The traitor unmasked
278 Words
The ballroom buzzed with confusion as Marcus handed Oliver a tablet displaying the security logs.
"The signal came from the VIP lounge," Marcus said. "The laptop is registered to Ethan Brooks."
Oliver's face darkened.
"Ethan? My chief financial officer?"
Marcus nodded. "Yes, sir."
Without another word, Oliver strode toward the VIP lounge, Tracy and Marcus close behind.
The door swung open.
The room was empty.
Only an open laptop sat on the table, its screen still glowing.
Marcus examined it carefully.
"He left in a hurry."
Oliver's eyes fell on a small silver cufflink lying beside the keyboard.
His expression changed.
"This isn't Ethan's."
Tracy picked it up.
An elegant letter V was engraved on it.
"V..." she whispered.
Oliver's gaze hardened.
"Vanessa."
Just then, Marcus received another alert through his earpiece.
"Sir! CCTV has captured Ethan entering the lounge—but he wasn't alone."
"Who was with him?"
Marcus turned the screen toward them.
The footage showed Vanessa speaking to Ethan moments before the presentation began. She handed him a small flash drive, then walked away smiling.
Tracy felt a chill.
"So she planned everything..."
Oliver shook his head.
"No."
Tracy looked at him in surprise.
"Vanessa is involved," he said, "but she's not the mastermind."
Marcus frowned.
"What makes you think that?"
Oliver stared at the paused footage.
"Because Vanessa never works for anyone."
He zoomed in on the reflection in the glass window behind Ethan.
A shadowy figure stood in the corridor, watching them.
The person's face was hidden.
But one detail was unmistakable—
A distinctive gold ring bearing the crest of the Lancaster family.
Someone from Oliver's own family had orchestrated the scandal.
- Writer
