Page 15 of Exposed

“Alex Drake was responsible for your brother’s death.”

Madison dropped her gaze, feeling tears well up beyond a point of control. The mention of Jack’s death always took her to a dark place quickly, but this ... well, this was at a very different level of anguish. She never knew what exactly had happened to Jack, despite years of investigating. She’d only just given up trying to find out a few years ago. But an accusation as devastating as this—a murder and Alex’s involvement—forced free an emotion she’d been holding back: doubt. I don’t know him at all.

She used all her strength to pull her composure together, at least for as long as she could. And she was still very aware of the hostile takeover backdrop to this whole conversation. She feebly stayed professional, but her trembling voice was giving out. “Can I keep these? Verify their authenticity?” Madison’s voice was so low, she wasn’t entirely sure he heard her. But he reassured her he had.

“Of course, my dear.” He stood. “Nothing is possible without you. And our relationship will thrive on openness and trust for many, many years to come.” He lightly stroked her hair, but she was too engrossed in a tidal wave of feelings to bother noticing. “I’ll help you get the closure you need while making you rich beyond your dreams. Let it soak in. I’ll call you tomorrow and lay out where we go from here.” He tossed a crumpled ten-dollar bill on the table and walked away, his footsteps taking forever to disappear down the block.

Madison collected the photos and mangled contract into her shoulder bag, and pulled out her wallet. She took out a twenty when the barista hurried over to stop her. “He paid, hun. You’re good.” But she was far from good. On the verge of hysterical balling, she placed the twenty-dollar bill on top of the ten. Wide-rimmed, dark sunglasses would be her only defense against the tears now flooding through.

“He can’t buy my coffee. Or me.”

Madison wandered the city, ending up at the only place she felt safe. The only place she could sink into the quicksand of emotions about to engulf her. The only place that had nothing to do with Alex Drake. She went home.

As soon as she entered her apartment, she collapsed under the weight of devastation. There, she sobbed hysterically, pouring out all the sorrow and pain as she replayed every detail of the days after Jack’s death. The military notification. The return of his effects. The delivery of his remains. And the funeral. The shockwaves of loss hit everyone in her family, ripping them apart.

Her father barely functioned after Jack’s death, and her mother couldn’t bear living with a ghost of a man while dealing with the loss of her son. She knee-jerked the divorce paperwork, tearing Madison from her father, with only the occasional visitation. The rebuilding of a relationship with her father had begun just two years ago. She hadn’t just lost her brother. She’d lost her father, and, in many ways, she’d lost herself. Barely fifteen at the time, she’d dealt with everything the way one does when there’s no real choice: day by day, as best she could. She spent every waking moment building a life around the hole in her heart, but never really filling it. Today, that hole had been exposed so cruelly, the unrelenting, raw pain shattering her straight to her soul.

Hours pass before she had the strength to move from the spot where she’d collapsed. Little by little, she got up. Madison aimlessly scanned the room. She hadn’t seen her apartment in nearly a month. At the time she’d moved into Alex’s luxury penthouse, she hadn’t even completely unpacked. She was too wrapped up in launching her career. And a new life. And him. Well, not today.

Today, right now, she was going to honor her brother’s memory by bringing everything out. Absolutely everything. All the memories of Jack. Photos. Mementos. Everything she had to remind her of him. But ... What about the book? She needed to get it back. She scanned the clock on the microwave in the kitchenette. Alex was likely working, so she could run to the penthouse, run out, and ... and then? She wasn’t really sure what would come after that. But at least that would be a start.

She grabbed her bag and flung open the door to leave, catching Alex mid-knock. Somehow, amidst her emotions and torment, seeing him suddenly reminded her of the first time he’d knocked on a door and she’d opened it. The first tender moments of something meaningful. Magical. But seeing him now was the last thing she wanted.

___

“Madison, my God. We’ve been worried.” Her eyes were red and swollen. “What’s wrong? What happened?” He stepped to her, arms outstretched, ready to take her in, but she reactively backed away. His panic surged, shifting his approach from concerned boyfriend to trained operative. He dropped his arms and softened his demeanor, focusing on diffusing an apparently fragile situation. Seeing her, he knew he had to get to the bottom of this, as quickly as possible. What the hell was going on?

He crossed the threshold and entered but didn’t close the door completely. He couldn’t fathom why she would pull away but understood this was more than just anxiety. Maybe fear. But to get her to open up, patience had to command his approach. He steadied and lowered his voice. “Madison, please talk to me. What happened?”

He could tell by her expression she was conflicted. He motioned towards the sofa, asking if he could have a seat. She begrudgingly nodded and he made his way around a few boxes to the couch. He used his hands to invite her to sit next to him, but when she wouldn’t move, he subtly gestured to the chair across from him as a possibility.

Madison held out for a moment, then lowered herself onto a chair across from the sofa. Drained of every tear and emotion, she stared at him, exasperated, still holding her purse as a makeshift barrier between them. She said nothing, but Alex recognized the signs of shock. Coaxing her too quickly might backfire. “Take all the time you need,” he added, sedately, almost hypnotically, while mirroring her studious behavior, trying to gain any shred of insight. His mind raced, but he remained calm. Nothing in her appearance indicated a struggle. Nothing from an impact. Nothing traumatic other than her beautiful eyes, which were bloodshot and swollen.

___

Madison took her time deciding what to say. Without a word, Madison just studied him. Seeing him, she couldn’t quite imagine he’d lied to her all this time. Even now, her heart poured out and she wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms. God, I must be the biggest fool. She spun through every emotion possible, opting to settle on a healthy dose of paranoia. After what seemed an eternity of quiet, she cleared her throat.

“How did you know where I was?”

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