Secretly Mine-Chapter 159: Confrontation (2) [Christian POV]

I rubbed my exhausted eyes a few times. After yesterday’s event, I came straight here, sitting in Leslie’s office in hopes of calming my emotions down. I didn’t sleep for a single minute; rather, I couldn’t fall asleep.

A gnawing in my stomach kept me up all night. All I could think about was Leslie.

Why didn’t she show up yesterday? Was she okay?

I wanted to call Liam, but I knew if he saw me in this state, he would make sure I got locked up in the hospital.

The first rays of sunlight filled the one dark office, revealing hints of Leslie all around me. Her favorite pens and notebook were neatly organized on the table. A small throw blanket was folded on the couch. Even her faint scent still lingered in the air.

My biggest fear was that she wouldn’t show up today. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

Everything around me continued to spin until I heard the door in front of me click open. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but the room was now brightly lit.

My entire body shook as I laid my eyes on her. Seeing her standing in front of me was like a breath of fresh air, but I couldn’t help but notice that something was off.

There was no smile on her face.

Her eyes were cold as they looked back at me.

Did something happen? Did I upset her?

She didn’t move from the doorway, and only looked at me with an unreadable expression. I couldn’t stand the silence in the room.

"You never showed up yesterday..."

The question that ate at me the most escaped my mouth on its own. I wasn’t sure if my tone gave away my nervousness and anxiety, but my eyes never left her as I awaited her reply.

I watched in horror as her expression changed to one filled with anger.

"That’s what you think! I did show up, and good thing I did, else I would never have had a chance to know how you really felt!" she yelled, shocking me with her words.

She showed up? When?! I waited for so long!

You showed up? What are you talking about? I waited for you for hours!" I replied with desperation. I couldn’t understand what was happening or why she was so angry.

"Yes, I showed up. I was so excited to see you that I showed up early. Just in time to overhear your conversation with Zachary!"

My eyes widened. I recalled the heated conversation I had with Zachary on the balcony, discussing her family...

No wonder she’s so angry. She must’ve heard me talk about destroying her family.

Panic settled in. My mind went completely blank, even more so when I lost my memories. I looked at her, trying to find the right words to explain myself.

This was my biggest worry. I’ve long been mulling over how to tell her about her family’s dark side, but without evidence, it would sound crazy.

Maybe she’ll believe me?

"No, Leslie! It isn’t like that! I swear, it’s not what you think," I said, walking over to her.

How?! How do I explain it to her? If only I could remember what happened at the auction event. I know I discovered something that night.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to try to force myself to remember. Leslie only got increasingly angrier.

"Then what is it, Christian? Tell me!" she yelled. Her piercing eyes held no warmth, only anger and a lot of hurt.

I never thought her anger would affect me so much. It felt as if I was standing in quicksand with only moments to spare before I would be completely sucked in. Except in this situation, it felt as if I said one wrong word, she would be gone from my life forever.

Fear. A kind of fear I never knew before washed over me. My arms, legs, and lips all trembled with this fear.

Before I could answer her first question, she shouted once more. "What was I to you? Just a detour? A distraction while you plotted your revenge against my family?"

I could see the tears well up in her eyes, and they tore me apart. I never thought that I would ever be the reason for her tears.

Her questions rang in my ears.

A detour? No way. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me. A distraction? The best kind of distraction I could have ever asked for.

I walked over to her side, the words choking up inside of me. No matter how hard I tried to find the right words, they wouldn’t come to me. I reached out, trying to hold her hand, but she pulled away. The action was small, but it tore me apart.

I knew that if I didn’t say anything now, I may not get a chance to in the future. After a deep breath, I looked her in the eyes. "Leslie, there’s something I never told you. I just didn’t know how to."

"Yeah, I can clearly see that!" she scoffed.

You’ve got to tell her now. Even if it’s crazy, you need to tell her.

"Listen to me, please! I know this is going to sound crazy, but your family’s business has been involved with human trafficking for years now!" I said with desperation. I wanted to continue, but before I had a chance to, she cut me off.

"Ha! Really, Christian? That’s your excuse? Human trafficking?! At least come up with something more realistic, like tax fraud!"

She looked at me as if I were crazy, something that I expected but didn’t know how to fix.

"I understand it sounds crazy, that’s why I never told you before! I didn’t want to say anything until I found the evidence that I’ve been looking for. Please believe me."

Hearing the words I was saying only made me feel more nervous. There was no way I could prove any of my statements. It was at that moment that I regretted not sharing this information with her earlier.

Maybe if it were under different circumstances, she’d have a better time believing me?

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