His Bride, Her Revenge-Chapter 52: Trust No One

The city of Manhattan sprawled beneath her, the towering skyscrapers lit up like stars in the night. But Cambria felt no sense of triumph as she looked out over the skyline from the penthouse. Instead, a heavy silence had settled inside her, despite the victory she had just won in the boardroom. She had secured her place. She had taken control of her father’s empire. But the world had yet to see the full force of her wrath. And despite her resolve, one thought kept tugging at her: Who could she trust now? freewebnoveℓ.com

Her phone buzzed on the desk, interrupting her thoughts. It was a message from Elara. Cambria’s mind sharpened; Elara had been her closest ally, her strategist, but there was something about her message that made her pause.

"Cambria, I’ve found something. You need to see this. It’s about Maddox."

Her pulse quickened. Maddox. The man she had once loved, the man who had caused her so much pain. He had been trying to reach her ever since the scandal had broken, but she had kept him at arm’s length. The thought of trusting him again felt like stepping into the unknown. But there was something in Elara’s message that gnawed at her. What was it about Maddox that still had the power to unsettle her?

Cambria grabbed her coat from the chair and headed out the door. Knox was waiting for her in the hallway, his expression unreadable as always.

"Where are you headed?" he asked, his eyes scanning her face as she adjusted her coat.

"To meet Elara," she replied, her voice firm, though doubt simmered beneath the surface. "She’s found something. Something about Maddox."

Knox’s eyes darkened, but he nodded. "Be careful, Cambria. Maddox isn’t the man you think he is. You have to remember what he did to you."

Cambria paused, her hand on the doorknob. "I know what he did, Knox. But I also know he’s not the enemy anymore. I need to understand everything, especially if he’s connected to this mess."

Knox gave her a long, searching look before stepping aside. "I’ll stay here, in case you need backup."

Cambria gave him a small, appreciative nod, then left, her mind already racing as she made her way to the secret meeting spot where Elara was waiting.

The dimly lit café on the corner of 57th Street was as quiet as it had ever been. The aroma of coffee hung in the air, masking the underlying tension between Cambria and Elara as they sat down at a corner booth, away from prying eyes. Cambria could tell that Elara wasn’t looking her in the eye, an odd behavior for someone who had always been forthright.

"Elara," Cambria said softly, her voice laced with urgency. "What did you find?"

Elara hesitated before pulling out a thick folder from her bag and placing it on the table. She slid it toward Cambria, her expression unreadable.

"Look for yourself," Elara said quietly, her voice tinged with something that resembled fear. "It’s all in here."

Cambria’s fingers trembled as she opened the folder, scanning the papers inside. What she saw made her blood run cold.

"Evelyn’s network isn’t the only one with secrets," Elara said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maddox has been hiding something, something tied directly to your uncle. He’s been working with Evelyn, your uncle, the people who are behind everything. He’s not just a pawn, Cambria. He’s been playing both sides. And this..." She paused, looking down at the table. "This is the truth."

Cambria’s eyes widened as she sifted through the papers. The evidence was damning. There were bank statements, confidential emails, and meeting records that showed Maddox’s involvement in multiple covert deals with the people she had been fighting against. It was clear. He had known everything. He had been part of it all.

"No..." Cambria whispered, her heart sinking into her stomach. "This can’t be right. Maddox... he wouldn’t "

"He did," Elara interrupted, her voice cutting through Cambria’s shock. "He was involved in money laundering, media manipulation, everything. He helped them build their empire, Cambria. And now, he’s trying to play the hero, trying to get back in your good graces. But he’s been a part of this from the start."

The world around Cambria seemed to tilt. She had trusted him. She had wanted to believe in the man she had once loved, the man who had promised to stand by her. But now, the betrayal was clear.

"You have to confront him," Elara said, her eyes filled with sorrow. "There’s no turning back from this. He’s been lying to you all along. And the longer you wait, the more damage he can do."

Cambria closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the magnitude of what she had just learned. It felt like everything had been a lie, the love she had thought they shared, the future they had imagined together. It had all been built on a foundation of deceit.

"I have to confront him," Cambria said quietly, her voice tinged with resolve. "I can’t let him get away with this."

Elara nodded, her expression serious. "You know what you have to do, Cambria. Don’t let him manipulate you again."

Cambria walked through the doors of Maddox’s penthouse with a sense of cold finality. The once-familiar space felt foreign now, a place of old memories tainted by the betrayal that lay hidden in its walls.

Maddox was standing by the window, just as he had been the first time they met. The city stretched out before him, a glittering reminder of the empire he had once controlled. But now, everything feels different. The glass walls of the penthouse felt like a cage, trapping them both in the lies they had created together.

"Maddox," Cambria said softly, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her. "We need to talk."

He turned to face her, his expression a mix of apprehension and guilt. "Cambria, I "

"No more lies," she interrupted, her voice sharp, cutting through the tension in the room. "No more excuses. I know everything."

Maddox’s face paled, and for a moment, it seemed like the air had been sucked out of the room. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice shaky.

"I know about the money. The deals you made. The lies you told. You’ve been working with Evelyn. You’ve been playing both sides this entire time, haven’t you?"

Maddox looked like he had been punched in the gut. His hands clenched at his sides as he took a step toward her. "Cambria, please let me explain."

"No," she said, her voice firm, her heart hardening with each word. "There’s nothing left to explain. You’ve been lying to me, Maddox. And I’ve had enough."

He stepped back, his face clouded with regret. "I didn’t want to hurt you. I never wanted this to happen. But I couldn’t escape. You have no idea what it’s been like, being stuck in my family’s shadow, under my father’s thumb."

"I don’t care about your excuses anymore," Cambria said coldly. "You’re just like everyone else, using me, using everyone, to get what you want. But I’m done."

Tears stung Maddox’s eyes as he reached out for her, but Cambria stepped back, shaking her head.

"You lost your chance a long time ago," she whispered, her voice breaking with the weight of her words. "You don’t get to play the victim anymore, Maddox. You made your choices, and now, I’m making mine."