Chapter 18

Eighteen

Mia

I slipped out of my cabin, the cold air biting at my skin as I pulled my jacket tighter around me. The sky was still dark, the stars barely visible through the trees, and the only sound was my footfalls on the dirt path. My heart was pounding—more from nerves than the brisk walk to the park office.

This was stupid. Reckless, even. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was onto something. I just needed access to the secure system to dig deeper into the files I found last night. The thought of using the park's resources for this—something completely unrelated to my job—made me nauseous. If anyone found out, I could kiss my career goodbye.

I reached the office and fumbled with the keys, hands trembling slightly from both the cold and the adrenaline surging through my veins. The door clicked open, and I slipped inside, closing it behind me as quietly as possible. The park was dead silent, and the stillness made me second-guess this whole thing. But I'd already made it this far.

Once I was inside, I hurried to the computer in the corner and logged into the park's secure network used for law enforcement issues, background checks, and so much more. The office felt almost too quiet, the hum of the computer the only sound breaking the silence. I drummed my fingers on the desk, glancing toward the window every few seconds, half expecting someone to catch me at any time.

As the system slowly loaded, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves as I used the back door of the server to access the files hidden on the internet. If I got caught doing this, I could lose everything. But I had to know what was going on. I had to figure out what I'd stumbled upon last night.

The screen flickered to life, and I quickly navigated to the section I needed. The system was frustratingly slow; every second felt like it was dragging on forever. I was hyper-aware of the risk I was taking. My eyes kept darting toward the door, convinced someone would walk in and catch me red-handed. I wasn't even supposed to be here at this hour, let alone digging into sensitive financial data.

Once I finally accessed the files, I scrolled through the Riverstone Hospital and Golden Rock Consulting transactions. On the surface, everything looked normal—routine payments for consulting services. But as I started to dig deeper, I noticed something odd. The payments were far larger than they should've been, especially considering the minimal work Golden Rock supposedly provided under the Edgewater contract.

My heart raced as I clicked through more records, cross-referencing the dates with the project logs. There was almost no detail on the work Golden Rock was supposed to be doing for Riverstone. In fact, half of the projects listed were incomplete or delayed, yet they'd been paid as if everything was on schedule. That didn't make sense.

I leaned closer to the screen, frowning as I pulled up some of the email communications. Derek's name came up in a few threads, which wasn't surprising, considering Riverstone Children's Hospital worked closely with Edgewater. But something about how his name was mentioned didn't sit right with me. The language in the emails felt too casual as if he knew more than he was letting on. And why was Golden Rock getting so much money for barely doing anything?

The more I dug, the more suspicious it all seemed. But I wasn't a financial expert—I didn't understand half of the jargon they were using, and I had no idea how deep this went. What I did know was that something was off. Something was very wrong here, and Derek was somehow involved. But I couldn't piece it together on my own. I needed Liam's help to make sense of this.

I grabbed my phone, my fingers hovering over his contact. I needed to talk to him—now. I dialed his number and held my breath, waiting as it rang once, then twice. But it went straight to voicemail. I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring at the time on the screen.

Of course. It was only 4:30 in the morning in Dallas. He wasn't even awake yet.

I almost left a message but hesitated. What would I even say? "Hey, I think I've uncovered something huge in your company's files, and I might be putting my job on the line. Call me back." That didn't exactly feel right. Instead, I sent him a text:

MIA: Please contact me ASAP. I definitely found something unusual in the files you gave me to review. It's big, but I need your help to understand it. I miss you!!

What if he didn't respond right away? Or worse, what if this wasn't as big of a deal as I thought? I was no expert, after all. I could be misreading the entire situation, jumping to conclusions because I didn't have the full picture. But everything in my gut told me there was something deeply wrong here, and I couldn't just let it go.

The office felt colder than it had before. I stood up, rubbing my arms to warm them, and glanced out the window. The sky was starting to lighten ever so slightly, but it was still far too early for anyone else to be around. For a brief moment, I considered going back to my cabin and forgetting I'd ever seen those files. Let Liam handle it. Let someone else figure out what was going on.

But I knew I couldn't. I was already too deep into this, and even though the idea of turning a blind eye was tempting, I couldn't shake the feeling that if I didn't act now, I'd regret it.

I grabbed my phone again, hoping—ridiculously—that maybe Liam had already texted back. But the screen remained dark, my message hanging in the ether somewhere, waiting for him to wake up.

I slipped out of the park office, the first hints of dawn breaking over the horizon. The sky was still deep indigo, and the cool air felt sharper now, as if the chill had seeped into my bones. I pulled my jacket tighter around me, keeping my head down as I hurried back to my cabin. The park was still empty, but it wouldn't be for long. Soon, staff and volunteers would start arriving, and the last thing I needed was to be seen sneaking around this early.

My hurried footfalls on the path sounded staccato, amplifying my vulnerability as my cabin came into view. I glanced over my shoulder more than once, though I didn't know who or what I expected to see. The stillness of the park had always been comforting, but now it felt oppressive, like the trees themselves were watching me. I shook off the paranoia, forcing myself to walk faster.

When I finally reached the safety of my cabin, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, releasing a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The familiar, cozy surroundings did little to calm my pounding heart. The fear that had been creeping at the edges of my mind suddenly hit me all at once. What had I done?

My pulse raced as I replayed the morning in my head. I'd accessed confidential information using the park's secure system—something completely unrelated to my job. If anyone found out, I'd be fired. No questions asked. I hadn't just crossed a line—I'd obliterated it. And now, the weight of that risk was settling on me, making it hard to breathe.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my hands shaking slightly as I ran them through my hair. How could I have been so reckless? I'd let my curiosity—and my connection to Liam—push me into something dangerous, and now I was left with the crushing reality of what I'd done.

And then, the thought struck me like a punch to the gut: Had I even logged out?

I jumped up, my heart hammering in my chest. The last few minutes in the office had been a blur, my mind racing with the discoveries I'd made. Had I been so distracted that I'd forgotten to log out of the system properly? If anyone checked the server logs, they'd see everything. The files I accessed, the unauthorized use—it would all be there, waiting for someone to notice.

My chest squeezed the breath out of me. I couldn't go back now. It was too late. People would be arriving soon, and if I showed up again at this hour, it would raise more suspicion than I could handle.

I paced the length of my small cabin, trying to think of a way out of this mess. Maybe no one would notice. Maybe the park's IT system wasn't monitored as closely as I feared. But then again, maybe I was already on borrowed time. It wasn't just my career on the line anymore—it was everything.

I leaned against the window, watching as the light outside grew brighter. The park would be waking up soon, but all I wanted to do was crawl under a blanket and hide. But even as the fear of being caught gnawed at me, another, darker thought wormed its way into my mind.

What if I'd just uncovered something that implicated Liam?

The thought sent a chill down my spine. I didn't want to believe it—not for a second. Liam had always seemed so upfront with me, so genuine, despite the secrets he'd been keeping about his wealth. But now, after what I'd found in the files, doubt was starting to creep in, spreading like a poison through my thoughts.

I walked away from the window and dropped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. My mind replayed everything over and over—the strange emails, the inflated payments, Derek's involvement. There was a part of me that hoped Liam was just as in the dark as I was, that he had no idea what was happening within his own company. But another part of me, the part that had been hurt before, whispered that maybe he knew more than he let on.

What if he's known all along?

I sat up, shaking my head, trying to push the thought away. It didn't make sense. Liam had been open with me, at least as much as he could be under the circumstances. He'd trusted me enough to give me access to the files, to let me in on what was happening. If he was involved in something shady, why would he bring me into it? Why risk exposing himself?

But still, the doubt lingered. I couldn't ignore the facts. There was something deeply wrong with what I'd uncovered, and Liam was at the center of it—whether he wanted to be or not. Maybe he'd been blindsided by Derek. Maybe he was trying to clean up the mess. But I had no way of knowing for sure. And until I talked to him, I was stuck in this horrible limbo, unsure of what to believe.

I reached for my phone again, staring at the screen, willing a reply from Liam to appear. But nothing. My message from earlier still hung there, unanswered.

My fingers hovered over the screen, debating whether to send him another text. Something shorter this time. Less desperate. But what would that accomplish? If Liam was up to something, no amount of pleading from me was going to change it. If he wasn't... well, then I'd feel like an idiot for panicking.

I tossed the phone onto the bed, running my hands through my hair, frustration bubbling up inside me. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why couldn't things just be simple for once?

Despite everything, despite the secrets and the complications, I had started to let my guard down with him. And now this—this mess—was threatening to unravel everything we'd built. The worst part was, I didn't know if I could face the truth.

I stood up, pacing the cabin, trying to calm the growing storm of anxiety inside me. But the more I tried to push it down, the worse it became. My stomach twisted, a sharp wave of nausea hitting me out of nowhere. I stopped in my tracks, pressing a hand to my abdomen, hoping it would pass, but it didn't.

A cold sweat broke out across my skin, and I took a deep breath, trying to stave off the nausea that was now clawing its way up my throat. I couldn't face anyone today, not like this. I needed to clear my head, and there was no way I could show up at work pretending everything was normal when I felt like this.

I stumbled back toward the bed, sinking down onto the edge, and grabbed my phone. My hands trembled as I opened my messages. I couldn't explain what was happening to me—not even to myself. All I knew was that I needed to shut the world out for a while.

I can't come in today. I'm not feeling well, I typed, sending the text to the park's call-out line. The response was instant and impersonal—automated confirmation that my message had been received.

I let the phone fall from my hands and collapsed back onto the bed, curling up with Daisy. She nuzzled into me, her warm body a small comfort against the chaos swirling inside me. I rested my hand on her fur, hoping it would help calm the storm that was raging through my mind—and my stomach.

But even with Daisy there, my thoughts kept circling back to Liam. I had to hear from him. I needed him to tell me that everything was going to be okay, that I hadn't uncovered something terrible—something that could ruin everything between us.