Chapter 20 Falling apart
The atmosphere inside Jaxon’s penthouse was ice-cold, heavy with the weight of betrayal, frustration, and desperation. Jaxon paced the length of the living room, his jaw clenched so tight it ached. His mind raced, replaying Elena’s expression as she stormed out — the hurt hidden behind her controlled anger, the way she told him to fix this mess.
The door clicked softly, and Damon entered, closing it behind him with deliberate care. His face was serious, eyes sharp with the kind of news Jaxon knew he wouldn’t want to hear.
“Say it,” Jaxon growled, running a hand through his hair.
Damon hesitated only for a second. “It wasn’t random,” he said lowly. “I traced what I could. The source of that video, the one sent to Elena — it came from Caleb. Or at least one of his burner numbers. And Maya... she’s involved. This was all set up.”
Jaxon let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head as the fury boiled inside him. “Of course. Caleb. That son of a—”
He cut himself off, fists balling at his sides. The pieces clicked together — the bar, the ‘coincidence,’ the way Maya had shown up right when he was at his weakest. It wasn’t an accident. It was a trap.
“Damon, I don’t care what it takes,” Jaxon said, his voice low and dangerous now. “I want that video destroyed. Everywhere. I want you to send a virus to the number that sent it. Burn it. Make it impossible for them to resend or recover. And if you can — track down what phone Caleb’s using. I want that device wiped clean. Hell, fry it if you can.”
Damon nodded, already pulling out his phone, fingers flying across the screen. “I’m on it. But Jax... this might not be the only copy. If Caleb planned this, he could have backups.”
“I don’t care,” Jaxon bit out. “Do it anyway. I’m not letting him win.”
Damon left the room, determination written all over his face as he began the digital war Jaxon demanded.
____________________
Damon slipped into Jaxon’s home office, shutting the door behind him to block out the world. The soft glow of multiple monitors lit up the dark space, and he sank into the leather chair, hands already at work. His fingers flew across the keyboard, calling up every tool at his disposal — firewalls, encryption breakers, backdoors that no one even knew existed.
This wasn’t just damage control. It was war.
“Alright, Caleb, let’s see what dirty little servers you’re hiding on,” Damon muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as lines of code scrolled like rain on the screens.
First, he locked on to the burner number that had sent the video. It wasn’t easy — Caleb was careful, but not careful enough for Damon. He breached the encryption with precision, tracing the number to a secure messaging platform Caleb must have thought was untouchable.
“There you are, you snake,” Damon whispered, smirking grimly.
He injected the virus he’d coded on the fly — sleek, invisible, and lethal to files. It crawled through the messaging server like a phantom, corrupting video data, overwriting any trace of the file that had been sent to Elena. One by one, copies linked to that burner number blinked out of existence, reduced to corrupted scraps.
But Damon wasn’t done. He zeroed in on the phone linked to that number. The signal pinged off a tower near one of Caleb’s known properties. Damon worked fast, breaching its security protocols — and launched a second, more aggressive worm designed to melt through the device’s storage, obliterating not just the video, but any potential backup on that phone.
“Say goodbye to your little blackmail plan,” Damon said, leaning closer as the program did its work.
Lines of code flared red on the screen — confirmation that the destruction was underway. Files were being shredded, memory wiped clean. The phone’s system was collapsing, turning the device into little more than an expensive paperweight.
Just as Damon leaned back, a new alert flashed across the screen. A second burner number. Caleb was smarter than he looked — there were backups out there.
Damon’s jaw tightened. “Not today, Donovan. Not today.”
His fingers flew again, ready to strike at this new lead, the digital battlefield expanding as he dug deeper into Caleb’s schemes.
\---
Elena sat in her office, staring at the half-finished sketch on her tablet. The lines blurred together — she wasn’t really seeing them anymore. Her mind was still tangled in the chaos of the past few days: the video, the argument, the look in Jaxon’s eyes when she’d stormed out.
The sharp ring of her phone startled her out of the haze.
She glanced at the screen: Mom.
Elena hesitated for half a second, then answered, trying to steady her voice. “Hi, Mom.”
Vivienne Montclair’s voice was warm but firm, carrying that familiar undertone of control. “Darling, I hope you’re not too buried in work. I’ve been trying to reach you since morning.”
“I’ve been... busy,” Elena admitted, glancing at the scattered fabrics and sketches around her.
“Well, I need you to clear your schedule. By this weekend, I want you completely free,” Vivienne said, not missing a beat. “There’s still so much to do before the engagement party. The guest list, the menu confirmations, the final dress fitting — you know how important this is, Elena.”
Elena exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair. She felt the weight of it all pressing down. “Okay, Mom. I’ll make sure I’m free.”
“Good girl,” Vivienne said, satisfaction in her tone. “We’ve come too far for anything less than perfection. I’ll see you tonight — we’ll go over the final details.”
The call ended before Elena could respond. She let the phone drop onto her desk, leaning back in her chair and staring up at the ceiling.
Free by the weekend... Engagement party... Perfection. The words echoed in her mind, reminding her that no matter how tangled things felt, the show had to go on.
Jaxon sat behind his sleek mahogany desk, his expression cold and unreadable as Damon silently exited the office. The door had barely clicked shut when it swung open again — and there stood Caleb Donovan, a smug grin playing at his lips, his posture relaxed, as if he owned the place.
“Jaxon,” Caleb said, sauntering in without invitation. “I figured it was time we had a little... chat.”
Jaxon didn’t move, didn’t flinch. He simply folded his hands on the desk and met Caleb’s gaze head-on. “What do you want, Donovan?”
Caleb’s grin widened as he pulled out his phone and waved it between two fingers like a winning card. “Oh, I think you know. Let’s not pretend. It’d be a real shame if a certain video found its way to the media — or perhaps your in-laws-to-be. Might ruin that perfect image you’re working so hard to build.”
Jaxon leaned back slightly, his expression turning almost bored. “You came all the way here to play games, Caleb? Let’s see it then. Show me.”
For a brief moment, Caleb hesitated. His thumb flicked over his screen, confident, eager — but then, confusion began to cloud his features. He scrolled. He searched. The cocky grin started to fade.
“What’s the matter?” Jaxon said, his voice sharp as steel. “Lost something?”
Caleb’s fingers moved faster, desperate now. His face darkened as he swiped through his files, his gallery, his cloud backups — but the video was gone. Completely wiped. Not a trace left.
“This... this can’t be right,” Caleb muttered under his breath, frustration leaking through his polished façade.
Jaxon stood then, slow and deliberate, his height and presence filling the room. “I told you once, Caleb — don’t play dirty with me. Looks like your ace disappeared. Now, get the hell out of my office before I decide to return the favor.”
Caleb clenched his jaw, eyes narrowed, but there was nothing left for him to say. He slid his phone back into his pocket, his swagger gone, and turned sharply for the door.
His mind racing, his fury barely contained. He stepped into his sleek black car, slammed the door shut, and immediately pulled out his phone again. Without wasting a second, he dialed Maya’s number, his fingers tight around the device.
The call rang once — twice — before Maya’s voice came through, sweet and breathless. “Caleb? What’s going on? I wasn’t expecting—”
“Cut the pleasantries, Maya,” Caleb snapped, his tone sharp. “Tell me you still have theVideo ?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. A long, tense pause. Caleb could almost hear her scrambling, checking, her breaths quickening.
“I—I don’t understand,” Maya said finally, her voice laced with confusion and rising panic. “It was here. I had it. I saved it in my gallery — even made a copy in my private folder. But now... it’s gone. Caleb, it’s missing. I swear, I didn’t delete it!”
Caleb’s jaw clenched so hard it ached. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel with his free hand. “What do you mean it’s missing? It can’t just vanish. Are you sure you’re looking in the right place?”
“I’m telling you, it’s not here!” Maya hissed, frustration bubbling in her voice. “It’s like it was wiped. Everything. Clean.”
Caleb cursed under his breath, his mind spinning. This wasn’t supposed to happen. The plan was flawless — until now.
Later that evening, just as Jaxon stepped out of a tense meeting at his office, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He sighed, hoping it wasn’t Damon with another update about the mess Caleb tried to create. But when he glanced at the screen, his brow furrowed.
Dad.
He hesitated a moment, then answered. “Dad?”
“Jaxon,” his father’s deep, commanding voice came through. “I need you to stop by the estate tonight. It’s important.”
Jaxon rubbed a hand down his face. “Is this about the engagement party?”
“Yes. And more. I expect you in an hour.” The line went dead before Jaxon could protest.
\---
An hour later, Jaxon arrived at the Wentworth estate — the grand, imposing house that always managed to remind him of just how heavy his family’s expectations were. The butler led him into the dining room, where his father and mother were already seated, the table set for a formal dinner.
His father didn’t waste time. “Jaxon, we’ve finalized the guest list and arrangements for the engagement party. It’s going to be the event of the season. You need to clear your schedule for the coming week. No distractions. No excuses.”
His mother nodded in agreement, her sharp eyes assessing him. “Your focus should be on this family and your future with Elena. We won’t tolerate anything that could risk our image — or this alliance.”
Jaxon forced a polite smile, though his mind was miles away, still tangled in the chaos Caleb had tried to create. “Understood. I’ll clear my schedule.”
Dinner passed in a blur of small talk and reminders about family expectations, the weight of it all pressing harder on Jaxon’s chest with each passing minute.
Finally, as night fell, Jaxon excused himself and returned to his penthouse — the city lights stretching out before him, but offering little comfort.
_______________________________________________
Later that night, Elena sat curled up on the couch in her apartment, her mind still racing. Brielle dropped beside her, balancing two mugs of tea, offering one with a small, knowing smile.
“Okay, spill,” Brielle said, tucking her legs under her. “You’ve been brooding all day. What’s going on with you and Jaxon?”
Elena let out a long breath, staring into her mug. “It’s this whole mess with the video. Seeing it… it just hit differently. I know we’re pretending, I know it’s just for show, but it felt like… like everything was falling apart before it even began.”
Brielle raised a brow. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little? I mean, it’s all fake, right? It’s not like you and Jaxon are in love. The guy could kiss whoever he wants, technically.”
Elena rubbed her temples, frustration flashing in her eyes. “I know, Bri. I know it’s all fake. But this isn’t just about feelings — it’s about optics. Headlines. The engagement party is around the corner. Imagine the scandal: ‘Billionaire Caught in Sex Scandal Days Before Fake Fairytale Wedding.’ That’s not the kind of drama I need right now.”
Brielle smirked, sipping her tea. “When you put it like that…”
Elena’s phone buzzed. She grabbed it quickly, heart skipping when she saw the message from Jaxon.
Everything’s been handled. There’s no trace of the video left. You can breathe again. — Jaxon
Elena stared at the screen for a moment, feeling the tension start to ebb from her shoulders.
Brielle nudged her. “What’s that?”
“Jaxon,” Elena said quietly. “He fixed it. The video’s gone.”
A soft laugh escaped her lips, more from relief than humor. “Maybe I was overreacting. After all… it’s all just a game, isn’t it?”
Brielle grinned, raising her mug. “Exactly. Now let’s focus on making sure you look drop-dead gorgeous at that engagement party.”
Elena nodded, settling back against the cushions, determined to move past the storm — at least for now.