Someone approached him, offered to clear his debts in exchange for cooperation. Cooperation, Elena repeated. The plan was to eliminate you, install more cooperative leadership. Derek would maintain his position while feeding information to competitors. Elena sat back, her face pale.
Derek came to my father's funeral, told me he believed in my vision for the company. He sat in meetings with me almost daily for 2 years, and all that time, all that time he was planning to kill you, Webb finished grimly. We've been watching him since we identified the connection an hour ago. He's in his office right now, acting like everything is normal. We need your authorization to arrest him, Morrison said.
Not yet. Morrison frowned. Ms. Hart. He's a flight risk. If he suspects we're on to him, he doesn't suspect.
If he did, he'd already be gone. Elena's mind was clearly racing, strategizing even through the shock. Derek is smart, careful. He's been planning this for months, maybe years, which means there's more. We don't know, more people involved, more evidence to gather.
If we arrest him now, we lose the chance to see the full picture. You want to use him? Morrison said, "I want to finish this. Not just stop one attack, but dismantle the entire conspiracy." Elena's voice hardened.
Derek had help. Someone on the outside funding this, coordinating it. I want them, too. Webb leaned forward. That's dangerous, Ms. Hart.
Every day Derek walks free. Is another day he could try something else. Not if he thinks he's still hidden. Not if we feed him information that makes him believe his plan is still viable. Marcus watched her work. saw the strategic mind that had built an empire operating at full capacity.
But he also saw the cost. The way her hands trembled slightly before she clasped them together, the tension in her jaw that spoke of betrayal cutting deep. "What do you propose?" Morrison asked. We tell Derek that the investigation into Porter is stalling, that the money trail went cold at the offshore account, that I'm focused on external threats, increasing public security, leaving internal systems vulnerable.
Elena's voice gained strength. We give him rope to hang himself with, and we watch everything he does, everyone he contacts. That puts you at significant risk, Morrison said carefully. If he feels threatened, if he suspects at all, I'll have protection. Elena's eyes flicked to Marcus.
And I'll be careful, but I won't let whoever orchestrated this walk away because we move too fast. Morrison studied her for a long moment. Then nodded slowly. 48 hours. We'll monitor Derek around the clock.
Track every communication, every movement. But if he makes any move that suggests immediate danger, we shut it down. agreed. The meeting continued for another hour, establishing surveillance protocols, communication channels. When the investigators finally left, Elena remained seated at the conference table, staring at her clasped hands. Marcus waited.
"You don't have to do this," he said quietly. "You don't have to put yourself at risk to catch everyone involved. Let the police handle it. The police will arrest Derek and be satisfied with closing the case. Elena didn't look up.
But the person who funded this, who approached Derek in the first place, they'll disappear. Find someone else to target me, and I'll spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, wondering when the next attack will come. Better than being dead. Is it? Elena finally looked at him.
Her eyes were haunted. I've built my entire existence around control, around knowing the variables, managing the risks, staying three steps ahead of everyone trying to take what I've built. If I let fear dictate my choices now, I lose the only thing that's kept me standing all these years. You're allowed to be afraid. You're allowed to choose safety over.
This isn't vengeance. Her voice cracked. It's survival. And maybe she stopped. started again. Maybe I'm tired of surviving alone.
Maybe that's why I'm asking you to stay close. Because for the first time in longer than I can remember, I don't want to face this by myself. The confession settled between them. Vulnerable and raw. Marcus moved slowly, giving her time to pull away.
He covered her hand with his. Her skin was cold, trembling, and when his warmth touched hers, she inhaled sharply. "You're not alone," he said. "Not in this. Not anymore."
Elena turned her hand over, threading her fingers through his. They sat there in the empty conference room, holding on to each other like lifelines in a storm. The next 48 hours were the longest of Marcus's life. He stayed within 10 ft of Elena at all times. shadowing her through meetings and video conferences, standing outside her office when she needed privacy, eating meals he barely tasted while watching everyone who came near her. Derek Simmons appeared at staff meetings looking concerned and supportive, asking Elena how she was handling the stress, offering to take on additional responsibilities.
Marcus watched him perform empathy and concern. Every word felt like acid on his skin. This man had tried to kill Elena, had betrayed everything she'd built, and now he smiled and nodded while planning his next move. "How are you holding up?" Derek asked Elena after a product development meeting.
"I'm fine, Derek. Thank you for asking." Elena's performance was flawless. "Your work on the new interface is excellent. Exactly what we need for launch.
Just doing my job. Derek's smile was warm. Practiced. We all want to see you succeed. The lie was so smooth that Marcus had to fight the urge to grab Derek by his expensive collar and throw him against the nearest wall, but Elena's hand touched his arm briefly as she passed, a silent reminder to stay calm.
Stay focused. Surveillance teams reported that Derek was making encrypted calls to an unknown number. always from locations outside the building where he thought he had privacy. The technical team was working to break the encryption, but it was sophisticated, suggesting whoever Derek reported to had significant resources. On the second night around 1100 p.m., Marcus was doing a final security sweep of the executive floor when his earpiece crackled to life. We've got movement.