Page 106 of Forty, Flirty & Framed

"Actually—"

"Wonderful," Duncan interrupts, steering me away."You know, my dear, you've done remarkable work rehabilitating Abernathy's image.From embezzlement scandal to viral sensation in just weeks.Quite impressive for someone with your...creative background."

My blood freezes."I don't know what you're talking about."

"No?"His eyes gleam with malicious delight."Funny, because my team found it quite interesting that Drake Communications has no record of your employment during the years listed on your Abernathy Corp application.Or that your supposed master's thesis advisor doesn't recall your name."

"You've been investigating me?"I manage, though my mouth has gone desert-dry.

"Due diligence, my dear.Critical when evaluating acquisition targets."He waves to someone across the room."Ah, there's Callum now.Let's share the news, shall we?"

"Duncan, please—" I grab his sleeve, desperation overriding professionalism."This is neither the time nor the place."

"On the contrary," he says, expertly extracting himself from my grip."It's precisely the right time and place to discuss integrity issues affecting a multi-billion-dollar acquisition."

He begins cutting through the crowd toward Callum, who's deep in conversation with two investors.

I follow, heart hammering against my ribs, mentally calculating the fastest escape routes from this nightmare.

"Callum!"Duncan calls jovially."Just the man I wanted to see.I've been having the most fascinating conversation with your Marketing Director."

Callum turns, expression instantly guarded."Duncan.I wasn't aware you were on the guest list."

"Last-minute addition," Duncan smiles."Much like Ms.Peters' professional credentials, it seems."

A small circle of interest forms around us.

A gaggle of tech CEOs, investors, and a few people who look suspiciously like journalists, phones half-concealed but definitely recording.

"What are you talking about?"Callum asks, his eyes flicking between Duncan and me.

"I'm talking about fraud," Duncan declares, loud enough for nearby conversations to halt."It seems the architect behind your viral rehabilitation campaign has fabricated her entire professional history.Drake Communications has no record of her.Stellar Digital says she was never employed there.Her master's degree?Nonexistent."

The silence that follows feels like drowning.

I watch Callum's face transition from confusion to disbelief, and finally, to a carefully controlled mask that reveals nothing—except to those who know him.

I can see the betrayal in his eyes, the slight tightening around his mouth, the infinitesimal step he takes away from me.

"That's a serious accusation," Callum says, voice menacingly low.

"It's not an accusation.It's a fact."Duncan produces a folder from inside his jacket."All verified by independent investigators.I thought you'd want to know, given your company's focus on digital identity protection.Rather ironic that your own Marketing Director created a false identity, isn't it?"

Cameras flash.

I hear the unmistakable sound of social media notifications multiplying as attendees rush to share this dramatic development.

Callum takes the folder without opening it, his gaze never leaving my face."Is this true?"

The question hangs between us, weighted with everything unspoken.

The confession I never finished this afternoon.The trust I've betrayed.

The relationship I've destroyed before it truly began.

"Yes," I whisper, my voice barely audible."But I can explain."

His expression hardens."You've had weeks to explain."