Dominic

8

_________

The morning sun streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, bathing the room in soft gold. Normally, this view reminds me of everything I’ve built—the empire I created from nothing. But today, it feels like a taunt, a sharp contrast to the chaos churning beneath the surface.

Working with Eva Stone is a gamble I’m not entirely comfortable with. She’s a wildcard: relentless, unpredictable, and dangerously close to secrets that could topple everything I’ve spent years protecting. Letting her in, even temporarily, risks unraveling more than just my company—it could unravel me. Yet, for reasons I can’t fully explain, I’ve agreed to keep her in the game. Maybe it’s because she’s already too far in to back out. Or maybe it’s because her determination mirrors something I see in myself.

I lean back in my chair, staring at the skyline. Trust has never come easily to me. Years of betrayals and power plays have taught me that vulnerability is a liability I can’t afford. Eva is no exception. She’s clever, resourceful, and deeply frustrating. But beneath that grit is someone I can’t seem to ignore. And I hate that part of me—the part that wants to trust her, even when I know better.

A sharp knock pulls me from my thoughts. Adrian steps in, his expression unreadable as he hands me a tablet.

“What is it?” I ask, straightening in my chair.

“A lead,” he replies. “The tech team traced the most recent breach to one of our Tier-One data centers. This wasn’t remote. Someone physically accessed the servers.”

That gets my full attention. Physical access means someone on the inside. Someone with clearance. My jaw tightens as I scan the report.

“Which center?”

“Westfield,” Adrian says, his tone clipped. “I’ve already pulled the logs and requested surveillance footage. But it’s… unusual.”

I glance up, my brow furrowing. “Unusual how?”

Adrian hesitates, discomfort flickering across his face. Whatever it is, it’s bad. “You should see it for yourself.”

The drive to the Westfield data center is tense, the hum of the car engine the only sound. Adrian sits in the passenger seat, focused on the tablet in his hands. His unusual silence sharpens my unease. He knows something, and the weight of it sits like a stone between us.

The center itself is unremarkable—a nondescript building surrounded by chain-link fencing and security cameras. It’s designed to blend in, like any other warehouse or office park. But inside, it houses some of the most sensitive data Kane Enterprises manages. The thought of someone breaching it—physically—sends my blood boiling.

Inside, the sterile hum of servers fills the air, the faint scent of industrial cleaner adding to the mechanical coldness of the space. The facility manager, Harris, meets us near the entrance. His thinning hair and nervous energy set my teeth on edge.

“Mr. Kane,” he stammers, his voice wavering. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“That makes two of us,” I reply curtly. “Show me the logs.”

Harris leads us to a small control room, where a bank of monitors displays endless rows of server racks. He pulls up the logs on a central screen, scrolling with practiced efficiency.

“This is the breach,” he says, pointing to a timestamp. “3:17 a.m. last Tuesday. Someone bypassed the biometric scanner and accessed the server room. They were in and out in less than ten minutes.”

I study the logs, my mind racing. The access ID belongs to a junior technician—someone who shouldn’t even have clearance for this level of the facility. Credential theft, or worse, collaboration.

“Pull up the footage,” I say, my voice sharp.

Harris hesitates, glancing at Adrian before complying. A few keystrokes later, the surveillance footage fills the screen. The grainy black-and-white video shows the server room, its blinking lights casting faint shadows. A figure moves through the space, deliberate and methodical.

They’re wearing a hooded jacket, the fabric pulled low to obscure their face. As they turn slightly toward the camera, something familiar catches my eye—a set of shoulders, the angle of a jawline. My stomach sinks.

“Pause it,” I order.

Harris freezes the footage. The profile is partially visible, but it’s enough. I step closer, my eyes narrowing.

“It’s him,” I mutter, my voice barely audible.

Adrian looks at me sharply. “You recognize them?”

I nod, my chest tightening. “It’s Conrad.”

Adrian’s eyebrows shoot up. “Conrad? Your—”

“My CTO,” I say, cutting him off. “One of the most trusted members of my team.”

The words taste bitter, like acid on my tongue. Conrad has been with Kane Enterprises for nearly a decade. The idea that he could be involved in this—betraying me, betraying everything we’ve built—is unthinkable. Almost.

Adrian doesn’t say a word as we leave the data center. He knows better. I’m seething, every muscle in my body tense as I replay the footage in my mind. It doesn’t make sense. Conrad has always been loyal. If he’s involved, it means one of two things: he’s been compromised, or he’s been lying all along.

Neither option sits well.

As I slide into the driver’s seat, Adrian finally speaks. “What’s the move?”

“Keep this between us,” I reply, my voice cold and precise. “No one else knows until I say so.”

Adrian nods, his jaw tightening. “Understood.”

I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles white. This isn’t just about the breach anymore. If Conrad is involved, the rot goes deeper than I realized. And I have no choice but to dig it out, no matter the cost.

The office is quiet when we return. Adrian disappears into his workspace, leaving me alone. I glance at my phone. Eva’s number is at the top of my recent calls, the silence gnawing at me. I tell myself it’s concern for the investigation, but deep down, I know it’s more.

Before I can overthink it, I dial her number. She answers on the second ring, her voice sharp.

“What?”

“We need to meet,” I say. “Now.”

“What’s happened?”

“Another development,” I reply. “It’s better if I explain in person.”

She sighs, exasperation clear. “Fine. Where?”

“My office,” I say. “Thirty minutes.”

Eva walks into my office like she owns it, her green eyes blazing. She carries her notebook, its frayed edges a testament to her relentless drive.

“You’re lucky I was in the area,” she says, crossing her arms.

“I’ll take luck where I can get it,” I reply dryly, gesturing for her to sit.

She doesn’t. “What’s this about?”

I debate how much to reveal. Every instinct tells me to keep her at arm’s length, but if she’s staying in this, she needs to know.

“I found the breach,” I say finally. “Or rather, the person behind it.”

Her eyes widen. “Who?”

“Conrad,” I reply, the name landing like a blow.

Eva’s face hardens at the mention of Conrad’s name, her arms uncrossing as she drops her notebook onto my desk. The sound echoes in the quiet, a punctuation mark to her disbelief.

“Your CTO?” she repeats, leaning forward slightly. “That’s who’s been sabotaging you?”

“That’s what the evidence points to,” I reply, my voice clipped. “But there’s more going on here. Conrad wouldn’t risk everything without a reason.”

Her green eyes narrow as she processes the information. “If he’s as close to your company as you say, he could have access to sensitive information—data that could cripple Kane Enterprises if it got into the wrong hands.”

I nod. “Exactly. And it’s not just the data. Conrad knows how we operate—our protocols, our weaknesses. If he’s sharing that with someone else, the damage won’t stop with a few leaks.”

She exhales sharply, running a hand through her hair. “Then why is he doing it? Blackmail? Money?”

“Could be either—or both,” I say. “That’s what I intend to find out.”

Eva’s gaze sharpens. “What’s your next move?”

Before I can answer, my phone buzzes on the desk, the screen lighting up with Adrian’s name. I pick up immediately, my voice curt. “Go.”

“He’s still at the waterfront,” Adrian says. “Hasn’t met anyone yet, but he’s agitated—checking his watch, pacing. Something’s about to happen.”

My jaw tightens. “Stay on him. I’m on my way.”

Adrian hesitates. “Do you want backup?”

“No. Keep your team out of sight. I’ll handle this.”

I hang up and grab my jacket, turning back to Eva. Her arms are crossed again, her expression a mixture of curiosity and determination.

“You’re going after him,” she says.

I don’t bother denying it. “Yes.”

“Then I’m coming with you.”

The words hang in the air, daring me to argue. Part of me wants to—needs to. But the look in her eyes tells me she won’t back down, and wasting time fighting her isn’t worth the effort.

“Fine,” I say, my tone sharp. “But you follow my lead.”

She grabs her notebook and bag, her movements brisk. “Let’s go.”

The drive to the waterfront is tense, the weight of unspoken thoughts filling the space between us. Eva sits in the passenger seat, her gaze fixed on the city streets blurring past the window. She doesn’t ask questions, and I don’t offer answers. There’s no time for second-guessing, no room for doubt.

By the time we reach the docks, the late-afternoon light has faded into an overcast dusk. The air is heavy with the scent of saltwater and diesel, the distant hum of cargo ships echoing across the bay. I park a block away, killing the engine and turning to Eva.

“Stay close,” I say, my voice low. “This isn’t a game.”

She meets my gaze, her expression unyielding. “I know.”

We move quickly, keeping to the shadows as we navigate the maze of shipping containers and warehouses. Adrian’s voice crackles through my earpiece, guiding us to the second warehouse in Container Row B. The loading bay door is partially open, a faint light spilling out onto the cracked pavement.

“He’s still inside,” Adrian says. “But I’m picking up movement on the perimeter—another player might be in the mix.”

I glance at Eva, motioning for her to stay behind me. Her lips press into a thin line, but she nods, falling into step a few paces back.

Inside the warehouse, the air is thick with tension. The sound of Conrad’s pacing echoes faintly, accompanied by the occasional rustle of paper. He’s hunched over a folding table in the center of the room, a laptop and a stack of files spread out before him. His agitation is palpable, his movements quick and jerky.

“Conrad,” I call out, my voice cutting through the stillness.

He freezes, his head snapping up. His eyes widen when he sees me, fear flickering across his face. “,” he says, his voice shaking. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” I reply, stepping closer. “But I already know the answer.”

His grip tightens on the edge of the table, his knuckles white. “It’s not what you think.”

“No?” I take another step forward, my tone cold. “Then why don’t you tell me exactly what it is? Why you’ve been sabotaging my company from the inside?”

He shakes his head, his jaw clenching. “You don’t understand. I didn’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice,” I snap, my patience fraying. “And you made yours. Now you’re going to tell me everything—who’s behind this, what they want, and why you’re involved.”

Conrad hesitates, his gaze darting to the laptop. The flicker of fear in his eyes deepens, and I can tell he’s weighing his options. Whatever he’s about to say, it’s tearing him apart.

Before he can speak, a sharp sound cuts through the air—a faint but unmistakable click.

I freeze, my senses on high alert. The sound came from outside, near the loading bay. Someone else is here.

“Stay where you are,” I hiss at Conrad, holding up a hand to keep him in place. My other hand moves instinctively to the weapon concealed beneath my jacket.

Eva steps closer, her voice a whisper. “What was that?”

I shake my head, signaling for silence. My pulse pounds in my ears as I scan the room, searching for any sign of movement. The loading bay door creaks slightly, a shadow flickering across the edge of the light.

Adrian’s voice crackles in my earpiece. “, we’ve got incoming. Two figures approaching from the east side, armed.”

My grip tightens on the handle of the gun. “How long until they’re inside?”

“Less than a minute.”

I glance at Eva, her eyes wide but steady. “Get down,” I murmur. “And stay behind cover.”

She hesitates for a fraction of a second before nodding, ducking behind a stack of crates near the wall. Conrad, still frozen in place, looks like he might bolt. I pin him with a glare.

“Don’t move,” I growl. “If you run, you’re dead.”

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard, his hands trembling.

The first figure enters through the loading bay, their steps cautious but purposeful. They’re dressed in dark clothing, their face obscured by a balaclava. The second figure follows close behind, their movements sharp and efficient. They’re both armed—compact pistols held at the ready.

I step into the open, my gun drawn and aimed. “That’s far enough.”

The lead figure stops, their weapon raising slightly in response. “ Kane,” they say, their voice distorted by a modulator. “We’ve been expecting you.”

The tension in the room spikes, the air crackling like a live wire. I keep my aim steady, my mind racing. They’re not here by coincidence—they knew I’d come. Which means this isn’t just about Conrad. It’s about me.

“You’ve made a mistake,” I say, my tone icy. “If you think you can walk out of here alive, you’re sorely mistaken.”

The figure chuckles, the sound low and mocking. “We’re not here to kill you. Not yet. We’re here to deliver a message.”

Behind me, I hear the faint scrape of a crate as Eva shifts slightly. I glance over my shoulder, meeting her gaze for the briefest of moments. Her eyes are sharp, her notebook clutched tightly against her chest. She’s ready to act if needed.

“What message?” I demand, turning my focus back to the intruders.

The lead figure tilts their head, as if considering. Then they reach into their pocket, pulling out a small device—a sleek, black USB drive. They toss it onto the table beside Conrad, the sound echoing in the silence.

“Play that,” they say. “And you’ll understand.”

Before I can respond, the second figure moves toward the door, their weapon still trained on me. “You’ve got 24 hours to make your choice, Kane,” the lead figure says, their voice cold. “After that, the clock runs out.”

With that, they retreat into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as they arrived.

The silence that follows is deafening.