The Don's Second Chance Bride

Chapter SIX: The Setup

SERENA POV

"You're in the wrong seat."

I looked up from my laptop. Marco was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. His eyes were as cold as ice.

"The meeting starts in fifteen minutes," I said. "I’m just early."

"That seat is for the senior bosses," he snapped. "Go sit at the end of the table."

I looked at the chair at the far end. Then I looked at where I was sitting: right in the middle, directly across from the big screen where the secret reports would be shown. If I sat at the end, I wouldn't be able to see the details.

"I’ll stay here," I said, and went back to my work.

Marco didn’t say another word. He just walked away. I kept my face calm, but inside, I was worried. Someone had broken into my private files at 3:47 a.m. These weren't shared office files, they were my secret files, protected by my own codes. Whoever it was stayed inside them for eleven minutes. Was it just a random security check, or was it a spy?

The room began to fill up. Seven men walked in and looked at me like I was a piece of furniture that didn’t belong. Adriano came in last. He didn’t even look at me. He sat down and nodded to Marco to start the report.

"The northern border," Marco said, pointing to a map on the screen. "We saw someone moving there three nights ago. We stopped them, but we don't know who they were."

"How close did they get?" someone asked.

"Close enough," Marco replied.

I studied the map. The path the intruder took was strange. They hadn't just watched from far away; they had followed the fence line exactly.

"They were looking for a hole in the fence," I said out loud.

The room went silent. Marco glared at me. "Nobody asked for your opinion."

"Look at the pattern," I said, keeping my voice steady. "They weren't just wandering around. They were testing the fence to find a specific gap. That means they already know the layout of the grounds. Someone on the inside told them."

I looked at Adriano. He was staring at the map, thinking. He still didn't look at me.

"Change the guard's schedule on the east side," Adriano told Marco. "Check the fence every twenty minutes instead of thirty."

Marco nodded. He didn't thank me, and nobody acted like I was the one who solved the mystery. For the rest of the meeting, Adriano ignored me completely. I stayed in my "wrong" seat and wrote a note in my little book: Someone outside knows our secrets. Someone inside is a traitor.

When the meeting ended, I packed my bags. Two men bumped past me without saying "excuse me." I stepped aside and let them. It wasn't worth starting a fight yet.

In the hallway, I heard them talking behind my back.

"How long until the boss realizes she’s useless?" the first man whispered.

"Give her a month," the second one said. "She’ll mess up, and he’ll send her away."

"Send her where? She has nowhere else to go."

I didn't slow down. I didn't let them see me get upset. I just memorized their voices. People who talk behind your back usually become important later, usually when you're ready to prove them wrong.

I spent the rest of the morning in my office. My friend Yuna came in at eleven with a cup of coffee.

"You look like you didn't sleep," she said.

"Someone broke into my private files last night," I told her quietly.

She froze. "Who?"

"The computer says it was a standard office account. It might be a security check, or it might be a spy. If I complain now, I'll look like I'm panicking. If I wait, I might catch them."

"So you're just going to watch and wait?" Yuna asked.

"There's a big difference between waiting and watching," I replied. I showed her the money records I was tracking. "Whoever is stealing this money knows our secret system perfectly. Only three people ever knew how it worked besides me and my father. One is dead. One left years ago. The third is still in this building."

"Who is it?" Yuna whispered.

"I need proof before I say a name," I said. "I need you to check the account that touched my files. Be very quiet. Don't let anyone know you're looking."

"You're playing a dangerous game, Serena," Yuna warned, her voice barely audible. "If Adriano finds out you're digging into his staff, he won't care if you're right. He'll care that you didn't trust him."

"Trust is a luxury I don't have," I answered. "Now, go."

At two o'clock, Adriano walked by. He didn't stop to chat. He was checking on everyone’s work, asking very smart questions about the company’s money. He stopped at my door.

"The new land deal," he said. "Is it ready?"

"The price is wrong," I told him. "The people selling the land are lying about how much it's worth. I’ll have the real numbers ready by Friday."

"Have it done by Thursday," he ordered.

"I said Friday because I want it to be right," I said back. "Thursday is fast, but being right is how you win."

He stared at me for a long time. Marco stood behind him, waiting for Adriano to get angry.

"Friday," Adriano finally said. Then he turned and walked away.

"You're the only person who talks to him like that," Marco muttered, lingering for a second. "One day, your luck will run out."

"It's not luck, Marco," I said without looking up. "It's math."

At four o'clock, I went to get more coffee. I was only gone for four minutes. When I came back, there was a small, folded piece of paper on my desk. I hadn't left it there. I opened it carefully. It said: They are watching you. Be careful.

I looked around. My door had been closed, but not locked. I thought about everyone who had been on this floor in the last few minutes. Was this a warning from a friend? Or was someone trying to scare me?

I put the note in my pocket and sat back down at my computer. Whoever left that note wanted to see me shake. I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. I opened my notebook and wrote: Someone is helping me. Or someone is setting a trap.

I leaned back, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Show yourself," I whispered to the empty room. But the only answer was the hum of the air conditioner and the steady ticking of the clock. Someone was playing with me, and the game had only just begun.