Sam’s POV

Everyone thought I was just an ordinary personal assistant to Jeff Anderson, a diligent employee who faded into the background, always professional and eager to please.

That’s how it was supposed to look but the truth was, I wasn’t just a PA. My job went far beyond booking meetings and running errands.

I was a spy.

When Matthew Newman adopted me, I thought my life was finally turning around.

As a foster kid bouncing from home to home, I didn’t know what stability looked like until he arrived, he gave me a home, opportunities, and the kind of support I’d never had before.

For a while, I believed I’d been saved but it didn’t take long for me to realize Matthew wasn’t looking for a son, he was looking for a weapon.

Matthew Newman hated the Anderson family, they weren’t just rivals to him, they were his obsession. He blamed them for everything that had gone wrong in his life, from the collapse of his business to the death of his wife. His hatred was like a storm, and I was swept up in it.

“You’re my secret weapon Sam,” Matthew said one night when I was sixteen, his tone as cold as the whiskey glass he held, “Jeff Anderson doesn’t even know you exist, but one day, you’ll be the reason his world crumbles.”

He fed me story after story about the Anderson, how ruthless they were, how corrupt their empire was, how they’d destroyed countless lives in their pursuit of power.

I was young and angry, and I believed him, when the time came, I was more than willing to do whatever he asked.

When I turned twenty-one, Matthew set his plan in motion, “It’s time,” he said, handing me a forged résumé so polished it practically gleamed, “Apply for a position at Anderson Industries. Make them trust you. Get inside, and then we’ll dismantle them from the inside out.”

“You think they’ll hire me?” I asked, doubt creeping in.

“They’ll hire you,” Matthew said with a smirk, “You’re everything they want, smart, resourceful, ambitious. Jeff Anderson won’t see it coming.”

He was right, Jeff barely glanced at my credentials before offering me the job. To him, I was just another eager young employee, desperate to make a name for himself. It was exactly what Matthew wanted.

For years, I played my role perfectly.

I was the model employee, loyal, dependable, and completely unremarkable. I spent my days shadowing Jeff, learning his routines, gaining access to his files, and uncovering the secrets of Anderson Industries.

I passed everything I found back to Matthew, who used the information to sabotage the company in ways no one could trace.

But then, I met Emma.

Emma was just another worker in the office back then, quiet and unassuming. At first, I didn’t pay much attention to her, but over time, I started noticing the little things.

The way she stayed late to finish work no one else wanted to do, the way she always greeted people with a smile even when she was clearly exhausted, the way her eyes held a sadness she tried to hide.

“She’s nobody,” Matthew said dismissively when I mentioned her once, “Focus on the mission.”

But I couldn’t stop thinking about her, there was something about Emma that drew me in, something that made me want to know her, to protect her.

At first, I told myself I was just being friendly, that getting close to her would help me get closer to Jeff but the more time I spent with her, the more I realized it wasn’t a tactic, it was real.

One night, after a particularly grueling workday, I found Emma sitting alone in the break room, staring at her phone with a distant look in her eyes.

“Long day?” I asked, sitting across from her.

She startled slightly, then offered me a tired smile, “Aren’t they all?”

We started talking, and for the first time, I saw the woman behind the quiet demeanor. She was funny, intelligent, and surprisingly sharp. I found myself hanging on her every word, wanting to know more about her.

“You’re easy to talk to,” she said softly, her eyes meeting mine, “I don’t know why, but I feel like I can trust you.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut.

Trust?

If only she knew the truth, but instead of pulling away, I leaned in closer. I wanted to be the person she could trust, even if I didn’t deserve it.

Before I knew it, I was in love with her and for the first time, I started questioning everything Matthew had taught me.

“You’re losing focus,” Matthew said sharply one day when I missed a scheduled check-in, “Remember why you’re there Sam, Emma’s a distraction, nothing more.”

“She’s not a distraction.” I snapped.

Matthew’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t tell me you’re getting soft. We’re this close to bringing the Andersons down, and I won’t let you ruin everything because of some girl.”

But it was too late, I wasn’t just thinking about Emma, I was thinking about a future with her, a future where I wasn’t Matthew’s pawn anymore.

When Emma told me she was pregnant, my priorities shifted completely.

“I’m going to be a father.” I told Matthew, my voice shaking with a mix of fear and excitement.

Matthew’s expression darkened, “This isn’t a game Sam. You’re in too deep to walk away now.”

“I don’t care,” I said, “I’m done.”

But Matthew wasn’t about to let me go so easily, “If you think I’m going to let you throw everything away, you’re delusional,” he said coldly, “And if you even think about running, I’ll make sure Emma and that baby of yours pay the price.”

I froze, the blood draining from my face, “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.” He said with a sinister smile.

I knew he meant it. Matthew was ruthless, and he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Emma if it meant keeping me in line. I didn’t have a choice. To protect her, I had to leave.

The day I walked away from Emma was the hardest day of my life. I didn’t say goodbye. I couldn’t.

Instead, I just left, I disappeared without a trace, leaving her to think I wasn’t ready for the responsibility of a family. It was a lie, but I hoped it would push her to move on and keep her safe.

For three years, I stayed away.

I built a new life, far from Matthew’s reach. When I heard he’d died, it should have felt like freedom but all I felt was regret, regret for the life I’d lost, for the family I’d abandoned.

Taking over Matthew’s company was a necessary evil. I didn’t want it, but it was the only way to ensure his legacy of hatred died with him but as I rebuilt the business into something legitimate, one thought consumed me, Emma.

I started searching for her, desperate to know how she was doing. When I found her, I discovered that she was married to Jeff all those times but they had divorced around the time I left too and she left New York but she was back and was living with Jeff Anderson for some reason.

I wondered why they were living together when they were divorced and I also found out she was the mother of two children, my kids, she had given birth to twins, that was when I knew I had to see her, even if she slammed the door in my face.

And now, here I was, standing in her office, trying to explain the unexplainable.

“Emma,” I said, my voice thick with emotion, “Please, just hear me out.”

Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her expression a mix of anger and pain, “You don’t get to just walk back into my life and ask me to listen Sam. Not after everything.”

“I know,” I said, “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness but I need you to understand why I did what I did.”

“Why?” She snapped, her voice trembling, “Because you were scared? Because it was easier to leave than to face the truth?”

“No,” I said firmly, “Because I was protecting you.”

She scoffed, shaking her head, “Protecting me? By abandoning me? Do you have any idea what that did to me? To my children?”

My chest tightened, “Emma, I had no choice. Matthew threatened to hurt you, to hurt both of you, I couldn’t take that risk.”

“So you just ran?” she said bitterly, “You left me to deal with everything on my own.”

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” I said, my voice breaking, “I thought you’d be safer without me.”

Tears filled her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away, “You don’t get to make that decision for me Sam. You don’t get to walk away and then come back like nothing happened.”

“I’m not asking you to forget what I did.” I said, “I’m just asking for a chance to make it right.”

She looked at me, her expression softening slightly before it went rigid again, “I'm sorry, it's already too late.” 

And with that, she rushed out of the conference room leaving me there all alone.