chapter 15: A GROWING RIFT

Ivy's POV

The walls of our flat seem like they're closing in on me. Every moment with Griffin is a balancing act, each exchange a delicate dance I can no longer control. The guy I once knew so well now seems like a stranger cold, aloof, and guarded. His eyes barely meet me, his touch remote, his words short. 

I've tried to ignore it, tried to tell myself it's the stress of work or the upcoming merger, but deep down, I know the truth. The gaps between us are widening, and Marissa's shade gets deeper with every passing day. 

Griffin goes into the living room, his tie loosened, his jacket dropped over his arm. His face is stiff, his jaw set in the way it usually is when he's thinking too hard. 

"You're home late," I say, trying to seem relaxed, while my heart quickens. 

"Work," he says, putting his jacket onto the chair. He walks straight for the bar, pours himself a glass of scotch. 

I watch him, my gut knotting. Say something, I tell myself. Break this quiet before it breaks you. 

"Griffin," I begin quietly, going nearer him. "We need to talk." 

He takes a long sip of his drink, his eyes dark and mysterious when they finally meet mine. "About what?" 

"About us," I continue, my voice trembling slightly. "Things haven't been the same lately. You've been distant. Cold. And I can't help but feel like..." 

"Like what?" he interrupts, his tone stern. "Like I've got the weight of the world on my shoulders? Like I'm attempting to protect my business from failing while the individuals closest to me seem driven to make it harder?" 

The charge in his voice hurts. "What are you talking about?" 

Griffin lays his glass down with a thump, his eyes sharpening. "Don't play dumb, Ivy. I've given you time plenty of chance to come clean. But you haven't. So, tell me what are you keeping from me?" 

Panic rushes through me. "I'm not hiding anything." 

His laugh is harsh, missing of fun. "Don't insult my intelligence. I know you've been meeting with Marissa. I know she's been hanging around, causing some trouble. And I know she's giving me lies, but what I don't know..." He draws closer, his voice falling to a dangerous whisper. "—is whether you're helping her do it." 

I gasp, my heart pumping. "You think I'm working with Marissa?" 

"What else am I supposed to think?" he snaps back. "You've been acting strange for weeks. You cringe every time I mention her name. And now I find out she's been watching at every event we attend? Either you're in on it, or she's got something on you." 

I freeze. He's too near to the truth. 

"Griffin, I would never betray you," I say, my voice shaking. "You have to believe me." 

"Then tell me what's going on," he asks. "Tell me the truth, Ivy, or we're done playing this game." 

My chest tightens. I want to tell him everything—about Marissa's threats, about the folder and the secrets it holds. But the words won't come. The fear of what it would cost me, what it might cost us, keeps my tongue quiet. 

"I can't," I mumble. 

His face hardens. "Can't or won't?" 

"Both," I admit, tears burning my eyes. "Please, Griffin. Just believe me. I'm trying to protect you." 

He lets out a loud breath, running a hand over his hair. "Protect me? How the heck can I trust you when you're hiding lies from me?" 

"Because I'm trying to handle it," I reply quickly. "I'm trying to fix it without dragging you into something worse." 

"Well, guess what, Ivy?" His voice is ice-cold. "You don't get to decide what I can handle. You don't deserve to shut me out to protect me. That's not how this works. Not in a marriage. Not with us." 

My tears spill over, but I refuse to break down fully. "I thought I was doing the right thing." 

"The right thing would have been to tell me the truth," Griffin snaps. "But now? Now I don't even know who you are anymore." 

His words cut deeper than any knife. My breath catches, and for a second, the world tilts on its axis. 

"You don't mean that," I mutter, my voice barely a whisper. 

He turns away, running a hand over his face. "I don't know what I mean anymore. All I know is that there's a wall between us, and it's getting higher by the day. And I'm tired of being on the outside, Ivy." 

"Then break it down," I urge. "Help me. Don't shut me out." 

He turns around to face me, his eyes burning. "I'm not the one shutting you out. You've been building this wall brick by brick, and now you're asking me to fix it? I can't—not until you meet me halfway." 

"I will," I pledge, my heart breaking. "Just give me time. I'll fix this. I swear." 

He watches me for a long minute, his face opaque. Finally, he nods—once. "Time. Fine. But remember this, Ivy—time doesn't fix betrayal. It merely delays the fallout. And if you're not ready to give me the truth soon, someone else will." 

With that, he gets his drink and goes out of the room, leaving me standing in the center of the living room, heartbroken and breathless. 

Later that night, I sat in our dark bedroom, gazing at the shadows on the ceiling. My phone sits next to me, quiet and mocking. I take it up, my fingers trembling as I bring up Marissa's number. 

My thumb hovers above the call button. I could stop this now. I could give her what she wants and make it all go away. But at what cost? 

Suddenly, a new message pops up on my screen. 

Time's almost up. Make your choice, Ivy. 

I drop the phone like it burns me, my heart racing. 

Griffin's words echo in my mind…time doesn't fix treason. 

I'm running out of time. And no matter which choice I make, someone will get hurt. 

I just have to take who.