Chapter 81

ELISE’S POV

The day had started fine, but by noon it had soured completely. My hands trembled as I stared at my phone, replaying the last few seconds of the call I had with Ethan. His voice still rang in my ears—sharp, cold, and full of accusation. I could feel the blood drain from my face every time I thought about what he’d said.

I locked myself in my office for the rest of the afternoon, unable to focus on anything. My assistant had stopped knocking after the third time I told her I wanted to be left alone. The only sound left was the steady hum of the air conditioner and the faint echo of my heart pounding in my chest.

When my phone buzzed again, I jumped. The screen lit up with a name I had hoped never to see again. Phil.

My throat tightened. I didn’t want to open it. I already knew it would be something awful. But a part of me was terrified of what he could be planning if I ignored him. With a shaky breath, I tapped the screen.

It wasn’t a text. It was a video.

The second it started playing, I nearly threw my phone across the room. My face. My voice. My body. The video we had made two years ago—back when I was foolish, reckless, and blinded by temporary affection.

He hadn’t deleted it after all.

My stomach churned as humiliation swept through me. I pressed stop, but it was too late. The memory was already seared into my mind. If Ethan ever saw that clip, my career, my reputation, everything I’d built would crumble in an instant.

The office phone rang. The sound tore through the silence like a scream. I snatched the receiver.

“What is it?” My voice came out sharper than I meant.

“I’m sorry, Miss Duran,” my secretary stammered. “There’s someone here to see you. He insists it’s urgent.”

“I said I don’t want to see anyone today,” I snapped. “Whoever it is, tell him to leave.”

“I tried, but he won’t go. He’s—”

“I don’t care who he is!” I slammed the phone back down, breathing hard.

My reflection stared back at me from the glass wall. My eyes were bloodshot. My lipstick had faded. I looked like someone on the edge of a breakdown.

And maybe I was.

I reached for my phone again, staring at the message thread with Phil. My thumb hovered over the keyboard. Every instinct told me to block him, delete everything, disappear. But I knew he wasn’t bluffing. He’d already gone this far. He’d send that video to Ethan—or worse, leak it online.

Tears burned my eyes as I scrolled through my contacts. There was only one person who might help me now, though I wasn’t sure he’d even pick up.

I pressed call.

“Dale,” I whispered as soon as I heard his voice.

There was a long pause before he responded. “Elise? What’s wrong with you? You sound like someone died.”

“Worse,” I said quietly, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. “It’s Phil. He’s back.”

The silence that followed was heavy. I could almost picture him leaning back in his chair, his jaw tightening.

“What do you mean, he’s back?” he asked finally. “You told me he disappeared after that stunt he pulled last year.”

“He didn’t disappear. He’s been waiting,” I said, my words shaking. “He sent me something. A video.”

“What video?”

I swallowed hard. “The one. From when we were together.”

“Jesus.” Dale’s tone dropped, low and sharp. “You mean the one you said you deleted?”

“I thought he did too,” I said, my voice breaking. “But he kept it. And now he’s threatening to send it to Ethan unless I do what he wants.”

“What does he want?” Dale asked after a pause.

“He wants me to get back together with Ethan. Publicly. He says if I don’t, he’ll send the video to every media outlet in the city.”

For a moment, there was no response. I could hear him exhale slowly on the other end.

“Well,” he said finally, “that’s twisted. He knows exactly where to hit you.”

“I can’t let this happen,” I said, my voice trembling. “If that video comes out, I’m finished. Ethan will never look at me the same way again. And my agency—”

“Elise,” he cut in. “You need to calm down.”

“Calm down?” I could feel the anger bubbling through the panic now. “You have no idea what this could do to me!”

“I do,” he said sharply. “Which is why you need to think before you make it worse. You go to the police, and this becomes public. You go to Ethan, and he’ll assume the worst. Phil knows he’s got you trapped.”

I pressed my forehead against my desk. The world felt like it was spinning too fast.

“So what do I do?” I whispered. “Tell me what to do.”

“Meet me tonight,” Dale said. His voice softened slightly. “We’ll figure this out. But don’t talk to Ethan yet. Don’t answer Phil. Don’t give him a reason to act sooner than he planned.”

“Where?”

“The same place we met last time. Around nine. And Elise—” he paused. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

The line went dead.

I sat there, staring at my phone, my hands trembling. The shame and fear were eating me alive.

For a long time, I didn’t move. Then, without thinking, I opened the video again. I watched a few seconds—just enough to remind myself of what I was up against. Then I hit delete.

It didn’t help. The image was burned into my mind.

Phil’s voice echoed in my head from one of his old messages. “You owe me, Elise. And I always collect what’s mine.”

I shuddered. He’d always been controlling, manipulative, and dangerously charming. I should’ve known he’d never let go completely.

My phone buzzed again. Another message.

This time, I didn’t open it. I didn’t need to. The preview said it all.

“Tick-tock, sweetheart. Time’s running out.”

I locked my phone and leaned back in my chair, trying to breathe through the panic. My mind was already racing ahead to tonight. To Dale. To whatever plan we’d have to make.

Because one thing was certain. If Phil were coming after me, he wouldn’t stop with threats.

And if he dragged Ethan into this, I’d lose everything.

For the first time in years, I wished I could undo the past. Erase every wrong choice. Every reckless moment that led me to this.

But life didn’t offer rewinds. It only gave you consequences.

And mine had just arrived.