My Cruel Love..
(Just moments ago, Arman's voice had shaken the room—'Who moved the file?' And now, everyone stood frozen.")
Revenge had already been served. But now, the real tension began…
The always-smiling, light-hearted Abir suddenly spoke in a voice that cut through the air—deep, serious, and calm.
The entire conference room froze.
"You all know how important this deal was for us," he began.
"For an entire week, our design team—especially our designers—worked tirelessly, day and night, perfecting every detail of that final file. And now, just before presenting it... it's missing. The file we kept in our Head Designer Maya's cabin has vanished."
Abir's eyes hardened, his words like sharpened blades.
"Last night, Miss Maya and Miss Tanisha personally double-checked everything and locked the cabin. They were sure the file was safe.
But today, when we opened it for the presentation—it was empty. Blank sheets. The cover looked exactly the same. Which means—someone deliberately swapped the original file with a fake one.
And let's be clear: an outsider couldn't have done this. Only someone from within."
A heavy silence.
Then Abir's voice rang out again, this time a calm but chilling warning—
"So, whoever did this... you still have a chance. Step forward now, and maybe—maybe—you'll get some mercy. But if we have to find you ourselves... the consequences will be severe. We don't compromise with betrayal."
No one had ever seen this side of Abir.
An eerie stillness settled over the room. Whispers echoed:
"Who could it be?"
"Why would anyone do this?"
"This deal meant everything to all of us..."
Everyone felt the same fear.
They all knew how terrifying Arman's anger could be—especially in a crisis like this.
An entire week of relentless work... sleepless nights, pressure, and hope—just to win this deal.
And just when it all seemed to fall apart—Maya stepped in.
Yes.
Thanks to Maya's foresight, the team was saved.
She had kept a hidden backup copy—an exact replica of the original designs in a separate file.
At the last moment, she produced it.
And they won the deal.
But there was no joy.
No smiles.
Only shock.
Only one question:
"Someone inside betrayed us."
Maya stood still.
The whispers around the room felt like blades piercing her skin.
Though everyone else focused on the incident, inside Maya, another war was raging.
She was the calm one.
The perfectionist.
The one who always believed in the team.
But right now—she felt only one thing:
Betrayal.
She had trusted every single person here.
Shared every little joy of creation.
And now someone from this very team had stabbed them from behind.
She looked around.
Colleagues avoided eye contact, murmuring in fear.
Everyone looked innocent.
Everyone looked guilty.
A heavy silence settled in her chest.
Her own team—her second home—suddenly felt distant.
But Maya knew—this was not the time to break down.
She had to stay composed. Think. Act.
Because if the traitor stayed hidden, they could destroy everything.
She looked up, her voice calm—but her words hit like a hammer:
"We've all been through a tough week.
We worked together, sleepless and stressed, to make this happen. Because we're a team."
Her gaze swept across the room. Then she said:
"But what happened today wasn't a mistake.
It was a calculated attack.
No outsider did this.
Someone among us did.
And they didn't just steal a file.
They stole our trust."
Her tone sharpened. She didn't name anyone, but everyone felt the words were directed at them.
"You know who you are.
You did this on purpose.
I don't know if your target was me, the team, or the whole company.
But in doing this—you didn't just hurt others.
You ignored your own effort too.
Maybe you forgot: when trust breaks, it never comes back the same."
A pause.
Then Maya added, her voice firm:
"If you still have a shred of courage—come forward.
We all make mistakes.
But not everyone has the strength to admit them.
You still have time.
Because one thing's certain—truth never stays hidden.
It will come out.
And when it does, we'll see both your face—and your true colors."
The entire room went still.
Everyone now faced the same question:
"Could it be me they're suspecting?"
"Does Maya already know?"
And in one heart—the heart of the guilty—those words echoed with dread:
"She knows... she must know something."
To be continued...