The morning sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden rays across the luxurious guest room. Arabella sat up slowly, her head pounding with the weight of memories, truths, and half-lies she had buried for far too long.
Today was the day she would tell Nathaniel everything.
No more running. No more hiding.
She showered, dressed in one of the simple but elegant outfits Elina had dropped off for her, and stepped into the hallway, her bare feet barely making a sound on the polished marble floor. Nathaniel was already awake, seated in the sunlit breakfast nook with a steaming mug of coffee in hand. He looked up when she approached, his dark eyes unreadable.
"Morning," he said quietly.
"Morning," she replied, her voice tight.
He gestured toward the empty chair across from him. "Sit. Eat."
She hesitated, then took the seat. A plate of food sat in front of her—scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit. She hadn't even realized she was starving until she smelled it.
"Thanks," she muttered, picking up a fork.
They ate in silence for a few minutes until Nathaniel leaned forward, elbows on the table. His gaze was steady, unwavering.
"I'm ready to hear it. All of it."
Arabella put her fork down slowly and took a deep breath.
"It started three years ago. After we got married."
Nathaniel tensed. The memory of their wedding—simple, intimate, and full of promises—flashed through his mind.
Arabella continued, her voice trembling. "You remember how your business was expanding into Europe? You were so focused, always flying in and out, trying to seal those deals. I didn't want to bother you with what seemed like… petty threats."
Nathaniel frowned. "What threats?"
She met his eyes. "I started getting notes. At first, they were small things. A letter slid under the door. Then phone calls with no voice, just breathing. Then came the photos… pictures of me, taken from a distance. Of you. Of us."
Nathaniel's jaw clenched. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was scared. I thought it was just someone trying to mess with me. But then someone broke into our home while you were away. They didn't take anything—they just left a message on the bathroom mirror in red ink."
Nathaniel's fingers curled around his mug. "What did it say?"
"'Leave, or he dies.'"
Arabella's voice cracked.
Nathaniel stood abruptly, pacing the floor. "And that's when you ran?"
She nodded, her throat tight. "I contacted an old friend—someone with connections. They helped fake my disappearance. The car crash… it was staged. They even smuggled me out of the country. I thought if I vanished, whoever was threatening us would stop."
Nathaniel turned, his voice like a whip. "You should have trusted me. I had security. I could've protected you."
"I know," she whispered, eyes glistening. "But I didn't want you to become a target. You were already in the spotlight. And part of me… I didn't think you'd understand."
He stared at her, rage and grief warring inside him. "You let me think you were dead, Arabella. For three years."
Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I lived in fear every day. Every knock at the door, every footstep outside… I wasn't free. I was just surviving."
He turned away, his shoulders rigid.
"And then you came back," he said coldly. "No warning. No explanation. Just showed up in my office, like a ghost."
Arabella stood slowly, wrapping her arms around herself. "I came back because I finally found out who was behind it. And I realized running wasn't enough anymore."
Nathaniel turned, eyes narrowed. "Who?"
She hesitated.
"Your stepmother."
The room fell deathly silent.
"Camilla King?" Nathaniel said incredulously. "Why would she…?"
"She always hated me. She hated your father too, even if she never showed it. She knew you loved me—and that scared her. She feared I'd have influence over you, maybe even over the family legacy. I think she wanted to break you."
Nathaniel swore under his breath. "That woman has been nothing but a snake in designer clothes."
Arabella stepped closer. "She's been watching both of us for years. Manipulating things from behind the scenes. She orchestrated everything. But I have proof now. And I came back to expose her."
Nathaniel looked at her, pain etched into every line of his face. "Why didn't you tell me this the moment you returned?"
"Because I didn't know if I could trust you."
He flinched.
"I mean..." she added quickly, "not because of you. But because I didn't know who else she might have turned against me. I didn't want to take any chances. I've been betrayed before, Nathaniel. I couldn't afford another mistake."
The air between them was thick with everything unsaid. Regret. Longing. Anger.
Nathaniel finally walked toward her, stopping only inches away.
"I don't forgive you. Not yet," he said harshly. "But I believe you. And if what you're saying is true, then Camilla's going to regret ever crossing either of us."
Arabella nodded slowly, a small spark of hope lighting in her chest.
"We'll bring her down together," she whispered.
Nathaniel's eyes burned into hers. "But from now on, no more secrets. If I'm fighting for you, I need all of you."
Arabella reached out, placing her hand over his heart.
"Then you'll have all of me."
---
Later That Day...
Elina burst into the mansion, heels clicking urgently against the tiles. She looked flustered, her phone clutched in her hand.
"You both need to see this," she said, showing them a video that had just surfaced online.
It was security footage—grainy, but clear enough. Arabella, entering a building. Then seconds later, Camilla King exiting from the same door, glancing around suspiciously.
Nathaniel's jaw tightened. "Where is that?"
"Downtown," Elina replied. "It's from a private investigator I hired to keep an eye on Camilla after Arabella told me everything."
Arabella stared at the screen. "That's the clinic I went to. I left a trail for her to follow on purpose."
Nathaniel raised a brow. "You were baiting her?"
Arabella nodded, steel in her eyes. "And she took it."
---
That Night
Nathaniel stood by the fireplace, glass of scotch in hand, watching the flames dance. Arabella stood at the window, her arms wrapped around herself.
"Everything's going to change soon," she said softly.
"Yes," Nathaniel replied. "But this time, it's on our terms."
She turned to him, a mixture of fear and strength in her gaze. "Even if all the lies fall apart?"
Nathaniel walked toward her, gently brushing her cheek.
"Then we'll build something better with the truth."
And for the first time in a long time, Arabella believed him.
The silence that followed Nathaniel's confession stretched unbearably long. Arabella's breath hitched in her throat as she stepped back, unable to process what she had just heard.
"You… knew?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Nathaniel's jaw clenched as he stepped forward, closing the gap between them. "Yes. I knew. But not everything, not at first."
Arabella's heart felt like it was crumbling. Her mind spun as the weight of his words bore down on her chest. "Then why didn't you say anything? Why did you let me suffer alone?"
"I wanted to protect you," he said, reaching out, but she flinched. "Arabella, you were in danger. If I had confronted your stepmother too early, it would've made things worse. I had to gather proof."
She shook her head, her emotions spiraling. "So you chose to keep me in the dark? Let me keep living in fear while you played your little games in the background?"
"It wasn't a game!" he snapped, then lowered his voice. "I was trying to keep you safe while keeping my own promises. I had to be careful, Arabella."
Tears burned behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Careful?" she repeated bitterly. "Is that why you've been working with the very people who tried to destroy my life?"
Nathaniel froze. "What are you talking about?"
"I saw the messages," she spat. "Between you and Cassandra. I know you met with her. Don't lie to me anymore, Nathaniel."
His eyes narrowed. "I didn't meet with her to betray you. I've been setting a trap for her, trying to expose her and your father for what they did. But I couldn't tell you—I couldn't risk her finding out you knew."
Arabella crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "And you didn't think I had the right to know any of this?"
"I wanted to tell you, but every time I tried… something stopped me."
"Your pride?" she said bitterly. "Or was it guilt?"
Nathaniel stepped forward again, this time his voice lower, vulnerable. "It was fear. Fear that you'd hate me. Fear that once the truth came out, you'd walk away."
She stared at him, her heart breaking under the weight of his honesty. For a moment, neither of them said anything.
"I don't know if I can forgive you," she said softly, her voice barely a whisper.
His face paled. "I understand. But I'm not giving up. I'll earn your trust back, even if it takes the rest of my life."
She turned away, facing the window. The city lights glowed in the distance, mocking the chaos within her. "Then you'd better start now, Nathaniel. Because everything we had… it's hanging by a thread."
Outside, the wind howled through the city, as if echoing the storm raging between them. Arabella didn't move as Nathaniel quietly stepped away, giving her the space she needed.
But as he reached the door, she spoke again.
"If you really want to earn my trust back… then stop hiding things from me. I'm not the fragile girl I used to be."
Nathaniel looked back at her, something like hope flickering in his eyes. "I know. And that's why I'll fight harder. For you. For us."
He left, and Arabella sank onto the couch, finally letting the tears fall freely.
Because when all lies fall apart, the truth becomes the only thing left standing—no matter how painful it is.