Chapter 6 – The Real Enemy
557 Words
Emily sat across from the head of IT, a stern woman named Marla who looked like she trusted no one and had the digital receipts to prove it.
Marla tapped her keyboard a few more times, then turned the monitor toward Emily. “These are the access logs. The campaign file was opened and uploaded from an IP address in Brooklyn. 3:47 a.m., like we thought.”
Emily leaned in. “But my credentials were used.”
“Yes,” Marla said. “But not from your device. And not from our network.”
Jake stood beside her, arms crossed, silent but alert. His presence gave her an odd sense of strength—as if she was allowed to fall back just a little because someone else had her covered.
Marla continued, “The device used is registered under someone else’s work-issued laptop.”
“Who?” Emily asked.
Marla clicked, scrolled, then paused. “Jacob Remy.”
Emily’s jaw dropped. “Remy? My former assistant?”
Jake furrowed his brow. “Didn’t he leave the company six weeks ago?”
“Yeah,” Emily said slowly, pieces falling into place. “He quit after I refused to give him a team lead role. He said I was holding him back.”
Marla nodded. “Looks like he kept his laptop, accessed the system remotely, and used your saved credentials. Probably from an old shared file or email attachment.”
Jake muttered, “So he leaked the campaign… to sabotage you.”
Emily’s voice was cold. “To ruin me.”
Marla stood. “I’ll escalate this to HR and legal. We’ll contact the authorities if necessary. But the company will clear your name internally.”
Emily nodded stiffly, her throat tight. “Thank you.”
As they left the office, she remained quiet, thoughts racing.
Jake broke the silence. “You okay?”
“No,” she said honestly. “But I will be.”
They stopped by the window, city streets moving below them. Emily let herself breathe for the first time in days.
“I owe you,” she said.
Jake shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything. You would’ve done the same for me.”
“Maybe,” she said with a soft smile. “But you were the only one who believed me when everything pointed the other way.”
His expression turned serious. “That’s because I know you, Emily. More than you think. I’ve seen your fire, your drive… your heart.”
Her breath caught.
“Jake…”
Before she could say more, Chloe burst in from the hallway. “You guys! WildNote just called. They saw the leaked version—and they loved it. They want to keep it as the official campaign and have both of you lead the next one!”
Emily blinked. “Wait—what?”
“Seriously,” Chloe beamed. “You’re back on. Both of you. You’re heroes now.”
Jake let out a short laugh of disbelief. “Well… that’s one way to win back the spotlight.”
Emily smiled faintly, then looked at him. “Guess we’re partners again.”
He nodded, eyes steady. “And maybe something more.”
She didn’t deny it this time.
Not with her heart pounding like it had just remembered how to feel.
- Writer
