Page 52 of Unbreak Me

Nico froze for a second, then turned to me, raw emotions showing on his face. I could tell he hadn't expected this news—the weight of what I'd just said hit him like a train.

But I mercilessly continued, "Day managed to install a lock on the door after that, but Ferguson got to him again. The second time took place in the kitchen when Jared was in the shower. And the third time…" I hesitated, my voice tightening. "The third time was the worst. They were at City Hall to handle some surrogacy paperwork. Ferguson followed Day. It happened again, in a storage room."

Nico’s breathing picked up, his face paling.

"Yeah. Day is still… traumatized. After hearing his story, I decided I couldn’t just ignore it. I have to do something," I said sternly.

Since I could see the shock rippling through Nico's body, I paused. The strong emotions caused him to hold his breath for an unusually long time, almost as if he were about to have an asthma attack. I waited as he struggled to calm down, and only after he took a deep inhale did I decide to explain the rest.

"My uncle works at City Hall. We had luck; he managed to get the incriminating footage." I held up my hand with the flash drive. "That last assault was brutal, and Day was bleeding. He ended up in the hospital. The baby was born prematurely that same day, at just six months. It’s a miracle the boy survived."

Nico abruptly turned away from the window, slumped into a chair, and rested his trembling hands on the desk, his face twisted with pain. I realized he was crying. I felt bad for hitting him with all the terrifying news at once—it had to be an overwhelming dose. But there was no way around it, and I reminded myself that he didn’t have all day for me. I needed to make the most of my time here and get his definitive response to my request.

"Ferguson blamed Day for the early birth," I continued, my voice barely hiding my own emotions. "Said it was because of Day’s smoking and that he didn’t eat enough—but he lied and twisted it all."

Nico wiped at his face, his expression broken. Seeing his intense reaction, I felt unexpectedly moved. It seemed Nico was a good, caring guy. It suddenly made sense to me why Day had struggled so much to move on for so long after their breakup, knowing what kind of person he lost. Nico was not a typical assholish, insensitive alpha, that was obvious.

"Day was forced to pay them compensation and was left with almost no money, with trauma, and no chances to get another surrogacy contract. They basically ruined him."

Nico muttered an ugly curse. "Give me the flash drive," he said in a hoarse, low voice. "I’ll make sure this story gets out, and Ferguson pays for what he did." He closed his eyes. "Day… You don’t understand. He’s the best omega I’ve ever known. Pure-hearted, selfless, kind, gentle… He didn’t deserve any of this." His jaw clenched.

Hearing this, I felt a painful pang in my heart—this Day I saw today was an example of shattered innocence. What had happened… had crushed him, changed him.

"He’s different now," I said quietly. "Guarded. Distrustful. Bitter. He keeps everyone at arm’s length. What happened—your breakup, then this—it nearly destroyed him."

Nico flinched, as if I’d struck a nerve. He doubled over, burying his face in his hands. His voice was muffled as he replied, "Leaving him was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. He didn’t do anything wrong. We had something good—great, even. I loved him. But the pull of a High Mate…" He trailed off, looking ashamed.

"I get it," I said, softening. "I’m not here to blame you or make you feel guilty. Day doesn’t blame you either—he knows how the ABO society works. But losing you left a scar. He didn’t date anyone else. He didn’t move on. So when Ferguson did assault him, it broke him even more."

Nico took a shaky breath.

"I want justice for him," I added firmly. "My first plan," I continued, "was to send the footage to Ferguson’s company, then the electoral committee, and finally to his husband, Jared. But I’m quite worried he’ll find a way to shut it all down. That’s why I came here. Because… he can’t stop it if the press gets involved."

Nico looked up at me with determination hardening his gaze. "You’re right. He can’t stop it." He suddenly stood up. "And I can surely help with that."

We locked eyes. His were red behind his glasses.

"Why wasn’t this footage discovered earlier?"

"My uncle said the security team wouldn’t have reviewed every minute of recordings unless they were prompted about some problems."

Nico nodded and rubbed his chin, his mind clearly working. "You should also get certification from the security company verifying the footage’s authenticity."

"That can surely be done, but it means an official way of doing it and would probably involve the police. And I’m hesitant about pushing Day to report it. Would Day really have to do it?"

"Not necessarily. Anyone can report this kind of crime if they have evidence; it’s prosecuted ex officio. If Day did it himself, that would mean confronting Ferguson even more directly."

"What if Day doesn’t want to go to the police? Would that impact the footage’s credibility?"

"Theoretically, no, as long as there is a way to confirm the authenticity of the recording. Anybody with this flash drive could report it or… reveal it, even publicly, though that could be seen as obstructing justice, creating public pressure, or even defaming someone’s reputation. But we’re the press, and investigative journalism provides us with a bit more leeway."

Nico's tone changed slightly, becoming more confident. "If we gather sufficient evidence—proof that clearly points to a crime—it’s difficult to call it defamation, as these are facts, and revealing them essentially acts as an open call for a police investigation."

"Do you have to reveal your sources?"

He spread his arms as if these were obvious facts. "Investigative journalists have the right to protect their sources and carry out research, particularly when there’s a concern that law enforcement might overlook or dismiss the case. And here, we’re dealing with a very public figure—someone with the power to silence people and suppress this information to protect his career."

"So? What do you suggest?"

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