The Deepfake on My Phone

Chapter 3 An Unbreakable Alliance

The tablet slipped from Julian's fingers and clattered to the floor.

He crossed the space between us and pulled me against his chest. I grabbed the back of his shirt and finally let myself shake.

After a moment, he eased back and looked at me.

"Look at me, Serena. I know your face. That video is a cheap trick, and I know it isn't you."

A rough breath caught in my throat. At least I wouldn't have to prove the truth to Julian while chasing the person behind the lie.

"I know," I whispered. "I traced the IP address. It's a masked node, but the origin server is within two blocks of your office building."

Julian went still. "The new administrative assistant. Chloe Adams."

I nodded. "She started two weeks ago."

"Yes. She's been asking about server security and project timelines, things way above her pay grade. I thought she was ambitious." He curled one hand into a fist. "I should have looked closer."

"So, what do we do?" I asked. "Do we play along? Pretend to cooperate?"

"No." He picked up my phone and held the power button until the screen went black. "We don't negotiate, and we don't trade your dignity for a USB key."

He handed the phone back. "They came into our home and watched Lily. We take this to the police, and we give them everything."

The next morning, Julian left his usual tailored suit in the closet. In jeans and a dark sweater, he poured me a cup of coffee and carried the evidence bag to the car.

We drove downtown together and pushed open the heavy glass doors of the city's Cyber and Economic Crime Investigation Unit.