Page 36 of Tempting My Nemesis

CALEB

I stand in my sleek kitchen, the polished marble countertops gleaming under the morning light. My movements are precise—each step in this ritual honed to perfection over years of repetition. But today, my hands tremble slightly as I pour the water.

"She’s too close... She saw too much," I mutter to myself.

Why did I let her in? I never let anyone in. She’s too close to everything now… too close to me.

I pick up my coffee and head towards the study, my footsteps echoing through the silent penthouse. Each step feels heavier than the last, the quiet amplifying the chaos in my mind. When I reach the study door, I hesitate. This room, once a secure sanctuary for my secrets, now feels like a gaping wound.

Pushing the door open, I step inside. The sight of scattered documents and half-open drawers hits me like a physical blow. The sanctity of my inner world feels violated.

I clench my jaw, anger bubbling beneath the surface. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. A simple arrangement, one that was meant to be mutually beneficial…

"Why did you have to dig?" My voice is a low growl, directed more at myself than anyone else.

I move through the room, setting my coffee on the desk before gathering up the papers. Each piece feels like a fragment of control slipping through my fingers. The drawers she left open expose secrets I’ve kept buried for years—the kind that could destroy everything if they came to light.

I glance at the binary code tattoo on my inner wrist, a permanent reminder of why I do what I do. My parents' deaths encoded into my skin—a motivator and a chain.

"I need to put distance between us," I murmur, as if saying it aloud will make it easier.

But even as I say it, part of me resists. Zoe had started breaking down walls I’d spent years building. Her resilience and warmth were intoxicating—dangerous.

Why did you have to make me feel?

A sharp knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts. My body tenses instinctively.

"Caleb?" Her voice is soft, hesitant—a stark contrast to her fiery confrontation yesterday.

I turn slowly, meeting her gaze. There's a mix of hurt and determination in her eyes that catches me off guard.

"What do you want, Zoe?"

She steps into the room, her chin lifted slightly.

"We need to talk. I owe you an apology."

I raise an eyebrow, surprised by her directness. "Go on."

"I shouldn't have snooped," she says, her voice steady. "But Caleb, you've got to understand—I was scared. You've been keeping me in the dark about everything."

My jaw tightens. "That doesn't justify invading my privacy."

"No, it doesn't," she agrees, surprising me again.

"But it doesn't justify you hiding things that could impact my life, my company—everything I care about."

For a moment, we stand there in tense silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging between us.

"You think this is easy for me?" She continues, her voice softening.

"I agreed to this deal because you were my last hope. And then, everything changed. I'm trying to navigate your world, Caleb, but I can't do it blindfolded."

Something shifts inside me at her words—a realization that maybe she's as vulnerable in this as I am.

"Trust goes both ways," I say quietly but firmly.

She nods slowly, understanding passing between us without another word spoken. The air is thick with unresolved tension.

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