilson's voice when he spoke of control.
Camila entered quietly, holding a tablet. Her face was calm, but her eyes betrayed concern.
"It's spreading faster than we predicted," she said. "Blogs are speculating about internal rivalry. Some are linking it to Wilson Corporation."
Amber didn't turn. "Of course they are."
A pause. "What about Alex?"
Camila hesitated. "He hasn't released a statement. But his silence is… loud."
Amber exhaled slowly. Silence from Alex Wilson was never accidental. It was strategy.
"Good," Amber finally said. "Then we stay silent too. No emotional responses. No impulsive moves."
Camila nodded. "There's something else."
She placed the tablet on the desk. "The board wants you to step back temporarily. They're calling it a 'protective measure.'"
Amber turned sharply. "Step back?"
"Just for now," Camila added quickly. "They're afraid investors will panic."
Amber let out a short laugh, humorless. "So when things get ugly, the solution is to remove the woman at the center of it all."
Camila met her gaze. "You know this isn't about capability. It's optics."
Amber clenched her jaw. She had built this company with blood, sacrifice, and precision. And now, because someone whispered lies into the wrong ears, they wanted her invisible.
"I'll consider it," she said after a moment. "But I'm not disappearing. I'll never disappear."
Across town, Alex stood in his office, jacket discarded, sleeves rolled up. Harrison watched him carefully from the couch.
"You're unusually quiet," Harrison said.
Alex didn't look up from the city view. "I'm thinking."
"That's what worries me."
Alex turned. "They want her to step back."
Harrison frowned. "Amber?"
"Yes."
Alex's jaw tightened. "They're trying to fracture her control. If she steps away now, they'll eat her alive."
Harrison sighed. "Then why don't you intervene?"
Alex's eyes darkened. "Because if I do, they'll say the scandal was real. That Gareth Accessories is under Wilson protection."
"Is that so terrible?"
Alex laughed bitterly. "For a woman like Amber? Yes. It's the worst thing that could happen."
Silence settled between them.
"She won't forgive betrayal," Harrison said quietly. "Even perceived betrayal."
Alex nodded. "That's why I have to let her fight this alone."
That evening, Amber attended a private charity gala she had committed to months earlier. Canceling would have been seen as weakness. The hall shimmered with wealth and power, but every smile felt sharp, every compliment layered with curiosity.
She felt him before she saw him.
Alex stood across the room, dressed in black, a glass untouched in his hand. Their eyes met briefly. No smiles. No greetings. Just awareness.
Camila leaned in. "Do you want to leave?"
Amber shook her head. "No. Let them see me standing."
Alex watched as Amber spoke to donors, her posture flawless, her voice steady. But there was distance now—an invisible line drawn by scandal and pride.
When their paths finally crossed near the balcony, neither spoke at first.
"You look… unbothered," Alex said eventually.
Amber smiled faintly. "That's because I am."
"Liar."
She raised an eyebrow. "Careful."
A beat. The city lights flickered below them.
"They want you to step back," Alex said quietly.
"So you've heard."
"Yes."
"And?" Amber asked. "Are you here to offer help? Or sympathy?"
Alex studied her face. "Neither. I came to say this—whatever happens, I didn't leak anything. And I won't move against you."
Amber held his gaze. "That's not reassurance. That's neutrality."
"It's respect," he replied. "You don't need saving."
She looked away. "Respect would be standing beside me."
"And turning you into a rumor of dependency?" he shot back. "I won't do that to you."
Silence stretched. The music inside swelled, distant and irrelevant.
"So this is where we part," Amber said softly. "You on your side of control. Me on mine."
Alex's voice dropped. "Temporary."
"Nothing is temporary once pride is involved," she said.
She walked away before he could respond.
Later that night, Amber sat alone in her bedroom, heels abandoned near the door. The quiet was heavy. For the first time in years, doubt crept in.
Not about the company.
Not about her strength.
But about him.
Her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number.
Sometimes separation is the only way to see clearly.
She stared at the screen, then locked the phone without replying.
The following days were brutal.
Amber officially stepped back from public appearances, though she continued to direct operations behind closed doors. Camila took the spotlight, shielding her sister from scrutiny.
Alex buried himself in work. Meetings blurred together. His nights were sleepless, his thoughts restless.
They didn't speak.
Not at board meetings.
Not through intermediaries.
Not even in silence.
The city noticed.
Blogs speculated about a fallout between two titans. Some claimed a secret affair gone wrong. Others hinted at a power struggle.
Neither denied anything.
Weeks later, at a private industry summit, their names appeared on the same guest list again.
Amber arrived late. Alex arrived earlier than planned.
When their eyes met across the room, the tension was unchanged—but heavier.
They had parted.
But neither had moved on.
And in that distance, something dangerous had begun to grow.
Something deeper than scandal.
Something sharper than desire.