5 MINTUES BEFORE LEAK

~~~Sydney POV~~~

"Please can I have a dance with you?" he gave me his hand. I looked me and I gave him a nervous smile.

I allowed him to lead me into a cloud of softness and comfort.

Dwayn slowly put his hands on my waist. " You did a pretty wonderful job with the gala. This place looks luxurious. " He looked around the room as if searching for lost pieces.

"Yeah it's stunning, it came out exactly. The way I wanted it." I giggled back

"Not as stunning as you." Dwayne said with a genuine smile.

His words tugged at my heart "Thank you. You look handsome too"

I held my hands behind his neck. As we rocked back and forth on the floor

Dwayne kept looking at me intensely. So I put my head on his shoulder.

He mumbled." Well, I am quite interested in seeing, how our story might play out. We could end up being the best of friends."

I let the words escape my mind " or the worst of rivals."

He got quiet and stop moving. But he just pulled me closer.

"Where's Branson?" There was a tint of confusion in his voice. I pulled away to look at him in the face

I giggled and stated, "Not here." He just shook his head, and he looked past me and froze. Then looked at me

"If you say so." He said in a matter of fact tone of voice.

My phone buzzed. Dwayne's phone buzzed too. And everyone else's phone went off too.

So, I immediately checked my phone. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, as though the air itself had been stolen from them.

My mouth fell to the floor. The ground ripped open, and I fell in.

"What is this? I got to find my father. Bye Sydney." He gave me a side hug.

I immediately made my way to Violet.

"Confidential Hospital Debt Exposed." I told her as calmly as bulldozer removes homes.

"I'm sorry.." Violet mumbles I could tell, she had no idea how bad this was. She was busy in his arms, she was a flame dancing in the wind .

"I need to find my dad." I screeched. I didn't even care to listen anymore. Then I saw ....him

"Follow me Leo. So, you can detect where these documents leaked from....Detective?" I bombed on him

Before he could say another word, I grabbed his hand. And pull him through the sea of people. Then I saw my dad surrounded by a bunch of men.

He had a glass of whiskey in his hand. And ran his hand through his hair

"Good you're here." My dad nodded towards Leo. "Track these stupid leaked documents and find out if their true!" My dad yelled ordered Leo

"And darling, go find your mom outside. The butler will drive you home." Without a second glance he went back to chatting with the men.

"Okay." I mumbled. I started to make my way to the limo.

The butler opened the door. As soon as I opened the door. I immediately heard my mom going off on the phone. I reached for my phone to text Ben. Cause I needed clarity on another situation with him.

I can't believe you stole the phone from station.-ME

I don't know what you talking about. I took it from his house never went to a station --Ben

Then realization hit me. It clicked like heels on the floor

I thought Candy left had a phone on her. So Fortune Teller stole and planted, the phone in Branson's house.

Wow this person is really sneaky..

My phone buzzed,

Thanks for doing your part. For helping to expose those documents- Fortune Teller

I hope your dad knows he is not off the hook-Fortune Teller

Wait, is it my fault? When I plugged the USB in the computer. I sucked in my breath.

It's my fault. If this deal doesn't pull through.

I walked towards the limo. And sat down. The guilt started to run through my body. Then my phone buzzed again.

There is a red thick file under your. Dad's shelve in his office-Fortune Teller GET IT. AND TEXT ME WHEN YOU HAVE IT- Fortune Teller

I sucked in my breath.

"Darling, do we need to stop the car. You look sick?" My mom looked at me.

I just shook my head. The guilt was a shadow, always following me

"I know about the leaked documents," she said, her voice calm yet firm. "It's not a good look for the family name, and your dad's rather stressed." She took my hands in hers, her touch warm and steady. "But we'll get through this, darling. We shall get through this."

The guilt gnawed at me, refusing to be ignored. Screaming to be heard. I put my head on my mom's shoulders.

---

The night was a canvas of inky black, punctuated by the silvery gleam of a crescent moon and a smattering of stars, twinkling like distant fires in the sky.

The cold was biting, a sharp, unforgiving presence that seemed to seep into every corner of the night, wrapping the world in a frigid embrace.

I got out of the car and there was Branson, sitting in front of the doorway. My mom greeted Branson, He flashed her a beautiful smile.

My mom walked in the door. I leaned in to give him a kiss. He dodged it

I tucked my hair behind my ear "Umm.. what was that?" My mom walked out the room.

" I just came here, to break up with you." Branson crossed his arms.

I heard a head a straight dingggggggg sound in my head.

I blinked my eyes rapidly to hold back my tears. "What?"

He just shrugged his shoulders. He had storms in his eyes "you heard me. I can't deal with you any longer"

I could feel tears run down my tear "again what?"

Branson shoved his hands deep into his pockets, his voice strained. "I told you not to pay those hospital bills for candy." He exhaled, frustration lacing his breath. "Not only did you ignore me... but you didn't even tell me yourself." He turned away, his back now facing the hurt he couldn't hide.

I jumped in front of him, so he could see me. I raised my eyebrows at him. "You breaking up with me for helping you? That's so childish." My voice broke at the end.

"No," he snapped, his voice tight with frustration. "I'm here because you minimize my feelings." He stood taller, his posture rigid with fury, every word heavy. "I'm the only one who's ever protected my sister. And you—" His breath caught as the anger twisted into something darker. "You took that from me. Now... now all I can do is look at her lifeless body and wait."

I staggered towards him, I grabbed his arm. "Look I know I might have overstepped. Your boundaries, but I just can't stand by watching you suffer." I kept tucking on his arm. "When I have the means. I need you. I deeply care about you. How am I going to cope without you?" He pulled his arm away from me

He pulled his brows together, his voice deep and stern "See"

I looked around " see what?" I shot back confused

He narrowed his eyes at me "I,I, I I that entire sentence...... You don't care about no one, but yourself."

I pulled my face back, like I'd just bitten into a lemon. "Because I said I..." My voice wavered, breaking with the weight of it. "A couple of times?" I took a shaky breath, trying to hold it together. "I helped pay for your bills. How is that selfish?"

His jaw clenched and he slowly shook his head. "I think I need space from you. My life is becoming very overwhelming between football, school and my sister. I don't think I can handle this all."

My breath quickened, every word struggling to escape. "You can't leave me, Branson," I pleaded, my voice trembling. "I care about you so much... deeply. No one gets me like you do." I took a shaky breath, my chest tight with the weight of it. "You can't just let us go. I've been through so much... so much I can't even tell you about."

I blinked back tears, my heart pounding. "I feel safe in your arms. A lot has changed... but you, Violet, and my dad... you're the only things that stay constant."

I was begging, like a wounded soldier desperate for mercy, clinging to whatever I could.

Branson frowned, his expression hardening. "Look, don't think I don't love you," he said, his voice quieter now, tinged with sadness. "But I'm... just done." He paused, letting the silence settle before continuing, "One day, maybe... we might rekindle what we had. But a while ago, you said you felt like we were having the same argument over and over." He took a breath, his tone sharper now. "Well, I'm here to tell you... I'm here to break the chain."

I wiped a tear away. That was running down my cheek. "Please don't tell me is over?" This is the worst cut I have ever experienced, because I was being cut by my lover's sword

Branson walked up, to me and gave me a lingering kiss on the LIPS. "Bye" Then he started to walk away.

I started to chase after him. My struggling stiletto got stuck in the grass." If you walk off this grass. I'll be done with don't try me." I yell at him

He didn't even turn around and walked off

I was fuming I was mad. I PULLED MY PHONE OUT. And I started dialing. The person immediately picked up.

"HE-Hey, what's up." They said on the other side.

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