Chapter 9 Revelations

"This is absurd," I thought to myself as I went through the files once more. Every turn we're being blocked. Running a hand through his already unkempt hair, Kendrick's face grew rigid and his jaw tight. We have to carry on. Whoever is behind this will not stop until they ruin what we have constructed. I nodded, knowing the gravity of what was at stake. But for all our cooperation, I still had the impression we were both too near to the fire, too distant from the truth, and too close to the same lethal game.

You don't believe me, do you? Kendrick enquired, his voice almost inaudible as he leaned closer and fixed his gaze on me. I looked into his eyes; the glimmer of vulnerability there made me gasp. Kendrick, I no longer know what to think. You have been concealing too much from me, Kendrick. There is too much at stake. At first he said nothing, but then he pushed a file over the desk, his fingertips resting on the edge as though stressing the importance of what I was going to view. Flipping open the file made my heart race; the contents were all too familiar; Mason's name stood out amid the others as though it had been etched into my head. "Mason's involved," I whispered, trembling voice. "How could I have overlooked this?" When Kendrick's gaze met mine, it was frigid. Mason wasn't the only one. Sofia, it's far worse than you believe. But at this time, the most crucial factor is we have to identify who is playing us. This mole, it's one of us. My heart sank to my stomach. What does that imply for us? Kendrick sighed deeply and said, "We have to get ahead of this, before it's too late," his eyes hardening as he went on. Kendrick and I combed through the papers in silence save for the sound of my own breathing. Mason, the mole, was more deeply ingrained in Blackwell Enterprises than I had ever thought. Every bit of data we found led to the same unavoidable conclusion: I had been played, exactly like Kendrick. How could we have missed it? Staring at the papers, I said. Scattered across the table, the fragments formed a map of betrayals and warped loyalties. Kendrick sat back in his chair, nervously drumming his fingers on the table. "We wanted to believe." I wished to think folks could be relied upon. Mason was a buddy. "But he isn't," I retorted, my tone more cutting than I intended. "He never was." He looked into my eyes then, and for a little time, the severity in his stare faded. A spark of remorse, something visceral, caught my attention. Not now, but I couldn't let myself soften. I had to stay away. I had to be strong. My words were icy as I got up and said, "We have to do something about this." Kendrick, this doesn't only impact us. It's the business. It's all. I understand. Kendrick's voice sounded soft, resigned. Still, this is larger than only us. People who have been in this game far longer than we have have played us. Processing all Kendrick had just said, Sofia's mind raced. The office walls appeared to close in on her, as though the weight of all the falsehoods, all the hidden facts, were crashing down. "You have been concealing this from me," I replied, my voice shaking with rage and scepticism. Why didn't you mention Mason earlier? Why didn't you inform me about all this? Kendrick's hands were tightly clasped and his eyes were downcast to the table. Sofia, I never meant to harm you, he murmured softly. Sometimes, though, you have no option. I didn't want you engaged in this. My feelings spinning, I shook my head. The instant I accepted to work with you, I was already engaged. The moment I believed in you. Kendrick's gaze met mine. Their sensitivity was so raw that it nearly took my breath away. Sofia, I never meant to harm you. But I have been working to correct all. Hoping to correct it. I want you now more than ever. His words lingered in the air like a promise I wasn't sure I could believe. Kendrick, how much of this is genuine? I said, my voice low yet cutting with the burden of all that separated us. He murmured, "I made errors." Everything I have done, however, was for the right cause. I don't want you to pardon me; rather, I need you to see the larger picture. We can remedy this. The reality was I didn't know whether I could trust him once more. But standing there gazing into those pleading eyes, I could feel the pull of all we had shared. The betrayals that had tainted it all, the love, the trust. I said softly, "I don't know whether I can still trust you." Then let me show it to you. I gulped. This was not finished. It had only started. Kendrick's stare, intense and full of unresolved tension, made me feel weighted. Sitting opposite from one another in the conference room, papers strewn between us all pointing to the same unavoidable conclusion, Mason had let us down. Not really, more like. He had been deceiving us all along, his lies knotted deeper than I could have ever thought. Still with me? Low and unpolished, Kendrick's voice cut through my musings. I gulped. I wished to trust him. Wanted to think that what we had was genuine. But the last few days, heck, the last several weeks, had destroyed that confidence bit by bit. I didn't know who I was any more or what I was doing here. "I'm here," I whispered softly. Kendrick, just because I'm here doesn't mean I'm not afraid. You know what this implies, right? Mason, he has been playing both of us. And it's larger than each of us. His jaw tight, hands shaking a little, he glared at me. "I understand." But I won't let him triumph. Not at this time. Not following all. Leaning in, he spoke softly yet urgently. You must believe me, Sofia. Should I say, from all of this, I have discovered I cannot lose you as well. I will not. I didn't know what to say back. There was a part of me, the one that still wanted to believe in him, that wanted to forgive him for all the falsehoods. Still, I couldn't ignore the reality of it all. He had been concealing information from me. The issue was how much I would allow to slide. "Sofia, you've never been good at this," Kendrick said, his eyes fixed on mine. "But now I'll do anything to guard you. You are all I have remaining. Breathing was impossible. His comments were a plea, not only promises. But can I believe him? Could I really let myself fall for the guy who had concealed so many secrets? Under the table I gripped my hands, attempting to suppress the wave of feelings about to surface. Kendrick, I don't know whether I can continue doing this. Reaching across the table, his hand shook as it touched mine. Though I couldn't let it bother me, the touch of his skin against mine made my pulse skip a beat. Kendrick said softly, his voice laden with feeling, "I'm asking you to trust me, Sofia." I understand I have erred. I will correct this. As Kendrick and I approached Mason, ready to face him, the weight of everything, the falsehoods, the shattered trust, Mason's treachery, pressed down on us. I could sense the tension between us, the unspoken words, the unresolved emotions that had been hovering between us since we began this chaos. But this was not the moment to concentrate on it. We now required solutions. Mason has been playing both of us. Kendrick, his voice sharp with anger, continued, "And he's not finished yet." He didn't sound like the guy I had once known; he sounded like someone losing all he had ever laboured for. Mason's back was to us, his body still and stiff as though he already knew we were coming when we entered the room. The reality of it all settled in and I could feel the fire building in my chest. Mason, his voice laced with sarcasm, stated without looking around, "Nice of you to join us." Clenching his hands at his sides, Kendrick stepped forward. Mason, we are aware of your activities. It's finished. Your lies won't help you any longer. Mason at last faced us, a wicked grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. Really? You believe you have everything worked out, right? My heart raced in my chest as I moved forward. We know you have been using us. Mason, we know all. His eyes blinked once, and I understood. He knew we were tracking him. Still, that didn't prevent him from playing his game. Mason scoffed, stepping back, "You have no idea what you're dealing with." Your not the only one this affects. This is more than all of you. Kendrick moved forward once more, staring directly at Mason. You are correct. It's larger than every one of us. But it finishes tonight. Looking at Kendrick, I finally saw him for who he truly was: driven, tenacious, and ready to give up everything to defend the people he loved. Though he had been through much, I couldn't help but be attracted to this aspect of him once more. Kendrick said again, his voice a hoarse snarl, "This ends tonight." And I will ensure we are the ones who triumph. Those statements made me feel helpless. I had no notion how it would all finish. One thing was obvious, though: the fight for all we possessed was far from finished.