20 The Fallout and Final Break

20  The Fallout and Final Break Alex sat at his desk, his mind a whirlwind of frustration and disbelief. Bella's scandal was spiraling out of control, defying his initial belief that money and influence could easily quell it. The public outcry was growing fiercer, and his own investigations reluctantly led him to accept the accusations' authenticity. He found himself repeatedly on the verge of confronting Bella for answers, but each time, memories of their shared past held him back, leaving him conflicted and hesitant. In the midst of his turmoil, an anonymous email notification caught his attention. Opening it, he was confronted with an exhaustive timeline of the screenplay theft scandal and subsequent events, all meticulously detailed and irrefutable. The information was incriminating and clearly meant for his eyes only. With a sense of resignation, Alex called Bella, his tone devoid of the warmth it once held. Her feigned ignorance only fueled his irritation. "I'