You Broke Me FirstVolume 1 — Chapter 2:
The Edge of TruthThe storm outside had settled into a relentless downpour, rain lashing against the towering glass windows of MacTech's headquarters like a mournful drumbeat. Inside the locked office, Shayne and Hagar sat close together, the cold sterile light flickering overhead, casting long, trembling shadows across the room. The weight of the night pressed heavily on their shoulders, suffocating yet binding them in a fragile alliance.
Shayne's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts—Jenna's accident, the mysterious file accusing him, the shadowy figure slipping away during the chaos. His youthful optimism was battered but not broken. He looked at Hagar, her face pale but resolute, and felt a surge of protective determination.
"We need to find out who's behind this," Shayne said firmly, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him. "If someone's framing me, they'll come after you next."
Hagar swallowed hard, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "There's a reason I kept so much from you. MacTech isn't just a company—it's a battlefield. A battlefield where power, greed, and betrayal run deeper than anyone suspects. My ex-husband… he's tied to all of it. And he's dangerous."
Shayne's heart clenched painfully. "You never told me it was that serious."
"I wanted to protect you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "But I see now I only dragged you deeper into the darkness."
Suddenly, Shayne's phone buzzed sharply on the desk. He glanced at the screen and froze. An unknown number had sent a message: "Stop digging or you'll lose everything you love."
The threat was unmistakable. Fear prickled at the edges of Shayne's resolve, but he masked it with a fierce glare. "They want to scare us. But we can't back down—not now."
Hagar reached out, her fingers trembling as they brushed against his. "There's more. Jenna's accident wasn't random. Someone wanted to silence her because she knew too much."
Shayne's breath hitched. "What did she know?"
Before Hagar could answer, a sudden loud rattling shook the office door. The steel frame vibrated as if someone was trying to force it open. Both of them froze, hearts pounding. A shadowy figure appeared briefly in the dim hallway light, their face obscured, before vanishing into the darkness.
"Who was that?" Shayne demanded, eyes wide with alarm.
Hagar shook her head, fear flickering in her gaze. "I don't know. But whoever it is, they're watching us—and they're closer than we thought."
The tension in the room was suffocating. Trapped in what had become a cage, surrounded by enemies unseen, Shayne and Hagar faced a choice: run and hide or fight for the truth—and for each other.
"I'm not afraid," Shayne said, voice low but fierce. "Not anymore."
Hagar's eyes softened, hope flickering like a fragile flame. "Then we start by finding Jenna. She's the key to everything."
As they gathered their things, preparing to leave the office, the lights flickered one last time before plunging them into complete darkness. The silence was thick, broken only by the distant rumble of thunder and the faint, chilling whisper that seemed to echo through the halls: "You broke me first… now it's your turn."
Deeper Into the ShadowsThe drive to the hospital was tense and silent, the rain blurring the city lights into streaks of color. Shayne kept glancing at Hagar, who sat rigid beside him, her jaw clenched as if holding back a storm of emotions.
At the emergency room, they found Jenna unconscious but stable. The doctors were tight-lipped, but the bruises and the signs of a struggle told a story no words could soften.
Shayne sat by Jenna's bedside, holding her hand gently. "You're going to be okay," he whispered, though the doubt gnawed at him.
Hagar stood nearby, her phone buzzing again. This time, a cryptic email appeared in her inbox—an anonymous tip: "Look deeper into the files. The truth is buried where you least expect it."
"What does it mean?" Shayne asked, eyes narrowing.
Hagar shook her head. "I don't know. But it means we're missing something—something big."
As the night deepened, the two of them realized that the fight for truth was no longer just about clearing Shayne's name. It was about survival, about confronting ghosts from the past that refused to stay buried.
Cliffhanger Ending:Back in the quiet of the hospital room, Jenna's eyes fluttered open. She looked at Shayne and Hagar with a haunted expression and whispered, "It's worse than you think. They're coming for all of us."
Outside, the rain began to slow, but the storm inside MacTech was only just beginning.
What secrets does Jenna hold that could unravel the dangerous web surrounding MacTech? Who is orchestrating the sinister plot from the shadows? And can Shayne and Hagar trust each other when every truth seems laced with betrayal?
Don't miss Volume 2— Chapter 2: Shadows of the Past, where every revelation cuts deeper, and every choice could be their last.