By day, Elena played the role of a poised corporate liaison, efficient, polished, and cooperative.
By night, she was a ghost in the system.
Alone in her apartment, lit only by the cold glow of her laptop screen, Elena typed commands into an encrypted server. Lines of data flew across the screen. She knew exactly where to look, financial reports, internal weaknesses, merger loopholes. Secrets Hale Corp thought were buried.
They weren't.
She didn't even flinch as she attached a document labeled "CONFIDENTIAL" to an anonymous email and clicked send.
Destination: A rival firm bidding for the same acquisition.
The next day, whispers swept through the office.
The merger talks were faltering. Investors were pulling back. Someone had leaked sensitive information, and it was costing Hale Corp millions.
Elena sat at her desk, sipping her coffee slowly, as panic crept through the building like smoke.
Ava stormed past her office without a word.
Nathan paced the hallway, shouting into his phone.
Everything was unraveling, just as planned.
That night, Elena returned home and slid off her heels with a satisfied sigh. She had just finished locking away her laptop when her phone buzzed. Unknown number.
She frowned. Then answered.
Damian's low voice filled her ear.
"What are you really after, Elena?"