Twisted Obsession (Twisted Series #3)

Chapter Seven

Valeria

"You okay?"

Claire's voice pulled me out of my daze. I looked up from my laptop, blinking away the words that no longer made sense on the screen.

"Yeah," I lied. "Just tired."

But even Claire, with her love for ignoring drama, wasn’t buying it.

"This is about the clause, isn’t it?"

I didn’t answer.

Because of course it was.

Clause 14B. I must’ve read it at least twenty times since I got the email. Every word burned. Every sentence felt like a warning.

*In the event of any personal conflict that interferes with project execution...*

I knew exactly what it meant. It was a silent threat. Not from Aiden. But from her.

Selena Lin.

She was staking her claim, professionally and personally. And worse? She was doing it with the kind of poise and grace I could never match.

Not when I was already drowning in memories I never asked to relive.

"Val," Claire said, her voice softer now. "She wants you to quit."

I clenched my fists. "Then she’s going to be disappointed."

---

**CruzTech HQ – 10:31 AM**

"Ms. Navarro, Mr. Cruz will see you now," the assistant said.

I walked into his office with my head held high, every step echoing the determination I was barely clinging to.

Aiden looked up from his desk. He was in his usual power suit, but there was a flicker of something hesitant in his eyes.

"You saw the update," he said.

"I did."

He exhaled slowly. "It wasn’t my idea."

"But you signed off on it."

"Because if I didn’t, Selena would’ve taken it to the board. And you know how they are about conflict of interest."

I crossed my arms. "So instead of defending me, you decided to make it easier for her to push me out."

He stood up, walking around the desk. "Valeria, you’re the last person I want to replace."

"Then prove it," I said. "Fight for me the way you used to."

His jaw tensed. "You have no idea how many battles I’ve fought to keep you on this project."

"Then why does it feel like I’m always the one bleeding?"

He stepped closer. "Because you won’t let me in."

I laughed bitterly. "Don’t twist this on me. You left me when things got real. You don’t get to come back and act like I’m the problem."

"I’m not saying you are. I just..." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "I’m trying, Val."

"Try harder."

He looked at me, something breaking in his gaze.

"What do you want from me?"

"I want you to choose me," I whispered. "Even when it’s inconvenient. Even when it’s messy."

Silence stretched between us.

Then he said, "Then stay. No matter what she does, stay. And I promise I’ll make it worth it."

---

**Marketing Floor – 1:17 PM**

"Is it true?" one of the interns asked me in a hushed voice. "You might be replaced?"

I smiled tightly. "Rumors travel fast here, huh?"

"Sorry, I just... we’re all rooting for you. You’re the reason this campaign is even alive."

I thanked her quietly, my heart aching.

This wasn’t just about me anymore. This was about the work I poured my soul into. The team I built. The late nights. The ideas that kept me up because I *believed* in them.

I wasn’t going to let someone like Selena erase all of that.

Not without a fight.

---

**Later That Day – CruzTech Rooftop**

I needed air.

And silence.

But of course, the moment I stepped out, he was there.

Aiden.

Leaning against the railing, staring out at the skyline like it held answers he couldn’t find anywhere else.

He heard my footsteps and turned. "Didn’t expect to see you here."

"Same."

We stood in silence for a while.

Then he said, "You once told me the sky made you feel free."

I glanced at him. "That was before I knew how small it could make you feel, too."

He turned fully to face me. "You feel small now?"

"No. I feel angry. And disappointed. And tired."

He nodded. "Me too."

I looked at him, really looked.

This man in front of me was still the same Aiden I fell for. But there were cracks now. Vulnerabilities he couldn’t hide anymore.

And maybe... maybe that’s what scared me the most.

Because I wanted to reach for him.

Even now.

Even after everything.

"Why didn’t you fight harder for us back then?" I asked softly.

His eyes met mine. "Because I didn’t know how to love someone without destroying them."

That admission did something to me.

Broke something.

He took a step closer. "But I’m learning. And if you let me... I’ll love you better this time."

I wanted to believe him.

God, I wanted to.

But trust... that wasn’t something easily rebuilt.

"Don’t say things you can’t keep," I whispered.

"I never stopped keeping them. Even when I couldn’t say them."

He reached for my hand, tentative, gentle.

And I let him.

Just for a moment.

Because maybe, just maybe... I wasn’t ready to give up either.
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