The Traitor Within
601 Words
Chapter 4: The Traitor Within
Ava stared at the photograph long after Damien's car disappeared into the rain.
The face was unmistakable.
Ethan Cross.
One of Titan Automotive's senior engineers.
He had worked alongside her for nearly three years. They had shared ideas, debated designs, and celebrated project milestones together.
"No..." she whispered.
"It can't be."
Yet the timestamp in the corner of the photograph showed Ethan leaving the research wing just minutes before the security system had failed.
---
The next morning, Ava arrived at Titan headquarters before sunrise.
The building was unusually quiet.
She headed straight for Ethan's office.
The lights were off.
His desk was spotless.
His computer was gone.
A single security officer stood outside the door.
"Looking for Mr. Cross?" the guard asked.
"Yes. Where is he?"
"He didn't report to work this morning."
Ava's stomach tightened.
"When did anyone last see him?"
The guard checked his tablet.
"He left the building shortly after eleven o'clock last night. He hasn't answered any calls since."
---
Chairman Victor Hensley called an emergency board meeting.
Around the polished conference table, executives argued over the theft.
"If Ethan is responsible, we should notify Interpol immediately," one director insisted.
Another shook his head.
"We don't have enough evidence."
Victor turned to Ava.
"You worked closely with him. Did you notice anything unusual?"
She thought back over the past few weeks.
Ethan had become secretive.
He had stayed late almost every night.
Twice she had caught him photographing prototype components, but he had dismissed it as documentation for internal reports.
At the time, she hadn't questioned him.
Now, every small detail felt significant.
---
Hours later, Ava left the meeting with more questions than answers.
As she walked through the lobby, her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number.
She hesitated before answering.
"Ms. Morgan."
The voice was calm and unfamiliar.
"If you want answers, stop looking at Ethan."
"What do you mean?"
"He's only a pawn."
Before she could respond, the call ended.
Ava immediately tried calling back.
The number no longer existed.
---
Across the city, Adrian König studied a digital map projected across the wall of his private office.
His security chief entered.
"We traced Ethan Cross's financial records."
"And?"
"Three months ago, he received several large payments through shell companies."
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
"Who sent them?"
"We're still following the trail."
"Keep digging."
He wasn't interested in Ethan.
He wanted the person pulling the strings.
---
Meanwhile, Matteo De Luca met with one of his trusted investigators in a quiet café.
"The theft wasn't about selling technology," the investigator said.
"What makes you think that?"
"Nothing has appeared on the black market."
Matteo leaned back thoughtfully.
"So someone is keeping the designs."
"For now."
He looked out the window, his expression turning serious.
"Then this isn't over."
---
That evening, Ava stayed late once again, determined to rebuild what had been lost.
Most of her original design files had been backed up offsite, but months of testing data had vanished.
As she worked, the office lights flickered.
A notification appeared on her computer screen.
Unauthorized access detected.
Her monitor went black.
Then a single sentence appeared in white letters.
YOU SHOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THE OFFER.
Ava froze.
She hadn't accepted any offer.
So whose offer was the message referring to?
Before she could react, the screen went dark again.
The power returned.
Everything looked normal.
Except one thing.
The prototype blueprint she had been editing moments earlier had disappeared from her computer.
Someone was still watching her—and they had just proven they could reach her from anywhere.
- Writer
