The Leak
831 Words
I found out the same way everyone else did.
Through my phone.
It buzzed while I brushed my teeth, vibrating nonstop against the sink like it was panicking. I ignored it at first. Then again. And again. Messages. Missed calls. Unknown numbers.
By the time I checked, my chest was already tight.
The headline stared back at me:
BLACKWOOD GLOBAL UNDER INTERNAL INVESTIGATION — JUNIOR ANALYST SUSPECTED OF DATA LEAK
My hands went numb.
I clicked.
The article wasn’t long, but it didn’t need to be. It had my name. My age. A blurred photo taken outside the building last week. Words like unauthorized access, internal breach, anonymous sources.
Anonymous my ass.
They didn’t have to say I was guilty. Alleged was enough. They painted a picture for people to finish on their own.
Scrolling, I found another article. And another. Different outlets. Same story. Same angle. Slightly different wording. All fed from the same source.
My stomach twisted. This wasn’t a leak.
This was a coordinated hit.
By the time I reached the office, chaos had arrived ahead of me. Security at the entrance had doubled. People whispered openly now. No pretending. No subtle glances.
“She’s the one from the article.”
“They said she hacked internal files.”
“I knew something was off about her.”
I kept my head down and walked.
At my desk, my computer was locked.
No warning. No explanation.
Just a small white note taped to my screen:
Please report to Legal.
I laughed under my breath. Short. Bitter.
Legal. Of course.
The meeting didn’t last long. No questions, just statements wrapped in corporate words with sharp edges:
"Administrative leave."
"Precautionary measure."
"Cooperate fully."
They took my badge.
Walking back to the hallway, the building felt like it had turned its back on me.
I didn’t cry. I wanted to. But crying felt like losing. And I wasn’t ready for that yet.
Halfway to the elevator, Elias’ assistant appeared.
“Mr. Blackwood wants to see you.”
“Now?” I asked.
She nodded. “Now.”
His office was the same: clean, calm, untouched. That made me angrier than anything.
“They leaked it,” I said the moment the door closed. “Cross or one of his partners. Planned.”
“I know,” Elias replied calmly.
That word—calmly—made something snap.
“My name is everywhere. Suspicion has become fact overnight. I can’t even defend myself because Legal told me to stay silent.”
“You defending yourself publicly would make it worse.”
“So your solution?” I demanded. “Let them destroy me quietly?”
“No,” he said. “Let them overplay their hand.”
I stared at him. “You knew this would happen.”
“Yes.”
“You let it happen.”
“I didn’t stop it,” he corrected. “There’s a difference.”
I shook my head. “Unbelievable.”
“And yet, you’re alive, employed, not in handcuffs. Which means the leak didn’t achieve its full purpose.”
“That’s supposed to comfort me?”
“No,” he said. “It’s supposed to make you think.”
I paced. “They’re isolating me. First the accusation, now the media… next they’ll—”
“—try to force you to disappear,” he finished.
I froze.
“Cross wants distance. If you quit, vanish, or break under pressure, he wins. If you stay, he has to escalate.”
“You’re using me.”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “And so are they. The difference? I don’t intend to sacrifice you.”
I laughed bitterly. “That’s a low bar.”
“Yet here you are.”
Silence stretched between us.
“They’re going to watch my every move. One wrong step, and they’ll say it confirms everything.”
“Which is why,” Elias said, “you won’t make any visible moves.”
I frowned. “Then what do I do?”
He stepped closer, voice low. “You let them believe they’ve damaged you. Stay quiet. Withdrawn. Cooperative.”
“And behind the scenes?”
His eyes darkened. “Behind the scenes, we find out who leaked the story. Not the messenger. The one who ordered it.”
My hands curled into fists. “And when we do?”
“Then we return the favor.”
Fear and anger twisted in my chest.
“They dragged my father’s name through the mud. Now it’s me.”
“I know,” he said quietly.
“I won’t stop,” I added. “Even if it ruins me.”
“I know that too.”
I left his office with my head high, but inside, the ground felt unstable. Anything could give way at any second.
By nightfall, my phone buzzed again.
A new headline:
INSIDER SOURCES CLAIM MORE REVELATIONS COMING
My heart pounded.
They weren’t done.
And neither was I.
- Writer
