Enemies to lovers:Rival tech CEOs

The secret he kept

Chapter 6 — The Secret He Kept

Ava couldn't move.

The hallway suddenly felt too quiet.

Too bright.

Too small.

Alexander stood in front of her, still holding the photograph that had just changed everything she thought she knew about him.

"Your father was murdered?"

His jaw tightened.

"Yes."

"And you never told anyone?"

"I told the police."

"That's not what I meant."

Alexander looked away.

Ava studied him.

For two years, she'd believed she understood Alexander Cole.

Arrogant.

Ruthless.

Manipulative.

A man who would crush anyone standing between him and victory.

But the man standing in front of her now looked nothing like that.

He looked tired.

Broken.

Human.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

Alexander slipped the photograph back into the envelope.

"My father owned Cole Systems. It was one of the fastest-growing software companies in California."

"I know."

"Everyone thought his company collapsed because of financial problems."

"And it didn't?"

"No."

Alexander walked toward the window at the end of the hallway.

"It was sabotage."

Ava followed.

"Who sabotaged him?"

"I don't know."

"You said he was murdered."

"He was."

Alexander stared through the glass.

"Three days before his death, he discovered someone had been stealing proprietary code from the company. He confronted them."

"Who?"

"An employee."

"Do you know his name?"

Alexander shook his head.

"My father never told me."

"Why?"

"Because he thought he could handle it."

His voice cracked slightly.

Ava's heart tightened.

"What happened?"

"My father was found dead in his office."

Ava covered her mouth.

Alexander continued.

"The police called it a robbery. Except nothing important was stolen."

"What about the stolen code?"

"That disappeared too."

Ava's eyes widened.

"So someone killed him and took the technology."

"Yes."

"And you think NorthStar was involved?"

"I think NorthStar appeared around the same time."

Ava remembered Ethan.

Her former investor.

His sudden disappearance.

The strange offer from NorthStar.

The beginning of the war.

It was too much to be coincidence.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Alexander finally looked at her.

"Would you have believed me?"

Ava opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

He gave a bitter smile.

"Exactly."

She looked down.

Maybe he was right.

Two years ago, she wouldn't have listened.

She would have assumed he was trying to manipulate her.

But now...

She knew better.

"I believe you."

Alexander's expression softened.

"You shouldn't."

"Why?"

"Because believing me could make you a target."

Ava stepped closer.

"I'm already a target."

He stared at her.

"Then we're in this together."

"Ava—"

"No."

She raised her hand.

"You said something earlier."

"What?"

"You said I shouldn't have to do this alone."

Alexander went silent.

"So neither should you."

Something changed in his eyes.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then his phone rang.

He looked at the screen.

Unknown number.

Ava's stomach tightened.

"Don't answer it."

Alexander hesitated.

Then he accepted the call and placed it on speaker.

Silence.

Then a distorted voice spoke.

"Alexander."

His expression hardened.

"Who are you?"

A low laugh came through the speaker.

"You've spent two years asking the wrong question."

Ava moved closer.

"What question should we be asking?"

The voice laughed again.

"Who benefited?"

Alexander's eyes narrowed.

"From what?"

"From your hatred."

The call ended.

Ava stared at him.

"Who benefited?"

Alexander slowly lowered the phone.

"The person who controlled both sides."

Maya suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway.

"I found something."

Ava turned.

"What?"

Maya held up a tablet.

"I traced NorthStar's payment records."

Alexander walked toward her.

"Where did the money come from?"

Maya hesitated.

"That's the interesting part."

She turned the screen around.

"The company doesn't have traditional investors."

Ava frowned.

"Then how is it funded?"

"Private transfers."

"From whom?"

Maya looked at Alexander.

"That's what I couldn't figure out."

Alexander took the tablet.

Then his face changed.

Ava noticed immediately.

"What?"

He zoomed in.

There was a transaction from two years ago.

A massive transfer.

From an account belonging to...

Cole Systems.

Ava stared.

"That's impossible."

Alexander shook his head.

"My father died before NorthStar became active."

Maya looked confused.

"Then how did money from his company fund them?"

Alexander's fingers tightened around the tablet.

"Someone had access to his accounts."

Ava whispered, "An insider."

"Yes."

Maya scrolled further.

"And there's more."

She pulled up another transaction.

Ava leaned closer.

This one was from LunaMatch.

Ava's blood ran cold.

"That's my company."

"Yes."

"When?"

"Six weeks after LunaMatch launched."

Ava stared at the amount.

It was large enough to cripple the company if it had been unauthorized.

"I never approved that."

"I know."

Alexander looked at her.

"Who had authorization?"

Ava's mind raced.

Only three people had access to LunaMatch's original financial system.

Her.

Maya.

And...

Ava froze.

"No."

Alexander noticed.

"Who?"

She swallowed.

"Daniel."

Maya's eyes widened.

"Daniel had access?"

"Back then, yes."

Alexander immediately shook his head.

"Daniel could have been used."

"But the transactions were made using his credentials."

Ava closed her eyes.

The evidence was beginning to point in one direction.

Daniel.

The loyal employee who had worked with her from the beginning.

The man she'd trusted.

The man who claimed someone had stolen his credentials.

"Could he be involved?" Alexander asked quietly.

Ava looked at him.

"I don't want to believe it."

"But?"

"But the evidence is there."

Maya's phone buzzed.

She looked at the screen.

"It's Daniel."

Ava's heart jumped.

"What does he want?"

Maya read the message.

Her expression changed.

"He says we need to meet him."

"Where?"

Maya looked up.

"The old LunaMatch office."

Ava frowned.

"That's been abandoned for almost two years."

Alexander's face hardened.

"Which means someone chose it for a reason."

Ava grabbed her coat.

"Then we're going."

Alexander caught her wrist.

"No."

She looked at him.

"I'm not letting you go alone."

"I didn't say I was going alone."

"Then I'm coming."

She stared at his hand around her wrist.

He slowly released her.

Maya sighed.

"You two are becoming disturbingly protective of each other."

Neither answered.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the old LunaMatch office.

The building was almost completely dark.

Ava remembered the place.

This was where she'd signed her first major investment agreement.

Where LunaMatch had started.

Where she'd believed everything was possible.

Now the windows were dusty.

The sign outside was half broken.

Alexander looked around.

"This place gives me a bad feeling."

Ava nodded.

"Me too."

They entered.

Their footsteps echoed through the empty hallway.

"Daniel?" Ava called.

No answer.

They reached the old conference room.

The door was open.

A laptop sat on the table.

The screen was glowing.

Ava approached slowly.

There was a video playing.

Daniel appeared on screen.

His face was pale.

"Ava, if you're seeing this, I'm probably already gone."

Ava's heart stopped.

"Daniel..."

The recording continued.

"I didn't betray you."

Alexander stepped closer.

"I swear I didn't."

Daniel looked directly into the camera.

"Someone has been using my identity for years."

Ava felt tears forming in her eyes.

"I tried to find out who."

Daniel's voice dropped.

"But I discovered something I wish I hadn't."

The screen flickered.

Then Daniel said the words that made Ava's blood run cold.

"The person behind NorthStar is someone you both know."

The video suddenly cut to black.

Ava stared at the screen.

"Who?"

Nothing.

Then the laptop displayed one final message.

LOOK BEHIND YOU.

Ava's breath caught.

She turned.

Alexander grabbed her hand.

The room was empty.

Then the door slammed shut.

And the lights went out.