The Secret We Keep

Judith's hold on the phone tightened.

Brittany Knox.

The woman at the center of it all, she was calling her.

"Brittany," Judith said warily. "Why do I need to stop?"

Silence.

Then a shaky breath.

"Because if you don't, you'll get yourself killed."

A chill ran down Judith's spine.

She forced herself to be calm.

"Who's going to kill me?"

Brittany hesitated.

"You don't understand what you're walking into," she whispered. "They don't play fair, Judith. They don't leave loose ends."

Judith's mind raced.

"Who is 'they'?"

Brittany didn't answer.

Instead, she said, "Meet me. One hour. Greenbridge Park. The east entrance."

Then—click.

The line went dead.

Judith stared at her phone.

Her heartbeat was loud in her ears.

This was it.

It was her chance to get real answers, and she was taking it.

Greenbridge Park – 12:20 PM

Judith pulled up to the park and scoped the area. It was an isolated place.

She stepped out of her car, her posture relaxed. But inside, she was on guard.

She was here to meet a woman who had some kind of involvement with Thomas Chan.

A woman Thomas had warned her to keep away from.

And that meant only one thing—she was trouble.

Judith got to the east entrance, but there was no Brittany to be seen.

Minutes passed by.

She checked her phone. Nothing.

Then she heard a noise.

A woman emerged from behind a line of trees, glancing over her shoulder before stepping forward.

Brittany Knox.

She was beautiful but distraught. In dark jeans and a hoodie, her eyes moved around as if she expected to be watched.

Judith didn't stir as Brittany approached her.

"You actually came," Brittany muttered.

Judith folded her arms.

"You called me," she said. "Now talk."

Brittany exhaled, rubbing her arms.

"You don't understand," she said. "Thomas is dangerous. But he's not the one you should be afraid of."

Judith's stomach tightened.

"Then who?"

Brittany hesitated.

Then, finally, she whispered—

"Travis Walker."

Judith frowned.

"Travis?"

Brittany nodded frantically.

"He's playing you. He's using you to get to Thomas."

Judith shook her head.

"Why?"

Brittany licked her lips.

"Because Travis wants something from Thomas," she said. "Something big. And he's using you to dig it up."

Judith's heart raced.

She had speculated that Travis had an agenda of his own, but this—this was bigger than she had thought.

"What does he want?" she pressed.

Brittany glanced around again, her voice lowering.

"There's a document," she said. "A contract. It's worth more money than you can imagine. If Travis obtains it, Thomas loses everything."

Judith's eyes narrowed.

"And you?" she said. "Where do you fit into all this?"

Brittany's jaw tightened.

"I was with Travis," she admitted. "But I escaped. I thought I was free."

She shook her head.

"But no one escapes him, Judith. No one."

Judith's chest tightened.

She could hear the fear in Brittany's voice.

"What does he want from you?"

Brittany swallowed.

"The same thing he wants from you."

Before Judith could press her further—

A car screeched somewhere nearby.

Brittany's face went white.

"We have to go," she said, pulling on Judith's arm. "Now."

Judith's instincts kicked in.

They turned—too late.

A black SUV was already pulling up hard.

The doors burst open—

Men in black suits got out.

Brittany breathed sharply.

"Run."

But Judith didn't move.

Because one of the men was Thomas Chan, and his eyes were locked on her.

Thomas stepped forward, hands in his pockets - calm, Controlled, and deadly.

"Judith," he said smoothly. "You really don't listen."

Brittany stepped backward.

"I told you, she's not part of this anymore," she said, voice strained.

Thomas didn't pay her any mind.

His attention was solely on Judith.

"Get in the car," he said.

Judith raised her chin.

"Nothing until you tell me what's going on."

Thomas's jaw clenched.

"This isn't a game," he said. "Travis is setting you up, and you're walking straight into it."

Judith stood her ground.

"Then tell me the truth."

Silence.

Then, a sigh.

"Fine."

He gestured towards the car.

"But not here."

Brittany grabbed Judith's arm.

"Don't trust him," she whispered. "You have no idea what he's capable of."

Judith's stomach knotted.

She didn't trust either of them, but she needed answers, and Thomas was the only one willing to give them.

She turned to Brittany.

"I'll be fine."

Then, before she could second-guess herself, she got in the car.

The car was silent as they drove.

Thomas sat beside her, unreadable, and then Judith finally spoke.

"What's in the contract, Thomas?"

He didn't answer right away.

"Ownership," he said. "Of something worth more than money."

Judith's frown intensified.

"Be specific."

Thomas sighed.

"A controlling interest in a private security empire," he said. "An empire Travis wants for himself."

Judith's heart was racing.

"And you have it?"

Thomas's lips moved slightly.

"For now."

Judith just stared at him.

If Thomas lost control of that contract, it wouldn't be about money.

It would be about power, and people like Thomas and Travis didn't just give up power.

They fought for it. They killed for it.

Judith inhaled sharply.

"So that's why Travis is using me?"

Thomas nodded.

"He knows you're relentless," he said. "And he's betting that you'll dig up exactly what he needs."

Judith's hands clenched.

She hated being used.

"And Brittany?" she asked.

Thomas's expression darkened.

"She knows too much."

That sent a shiver down Judith's spine.

"So what now?"

Thomas's gaze pinned hers.

"Now?" he breathed. "Now, you have to choose which side you're on."

Judith's throat was parched.

There was no escape.

She had been pulled into a war, and whether she liked it or not—she had just become a target.