---

Chapter Seventeen – Secrets, Setups, and an Apology That Hurts

The silence after a fight is the loudest kind.

Malik hadn’t heard from Tina in four days.

No texts. No calls. No cryptic tweets.

And the worst part?

He missed her.

Even more confusing? He missed working with her. The rush, the thrill, the way her brain could light a room brighter than her designer shoes ever did.

Now she was gone.

---

Dani Intervenes

“You screwed up,” Dani said bluntly, sitting across from Malik at a tiny coffee shop that sold $8 oat milk lattes.

Malik stirred his drink, eyes bloodshot. “Gee, thanks.”

“I’m not here to comfort you. I’m here because Tina won’t say it, but she’s wrecked. And when Tina’s wrecked, the world feels it.”

Malik looked up. “What do you want me to do? Quit and grovel?”

“I want you to think,” Dani said. “You’re not the villain here. But you’re also not innocent. You were the one person she trusted after Jonathan. And now you’re the one hurting her the same way.”

He sighed. “I didn’t sell her out.”

“No. But you walked into a trap and didn’t tell her.”

Dani pushed a small envelope across the table.

“What’s this?”

“An invitation. Vortex is hosting a black-tie fundraiser next weekend. Victoria will be there. So will Petra. And the mole inside RoweTech.”

Malik’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you saying?”

Dani smirked. “I’m saying: crash the party. Be a problem.”

---

Tina’s Spiral

In her penthouse, Tina was trying to distract herself with meetings, markets, mergers — the usual billionaire buffet.

But none of it was sticking.

Her thoughts kept circling back to Malik.

The way he had looked at her when he said “No.”

The way she had panicked and pushed too hard, too fast.

Was she becoming like the people she hated? Possessive. Controlling. Cold?

She didn’t want that.

Not with him.

---

The Setup

Saturday night came fast.

The Vortex event was held at the Museum of Modern Art — all glass walls and towering egos.

Victoria wore a blood-red gown and walked like a woman who owned the night.

Malik, in a borrowed tuxedo and borrowed courage, stepped inside with Dani’s words echoing in his head.

Be a problem.

He spotted Petra first, laughing with a cluster of board members.

Then he saw Victoria across the room, sipping champagne and glaring directly at him.

The nerve.

The audacity.

He moved fast.

---

The Confrontation

Petra saw him too late.

“Malik! You look—”

“Spare me,” he said, pulling her aside. “I know who signs your checks. I know this whole job was a setup. And now I know who you’re working for.”

Petra smirked. “Big accusations.”

“I don’t need proof,” Malik said, voice low. “I need a moment with Victoria.”

She laughed. “You’ll need a miracle.”

“Or just one viral moment.”

He yanked his phone out and snapped a selfie with her mid-smirk, then stepped into the spotlight.

---

Mic Drop

The room went quiet as Malik clinked a spoon against a champagne glass.

“Hi,” he said. “I’m Malik Carter. You may know me as ‘the broke guy who dated Tina Rowe.’ Or ‘the guy in the memes.’ Or maybe you’ve read some headlines.”

A few nervous chuckles.

“Well, tonight, I just wanted to say something real: When powerful people get scared, they do two things — they lie, and they spy. And Vortex Capital has been doing both.”

Gasps.

Petra froze.

Victoria’s smile dropped.

“You hired me to get close to Tina,” Malik continued, “but joke’s on you. I actually fell for her.”

More gasps.

“Yeah, I’m broke. Yeah, she’s scary rich. But she’s also the best person I’ve ever known. And if she never speaks to me again, at least she’ll know this: I was on her side the whole time.”

He dropped the mic — metaphorically — and walked straight out of the museum, heart pounding in his ears.

---

Back at RoweTech

Tina was in sweats, watching Shark Tank, and avoiding the world.

Then her phone exploded.

First Dani.

Then the media team.

Then three missed calls from Malik.

She groaned.

Checked Instagram.

There it was — the video. Posted by someone at the event.

Malik. Microphone. Confession. Fire.

Her eyes welled up.

She hated feelings.

She especially hated these feelings.

But she couldn’t stop smiling.

---

An Apology That Hurts

She called him.

He answered on the first ring.

“I saw it,” she said.

“Hey,” he breathed.

“Malik…”

“I know. I was dumb.”

“You were. But you were also brave.”

Pause.

“You were right about one thing,” she said. “It was never fake.”

He swallowed.

“Are we good?”

Tina took a deep breath.

“No,” she said. “Not yet. But we’re better than we were yesterday.”

He smiled. “I’ll take it.”

She added, “Next time you want to go viral, at least tag me.”

---

End of Chapter Seventeen.