Nine
378 Words
The metallic clatter of the shutters echoed through the lobby until only the hum of lights remained. Aria turned the small drive over in her hand. It was light, almost harmless-looking.
“Come on,” Liam said. “My office has an isolated terminal. No network, no remote access.”
They moved fast, their footsteps sharp against the floor. Ethan followed, silent except for his uneven breathing.
Inside the office, Liam sealed the door and powered up the terminal. “Plug it in,” he said.
Aria hesitated for a heartbeat, then slid the drive into the port. The screen came to life, black first, then a flood of encrypted files—spreadsheets, emails, scanned documents.
Ethan leaned forward. “Look at the headers. Offshore accounts, shell companies, fake contracts… They used your name, Aria. Your signature.”
Her throat tightened. The screen showed transactions in her name—dates from two years ago, the days she’d been accused of insider trading.
“They forged everything,” she said quietly. “Every payment, every authorization.”
Liam’s fingers moved across the keyboard. “Who’s behind the accounts?”
A name appeared in the metadata—M. Hale.
Ethan frowned. “Marcus Hale? He’s on Chen Group’s board.”
Liam’s face darkened. “And one of the few people who had access to the security feeds.”
Before Aria could answer, the terminal beeped. A new window popped open—a message embedded in the drive.
Stop searching. The truth isn’t yours to expose.
The cursor blinked once, twice, then another line appeared.
Check the roof.
Aria looked at Ethan, then Liam. “Is that some kind of threat?”
Liam shook his head. “No. It’s bait.”
Ethan glanced toward the door. “Or a warning. If Hale’s involved, he’s already two steps ahead.”
Aria stood, slipping the drive into her pocket again. “Either way, I’m not waiting.”
Liam reached for her wrist, his tone low. “Aria, if it’s a trap—”
“Then I’ll know,” she said.
She turned and walked out, the rain still whispering against the windows. Somewhere above them, the roof waited—and with it, the next piece of a truth someone clearly didn’t want found.
- Writer
