Con

CHAPTER 53

Sophia’s POV

Seeing the memo that Craig was no longer with the company hit me like a punch to the gut. I sat at my desk, my mind racing and my heart bursting with various emotions.

It’s so unfair that Julla got away with the plagiarism issue scot–free while Craig was blamed and fired! The injustice of it all churned my stomach.

Craig had always been a stickler for the rules, almost to a fault. The idea of him violating company policy was ludicrous.

Something’s not right, I thought. This is fishy.

My initial shock quickly gave way to anger, and I stood up, determined to march straight to Trevis’s office to get some answers.

As I grabbed my phone and headed toward the door, it buzzed in my hand. I glanced at the screen and saw Craig’s name. Speak of the devil…

“Sophia, can you meet me at the café in the lobby?” Craig’s voice was tense, yet calm.

“Craig, I was just about to-”

“Please, Sophia. I need to talk to you.”

“I’m going to help you, Craig. Don’t worry about it. I’ll have to talk to Trevis and Elijah and-”

“Sophia, I’m so sorry,” he cut me off. “There’s something I really have to tell you about why we became partners for that design in the first place, why we became close friends.”

There was a note of urgency in his voice that made me change course immediately. And his words were certainly alarming. What was he talking about?

So instead of heading to Trevis’s office, I took the elevator down to the lobby, my mind running with questions and theories.

When I arrived at the café, Craig was already there, seated in a corner booth. He looked tired, his usual confident demeanor replaced by a weary expression.I slid into the seat across from him, trying to read his face.

“Thank you for coming,” he said, offering a weak smile.

“Craig, what’s going on? I saw the memo. This is insane. You didn’t do anything wrong… And And what were you saying about why we became friends or partners?”

He sighed, running a hand through hi

hair. “There’s a lot more to this than you know,”

“Then tell me,” I urged, leaning forward. “I want to understand.”

The hum of the espresso machine and the soft murmur of conversations faded into the background as I listened intently to Craig’s explanation.

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“When I graduated as an architect,” he started, “I was approached by a woman named Serena Foster. She promised me a high–paying job at Sinclair Realty, but there was a catch.”

I raised an eyebrow, urging him to continue.

“She wanted me to steal designs from you,” he said, the words tumbling out in a rush. He gazed into my eyes shamefully.

“I know it sounds awful, and it is. I didn’t realize how underhanded it was at first because I was ambitious and I needed the money. Trevis took me on at Urban Next temporarily, but my real employer was Sinclair Realty.”

The revelation landed like a heavy blow. I had always prided myself on my judgment of character, and Craig had seemed like a promising and dedicated young architect. But now, my trust felt like a fragile thing, feetering on the edge of shattering.

And Serena strikes again… God, I never thought she was that evil!

My lips tightened. I didn’t say anything, but my heart felt heavy.

Craig went on. “During my time at Urban Next, I learned a lot from you, Sophia. I got to appreciate your talent, your hard work, and your professionalism. I realized that what Serena asked me to do was wrong. I never revealed your designs to anyone. I promise you that.”

I studied his face, searching for any sign of deceit. But all I saw was sincerity and regret. His shoulders were hunched, his eyes pleading. I could tell that this confession wasn’t easy for him, that it had been weighing on him heavily.

“You’ve never told anyone about my designs?” I asked, needing to hear it again.

“Never,” he affirmed. “I couldn’t do that to you. You trusted me, and I couldn’t betray that trust.”

A wave of relief washed over me, blending with the lingering shock. “I believe you, Craig. Thanks for telling me the truth.”

He let out a breath he seemed to have been holding. “Thank you, Sophia. I know this doesn’t excuse what I did, but I want you to know that I regret it deeply.”

We were quiet for a short while. Then suddenly, he reached out and placed a hand over mine, gently and briefly. His eyes bore a hole through mine.

“Sophia, there’s something else… I just… I think you already know it, but I… I really like you. I’ve had a crush on you for the longest time, but I’ve never pursued a romantic relationship because I could tell that you weren’t ready. I also wanted to begin from a clean slate.”

I was taken aback There were some instances when I sensed it, but hearing him say it had a different effect. “Ohhh… I really appreciate the friendship we’ve developed, Craig,” I started carefully. I wanted to be honest with him too. “But you should know that I see you as more of a brother.”

He looked sad but he still smiled. “I kind of expected that,” he admitted. “But it’s okay. I’m leaving. anyway. We probably won’t see each other again.”

Since he’d become a good friend already, it was difficult for me to accept that. And besides, it wasn’t

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right. “I’ll talk to Trevis,” I told him quickly. “Perhaps Serena pulled some strings and you were blamed because you didn’t keep your promise to her.”

“No, it’s fine, Sophia,” he said. “It’s too embarrassing for me to stay here. Besides, Mr. Sinclair already set me up for a job at another branch of their company.”

My eyes widened. “Elijah?” I asked in shock. I didn’t think he could be that considerate. And I’ve seen how he looked at Craig with disdain.

Craig

nodded. “Yes, it’ll be a fresh start for me.” He didn’t offer any more details, but I asked him to please keep in touch, to which he agreed. We eventually said goodbye.

Back in my office, I couldn’t focus on my tasks. I kept pacing back and forth, thinking about what Serena had done and what she could still do to me.

Then Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. To my bewilderment, it was Julia who came in, smiling sweetly like we were still close friends like before.

She held a white envelope in her hand with my name elegantly printed on the outside.

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