Kael stepped into his private study, shutting the door behind him before putting the phone to his ear.
“Dawson,” he said flatly.
A hesitant chuckle came from the other end. “Kael. Didn’t expect you to pick up so fast.”
Kael leaned against his desk, fingers drumming against the polished wood. “Didn’t expect to hear your name connected to corporate sabotage either, yet here we are.”
A brief pause. Then Dawson sighed. “So you’ve heard.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “I don’t have time for games, Dawson. Tell me why your credentials were used to leak internal documents.”
“I—” Dawson hesitated, his voice quieter now. “Look, it’s not what you think.”
Kael’s grip on the phone tightened. “Then explain.”
“I was set up,” Dawson said quickly. “I swear, I didn’t do this. Someone got into my system, us
