Page 53 of Unbreak Me

Nico hesitated, clearly mulling over his options.

"Hmm. I think we should combine your original plan with mine. Send the data to those three places—the board members, the electoral committee, and Ferguson’s husband. Wait two days. Then I’ll write an article saying thatEast Timeshas learned that incriminating material was sent to these parties about the senatorial candidate, and we believe an investigation should follow. If we phrase it like that, the information gets out, but we aren’t the original source. Other people had the evidence first."

"That sounds reasonable," I said, nodding.

Nico paused. "Does Day know you’re here?"

"No. I couldn’t risk hurting him if you refused to help. But he knows the rest of my plan—he knows I want to send out the footage. Day was scared to report it back then because Ferguson threatened to kill him. Without evidence, it was just his word against a powerful man."

Nico swore under his breath, rubbing his temples like his head was pounding. "What a disgusting bastard. We can’t let this go. I’ve got a lot of contacts, and so does my husband. We can ruin Ferguson’s reputation—make sure he never holds public office again."

For a moment, neither of us spoke. It was almost strange, borderline satisfying, this dark alliance we’d forged in seeking revenge forouromega. Yes, ‘our’—he was Nico’s one day. And clearly, Nico hadn’t turned his back on Day in his moment of need.

So I took the flash drive from my pocket and placed it next to Nico’s elbow.

"This is a copy of the original footage. There are two versions—one with Ferguson’s face blurred, one with Day’s, and one unedited. I warn you, it might be better if you don’t watch it yourself. Have someone else view it and tell you what’s on it. Ferguson was brutal, practically slamming Day against the wall.No wonder it ended in a premature birth. Blood was running down Day’s leg—"

Nico raised a hand and squeezed his eyes shut. "I don’t need to hear more. I’ll do as you suggest. I don’t think I have the mental strength to watch it." His voice broke slightly. "I still have warm feelings for Day," he admitted, hesitating before looking at me. "You said you’ve only known him a week or so, and that he’s bitter and keeps his distance. Is that right?"

I lowered my head, feeling awkward. "Yeah. We haven’t gotten close yet, not in that way. And I don’t want to rush anything, especially knowing what he’s been through. I want him to feel comfortable, to trust me."

Nico’s expression crumpled, tears welling in his eyes again. "You didn’t know Day back then. He was the kindest guy you could imagine—always helping people, even when it cost him. It’s hard to believe that person could disappear, swallowed by bitterness."

"He’s not completely gone," I muttered quietly. "Even after your breakup, Day did everything he could to support his family. But they drained him dry. After eight surrogacies, he’s got almost no money. He bought his parents a house, gave money to his two brothers, paid for the medical bills, and even helped some authors. That kindness is still there—it’s just buried under everything he’s been through." As I spoke, my voice trembled.

Suddenly, Nico stood up and did something unexpected—something that rarely happened between two alphas. He hugged me tightly, pressing me against his chest.

"I think his fate changed when he met you," Nico said softly. "The fact that you’re here, doing all this, even though you’ve barely known him, tells me you’re a good person."

He pushed me back slightly, holding me at arm’s length as he looked me straight in the eyes.

"I don’t have the right to ask you for anything," he added, his voice low. "But please, try to earn his trust. Show him he can be loved. He deserves to be seen for who he really is, underneath all the layers he’s built up over the years."

I furrowed my brow. "That’s exactly what I plan to do, Nico. You don’t need to ask me for it. I’m not some saint, but I see the pain he’s carrying. I know Day’s been through so much, and fate’s been unfair to him. I’m not going to add to that."

Nico sighed and stepped back, his shoulders sagging a little. "Thank you. I mean it. I don’t even have the right to say those words because I was part of the first domino that sent his life into such a bad spiral. But still, even if I’m partially the villain in his story, I want him to be happy. And I’ll do whatever I can to help."

I nodded, keeping my expression serious.

"As for practical stuff," Nico continued, his finger touching the flash drive lightly, "I can’t just walk into the editorial office holding this. You should get a burner phone and send a copy of the video to us—to the mainEast Timesmagazine email address. The more people see it, the faster it goes viral."

"Okay, I’ll send it to those three places, and after two days, to your office. The email subject will be: ‘Scandal Surrounding Senatorial Candidate Mark F. Sexual Assault Recording.’ And I’ll attach the footage."

"Good," Nico said, his lips tightening into a grim line. "Are you aware that even if other people could get easy access to the recording, the fact that Day is on it will still point to you two as the source?"

We both went quiet for a moment.

"That’s the risk we need to take," I stated, breaking the silence. "Expect the email soon."

I turned to leave, but Nico stopped me by stepping forward again.

"If you can," he said, his voice softer now, "and if the opportunity feels right… tell Day I send my regards. And that I wish him all the best, especially with you."

"I’ll let him know," I promised.

We said our goodbyes, and I left theEast Timesbuilding shortly after.

Strangely, my heart felt a little lighter as I walked outside. It didn’t make much sense—this conversation had stirred up too many heavy emotions. But there was a quiet kind of joy in knowing that Nico still thought so highly of Day, enough to help.

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