Finally, he took a breath. I think someone inside your executive leadership team helped them. The office seemed to tilt around her. Executive leadership? The people she trusted most?
The people who had stood beside her for years. You're sure? She asked. Not yet. Then don't tell me who?
Marcus blinked. What? Not until you're certain. Her voice became colder, stronger. Because if you're wrong, you'll destroy an innocent person.
And if you're right, she stopped. Marcus understood the rest. If he was right, Crown Spire was facing a betrayal far deeper than anyone imagined. He closed the laptop slowly. I'll get certainty.
How? Marcus stared toward the tower dominating the skyline. By finding what happened during those missing 27 minutes, Evelyn moved to the window. Far below, traffic crawled through the city. Somewhere out there, Marcus was fighting for her reputation, her company, and possibly his own future.
She thought about his face the previous night, the way he had looked at her after she admitted the truth she had hidden for years. The only thing missing in my life is love. She had expected embarrassment afterward, regret. Instead, she felt something stranger. Relief.
Because for the first time in years, someone knew exactly how lonely she was, and he had stayed. Her phone remained pressed against her ear. Neither of them spoke for several seconds. Finally, Marcus broke the silence. Evelyn.
Yes. Whatever happens next. He stopped. She waited. We're close.
Evelyn closed her eyes. Somewhere inside the company, the people behind the conspiracy were starting to panic. Somewhere, mistakes were being made. Somewhere, the truth was beginning to surface. And when it did, Crownspire Group would never be the same again.
The real war had not started in the boardroom. It had started in the shadows. And now the shadows were beginning to talk. The shadows were beginning to talk. And once they started, Marcus Bennett knew there would be no way to silence them again.
He remained in the cafe long after the lunch crowd had arrived, staring at the recovered server fragments glowing on his screen. The name hidden inside the deleted 27 minutes refused to leave his mind. It wasn't simply surprising, it was devastating. For 12 years, he had learned how power moved through Crownspire Group. He knew who fought openly and who fought quietly.
He knew who chased influence and who protected it. But this person had never appeared on any list of suspects because nobody had ever imagined they would have a reason to betray Evelyn Carter. Marcus leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. Across from him, Daniel Price watched silently. "You look like you've seen a ghost, " Daniel finally said.