The question lingered long after the call ended. Adrian had always believed those two goals could align. Now he wasn’t so sure. The betrayal did not remain private. Three days before the vote, major news outlets published excerpts from the same leaked emails, but with a twist. The narrative suggested Adrian had been aware of the negotiations all along. Headlines implied hypocrisy. Pundits questioned his integrity.
In a tense press conference, a reporter asked directly, “Senator Whitmore, did you authorize Congressman Reeves to negotiate concessions with industry lobbyists?” Adrian felt the weight of cameras pressing into him. “No,” he answered firmly. “I did not.”
Daniel stood just feet away, expression carefully neutral. Later that evening, Adrian confronted him in a private Capitol corridor. “Did you leak this?” he demanded.
Daniel’s jaw tightened. “I protected myself. They were going to drag us both down.”
“So you let them believe I was complicit?”
“I didn’t correct them,” Daniel replied quietly. “There’s a difference.”
Adrian stared at him in disbelief. “You stood in my office ten years ago and said we would do this differently. Do you remember that?”
Daniel’s voice lowered. “I remember being younger.”
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