Blinded by vows

CHAPTER NINE

Emily returned to her apartment, the flash drive heavy in her pocket.

The city lights blurred past the car window as if Aurora itself were holding its breath.

And for the first time in days, a thread of hope weaved through the exhaustion that clung to her.

Daniel was waiting when she arrived,

“You look… different,” he said quietly.

“Like you’ve seen something.”

Emily set her bag down and exhaled slowly. “I have.”

She held up the flash drive.

“Something that can make them question Gael.”

Daniel’s brow furrowed. “How much?”

“Enough to plant doubt in the board.

Enough to stop them from acting recklessly tonight.” She paused.

“But not the whole story. I don’t know if I can trust the source completely.”

Daniel’s lips pressed into a thin line.

“You’re playing a dangerous game. If Gael suspects you, he won’t hesitate.”

“I know.” Her voice was calm, but her hands tightened around the small device.

“But if I don’t act, I lose everything anyway.”

He stepped closer. “Do you have a plan?”

Emily shook her head slowly. “Not a full plan. Just… leverage. Something to make the board hesitate.

That’s all I need for now.”

Daniel nodded. “Alright. Then we need to move fast. The vote is tonight. In hours.”

Emily’s mind raced. She had to plant seeds of doubt without revealing herself fully.

She couldn’t confront Gael directly yet not with the board watching every move.

She opened her laptop and began drafting a carefully worded email to the board members.

One by one, she addressed each of them with subtle questions, reminders of financial inconsistencies, and gentle suggestions that not everything was as it seemed.

Every sentence was deliberate, calculated to provoke hesitation without outright accusation.

Hours passed. Emily worked in near silence, the glow of the screen reflecting in her tired eyes.

Daniel hovered nearby, occasionally offering suggestions, but mostly letting her do the work.

Finally, she leaned back in her chair. “It’s done,” she said. “Sent.”

Daniel exhaled slowly. “Now we wait.”

Emily didn’t respond. She was already thinking three steps ahead. If the board hesitated even slightly, that could give her the time she needed to uncover the full truth behind the modified documents.

That was her real target—the exact manipulation that gave Gael partial control.

The clock ticked relentlessly toward the evening.

Emily glanced at it again.

In less than two hours, the board would convene to vote on the temporary leadership change.

Outside, the city hummed, indifferent to the storm about to hit within Empire Tech.

But Emily’s mind was sharp and alert.

She could feel the pressure building,not just from Gael, not just from the board, but from the fragile life growing inside her.

She pressed a hand against her stomach, silently reminding herself why she had to survive, why she had to fight.

The baby wasn’t just her future but it was the one life she couldn’t afford to lose.

Daniel broke the silence. “Emily… whatever happens tonight, we have to be ready for every outcome. Even if they side with him.”

Emily nodded. “I know. And if they do…”

“We begin from scratch.” She said with uncertainty.

A chill ran through the apartment as if the words themselves carried weight.

Then her phone vibrated again.

Another message, anonymous. She opened it.

“Be ready. The board isn’t as blind as he thinks. Use the flash drive wisely.”

Emily allowed herself a small, private smile.

A single crack in Gael’s seemingly flawless plan.

And cracks, as she knew, could widen into chasms.