tangled destinies
Chapter 1: The Fractious Competitors
In the teeming city of Altheria, Lena Drake and Gabriel Cross are synonymous with opposition. Lena is a brilliant and determined investigating reporter while Gabriel is a wealthy and gratifying CEO with a reputation for uncempt and brutal business dealings. Their competition is legendary, embellished with a series of fist confrontations and their mutual hatred of one another.
Chapter 2: An Unexpected Partnership
One day, Lena uncovers a major story that would be the demise of Gabriel’s empire. Just about to release the story, Gabriel comes knocking on her office door uninvited with an unexpected proposal: they must work together to investigate the deeper conspiracy behind the threats that have brought both of them together. Lena agrees, albeit reluctantly. Much to her surprise, Gabriel has been getting anonymous threats regarding the issue Lena is investigating.
Chapter 3: The Shadows of Betrayal
As Lena and Gabriel immerse themselves into the investigation, they uncover a web of deceit and eventually land back on the impression that somebody close to Gabriel is behind the threats. The deeper they go, the more evidence they uncover showing they are being manipulated and set up by their enemies. Lena finds herself in conflict wrestling with previously formed assumptions regarding Gabriel’s strength, and Gabriel, in turn, finds a growing respect for Lena’s tenacity and intellect. They start to respect one another, but carefully.
Chapter 4: The Hidden Connection
At some point during their investigation, Lena discovers that Gabriel’s late father was in fact having an affair with Lena’s mother years ago while it was all covered up. This new information creates personal conflict for Lena. Lena’s mother was always a strong woman, but always weak in a man’s stead. Lena felt conflicted in her own motivations in facing her mother’s type of darkness, feeling betrayed again.
Chapter 5: The Unlikely Confession
Before their partnership feels too complicated, Lena and Gabriel face another on their life. One night, after narrowing escaping from an ambush and taking comfort in each other's arms. Gabriel confesses that his father's actions were something he has been trying to make amends for. Lena, willing to overlook her emotions, begins to reimagine how she perceives Gabriel; yet she is still torn between her emotions and her desire for justice.
Chapter 6: The Final Deception.
Lena's and Gabriel's investigation climaxes when they discover the conspiracy involved a high ranking official within the government, who exposed Gabriel's company as cover for illegal activities. In an ironic twist, it was uncovered that Lena's mother was an unwilling accomplice in the cover-up. This shattered Lena overwhelmingly and Gabriel demonstrated he was a man of substance when he stood in solidarity with Lena.
Chapter 7: The Point.