Chapter 9: Undoing the Empire
809 Words
Leticia had barely stepped off the elevator when the alarms went off. Not fire alarms, but security.
Phones buzzed, Emails poured in like flood. The building went into instant lockdown.
“What’s going on?” she asked a nearby assistant.
He looked pale. “Wellington Enterprises… it’s been hacked.”
Her blood ran cold.
Her phone rang before she could react, it was Paul.
“Come to my office now.” He stated.
She didn’t waste a second.
Inside, chaos ruled.
Paul stood in front of three monitors, eyes sharp and jaw locked.
“What happened?” Leticia asked breathlessly.
He didn’t look at her. “Someone breached our investor vault. Client lists, financials, everything is all out.”
“Is it ransomware?”
“No,” Paul said bitterly. “This is personal.”
Leticia frowned. “How can you be sure?”
He turned, and for the first time, she saw fear in his eyes.
“They only leaked my private emails including every message between you and I.”
Her stomach dropped. “The board…..”
“Already knows,” he cut in. “They’ve called for an emergency vote in one hour. Either I step down quietly or they go public.”
Leticia’s voice trembled. “You think this is Cassandra?”
“No,” Paul said, pacing. “She’s not smart enough, someone else is.”
There was a pause.
Then his eyes snapped to hers.
“Your ex.”
Leticia froze! “What?”
“Jason, He works in cyber law. You told me he threatened you when you left him.”
She nodded slowly. “You think he did this?”
“I know he did and he’s not just after me, he’s after you.”
Leticia felt a wave of panic rise in her chest.
Paul stepped forward, voice low. “He wants to ruin both of us, but I won’t let him.”
She looked at him. “What are you going to do?”
Paul straightened his shoulders. “I’m going to give the board what they want.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re resigning?”
He nodded once. “Temporarily, Long enough to stop the bleeding. Then I’ll expose Jason and come back stronger.”
“No,” Leticia said fiercely. “We do this together. I know how he thinks. I’ll bait him, we’ll catch him.”
Paul stared at her. “You’d risk that?”
“I already have,” she whispered. “For you, for us.”
Three Days Later, Leticia sat alone in her apartment, a decoy laptop open, Jason’s name in her inbox.
He took the bait.
Subject line: “Tell me Letty, does Paul still taste like guilt?”
She exhaled, trying to stay calm.
Behind her, federal agents monitored every move.
Paul had vanished from the public eye, only because he was working behind the scenes to dismantle Jason’s network.
Leticia replied with one line: “Meet me, no games.”
The trap was set.
One Week Later
Leticia stood on the rooftop of a city garage, wind whipping her hair.
Footsteps approached, It was Jason.
He wore the same smug grin. The same arrogance that once made her feel small.
Though she wasn’t that woman anymore.
“You came alone?” he asked.
“No,” she said softly. “You did.”
He tilted his head. “You still love him?”
Leticia didn’t answer.
Instead, red-and-blue lights lit up the sky.
Paul stepped out of the shadows, flanked by two federal agents.
Jason spun, but it was too late.
“You set me up,” he growled.
Paul’s voice was ice. “You set yourself up the moment you came for her.”
Cuffs clicked and Jason was dragged away, cursing them both.
One Month Later, Paul stood at the podium in a packed hall, press flashes blinding.
He was back stronger than before. He’d cleared of all accusations.
Beside him was Leticia Sam, co-founder of Wellington Reimagined, their new tech-security division.
Just as they stepped off the stage, Paul’s phone buzzed.
He read the message and froze.
Leticia touched his arm. “What is it?”
He turned to her slowly. “The FBI traced the source of the original leak.”
She frowned. “It wasn’t Jason?”
“No,” he said, voice darkening. “It was someone inside Wellington.”
Her breath caught. “Who?”
Paul looked her in the eyes and said one word.
“Diana!”
Leticia’s heart dropped.
Diana, the HR Director. The woman who knew every secret, every file and every weakness.
Paul’s jaw clenched. “She’s gone underground. No trace, but she left one message behind.”
Leticia swallowed. “What did it say?”
Paul showed her the screen.
Just three words:
“This isn’t over.”
- Writer
