Fifth

A few days later, as Alex was leaving work, she received a call from an unknown number. She hesitated for a moment, but then decided to answer.

"Hello?" she said.

"Is this Alex Andrea?" a woman's voice asked.

"Yes, it is. Who is this?"

"My name is Jennifer, and I'm calling from Michael Bourn's office," the woman replied. "I need to speak with you about a confidential matter. Can we meet in person?"

Alex felt a knot form in her stomach as she listened to Jennifer's words. She wondered what this could be about, and why it had to be kept secret.

"Um, sure," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "When and where?"

"How about tomorrow morning, at 10 AM? We can meet at the Bourn Corporation building."

Alex hesitated, but then nodded. "Okay, I'll be there."

As she hung up the phone, Alex felt a sense of dread creeping over her. She didn't know what Jennifer wanted to talk about, but she knew that it couldn't be good.

The next morning, Alex arrived at the Bourn Corporation building and was escorted to a small conference room. Jennifer was waiting for her, looking serious and professional.

"Alex, thank you for coming," she said, gesturing for her to take a seat. "I'm here to talk to you about something that is of utmost importance to Mr. Bourn."

Alex nodded, feeling a sense of unease.

"As you know, Mr. Bourn is a very private person," Jennifer continued. "He values his reputation and his family's legacy more than anything. And that's why it's imperative that we keep his personal life out of the public eye."

Alex wasn't sure where this was going, but she had a bad feeling about it.

"Unfortunately, there have been rumors circulating about Mr. Bourn's personal life," Jennifer said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And we need your help to put a stop to them."

Alex's heart sank as she realized what Jennifer was implying. She wondered if Michael had told her about their fake engagement, and if she was about to be exposed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

Jennifer gave her a stern look. "Ms. Andrea, we know about your relationship with Mr. Bourn. And we know that you're not actually engaged."

Alex felt a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. She wondered how they had found out, and what the consequences would be.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We want you to sign a nondisclosure agreement," Jennifer said. "We want you to promise that you will never speak about your relationship with Mr. Bourn to anyone. If you refuse, we will be forced to take legal action."

Alex felt like she was in a nightmare. She didn't know how to respond, or what to do. She wondered if she had made a huge mistake by getting involved with Michael, and if it was too late to turn back.

As she sat there, staring at Jennifer's steely expression, Alex knew that her life was about to change in ways she never could have anticipated.