The office was nearly empty by 9:45 PM.
Emilia sat quietly in the shadows of the boardroom, lights off, a small tablet glowing dim in her lap. The security footage streamed in real-time from hidden motion-triggered cameras installed the day after the system breach.
She'd been waiting for days.
And tonight, someone finally took the bait.
The service elevator blinked on.
A figure stepped out—clad in gray coveralls, head tucked under a cap. They moved swiftly and confidently, as if they belonged. But Emilia knew better.
The ghost key hadn't just been rerouted—it had been traced.
She watched as the figure slipped into the restricted server room.
Three minutes.
Five minutes.
Then she stood.
---
Server Room – Moments Later
The door creaked open with a hiss.
The saboteur froze, halfway through inserting a flash drive.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Emilia said smoothly, her heels echoing against the tiled floor.
The figure whipped around—eyes wide in shock.
It was Liam Ford.
Senior operations manager. Trusted. Quiet. Loyal—until he wasn't.
"Ms. Stone—"
"Don't insult us both with excuses," Emilia snapped. "The security logs. The breach. The ghost protocol you piggybacked on. You were good, Liam. But not better than me."
He dropped the flash drive like it burned him.
"You don't understand," he said, panicked now. "They—They threatened my wife. Said they'd bury us. I didn't know who to turn to."
Emilia's voice remained steady. "You turned to betrayal."
Tears welled up in his eyes. "They're bigger than this company. Than you. You can't stop them."
"I don't need to stop them all tonight. I just need you."
From behind her, security guards entered.
Liam didn't fight. He just slumped down, a man defeated. But before he was taken away, he looked up at Emilia, face pale.
"There's a list," he whispered. "Names. Accounts. Start with the name Gregor Linetti. He's not who you think."
The guards escorted him out.
Emilia stood alone in the cold silence of the server room.
Another mask had fallen.
Another name added to her ledger.
And now, she was closer than ever to the truth.
---
Back in her office, Emilia shut the door and allowed herself a moment to breathe. One hand trembled slightly, but she steadied it against her desk. The betrayal stung—not because of Liam, but because of how close the enemy had gotten, and was escalating.
She walked to the window, staring down at the city. Her reflection in the glass looked composed. But her mind was already running through the next steps.
The server had been accessed. Confidential files might be compromised. But it wasn't just about data—it was about perception. Control. Power.
She called her internal security chief.
"I want a full sweep. Devices, emails, physical bugs—everything. I want a list of everyone Liam spoke to in the last three months. And Damien—" Her voice dropped lower. "Don't trust anyone."
"Yes, ma'am."
Emilia hung up and reached for her necklace—a subtle habit she picked up in moments of decision. Her fingers brushed the silver charm Sebastian had once teased her about. The thought of him softened her for a breath. But only a breath.
She turned back to her desk, opening the file labeled Project Reclaim.
They had tried to shake her.
But Emilia Stone had just begun to fight back.