The Billionaire’s Master Key

4.

Nina’s POV

I spent the next few days watching Dmitri. There wasn’t anything unusual until Thursday.

When he closed from work at 7 PM. he didn’t go to the parking garage. He walked to the street and got into a taxi. I followed him in my car.

The taxi drove downtown and stopped in front of an old building complex.

I checked the sign next to the building. The Blue Orchid Private Club.

I parked down the street and watched Dmitri walk inside. The bouncer nodded at him like he was a regular.

I took out my phone and scrolled through my contact book until I found Viktor’s number.

He was an old informant from my undercover days. He owed me a favor and I was about to collect it.

He picked up on the third ring.

“Lena?” his voice was surprised. “I thought you were dead.”

“Well, I’m not. I need to enter The Blue Orchid Private Club without a membership card.”

There was a pause. I heard him typing.

“Arthur Sterling. He’s a VIP customer. But you’ll need to convince the guys at the door.”

“Thanks Viktor.”

“Lena,” Viktor said before I could hang up. “Whatever you’re doing… be careful.”

“I know,” I hung up before he could say more.

After ten minutes, I got out of my car and walked to the door.

The bouncer looked at me. “Card?’

“I’m here to meet someone,” I said.

“Name?”

“Arthur Sterling.”

The bouncer pulled out a tablet and scrolled through it. “You’re not on the list.”

“I know but he’s expecting me.”

He stared at me for a long moment. Then he stepped aside.

“Third floor. Room seven.”

I nodded and walked in.

The inside was dark and expensive. There was wood paneling on the walls. The place smelled of old money and whiskey.

I walked up the stairs. My feet barely made a sound on the stairs. I didn’t go into room seven. I started checking doors.

Room one was empty. Two men were drinking and laughing in Room two.

I stopped outside room five and pressed my back against the wall. I could hear voices through the door.

“…I need money,” Dmitri said. His voice was shaky and desperate. “Three hundred thousand. By Monday”

“I have paid you for the last job,” a voice answered.

“I know. I know. But this is urgent....”

“You need to give me what I want.”

There was silence before Dmitri spoke again, his voice was barely more than a whisper. “The data moat. I can get you the users’ data. That will allow you to launch a similar…”

“I don’t want the data moat. I want the core code. The exact blueprint of Project Aegis.

Dmitri was silent again.

“I can’t get that,” Dmitri said. “Roman keeps it on a standalone server. It’s not bridged to the rest of the system. Only Roman can access The Island.”

“Then get access.”

“I can’t. He doesn’t trust anyone with that. Not even me.”

The other voice laughed. “Then make him trust you. You’re his cousin. He made you his head of security. Figure it out.”

There was a sound of movement inside. It sounded like a chair scrapping against the floor.

“I want the core code in one week,” the voice said. “Or this would be our last meeting.”

“Wait. No. Please. Just give me the money upfront.”

“I will send half of it to you tomorrow.”

The door opened.

I almost didn’t have the chance to move. I slid behind a potted plant as they walked out.

I could see the man’s face through the leaves. Marcus Webb. CEO of Webb Technologies and Roman’s biggest rival.

I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture of them. I slid my phone back into my pocket and waited until their footsteps had died down before I moved.

I walked downstairs and out the front door. The bouncer gave me a look but didn’t say anything.

It was freezing outside. I walked towards the street where I had parked my car. My phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out.

It was a message from an unknown number. “I know who you are, Lena.”

My blood turned to ice. I stopped walking. My heart pounded in my ears.

I turned around, searching the street, the buildings, the cars but no one seemed suspicious.

My phone buzzed again. “You thought the fire would hide you. It didn’t.”

My hands were shaking now. I could barely breathe. I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Nina.”

I spun around.

Roman Volkov was standing in the direction of The Blue Orchid. His arms were folded across his chest and his gray eyes locked on me like a hawk watching a mouse.

He stepped forward slowly.

“You want to tell me what you’re doing here?” he asked.

I stared at him. The phone was still in my hand.

Did he send it? He was right there, watching me.

I shoved the phone into my pocket and forced my face into calmness.

“I’m following a lead,” I said.

“A lead.”

“Yes.”

“Whose lead?”

I looked him straight in the eyes. “Your cousin’s.”

Roman’s face didn’t change. “Dmitri,” he said without asking.

“Marcus Webb was here tonight. With him.”

Roman stared at me in silence for a few seconds.

“How long have you known?” he asked.

“Know what?”

“That Dmitri, was the leak.”

I didn’t answer. I just watched him. I didn’t know if Roman was playing me. I didn’t know who sent that message.

All I knew was that someone out there knew my undercover name. And I had no idea who it was.

“Get in the car,” Roman said. He gestured to a black SUV parked nearby.

“Why?”

“Because we have a lot to talk about. And I would rather not do it here on the street.”

He walked to the car and opened the door. I walked up to him and got in the car.

The driver started the car. Roman sat across from me in the back seat. He didn’t speak but his gray eyes were on me.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“My apartment.”

“I really think this should wait till tomorrow.”

“I don’t care what you think,” his voice was flat. “You just tailed my cousin. You have information about my company that I don’t have. You’re going to tell me everything. Tonight.”

I looked out the window. “Your cousin has a gambling problem.”

Roman didn’t react. “I know. I bailed him out twice. He promised he was done.”

“He’s not done. He owes money to dangerous people. The Petrov Network. And he’s selling company information to Marcus Webb to pay off his debts.”

Roman was silent for a long moment.

“Do you know what Marcus wants?” his voice came out as a whisper.

“He wants the blueprint for Project Aegis. He probably wants to launch Aegis before your product hits the market.”

Roman’s jaw tightened. “He’ll never get it.”

“Dmitri has four more days to pay Petrov. Or his wife dies.”

The car pulled into an underground garage. The driver stopped in front of a private elevator.

“Come with me,” Roman said. He got out of the car.

I hesitated for a second, then I followed him.

The elevator took us to a huge apartment on the top floor. The apartment has floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the city from every angle. It was very minimal but it was spotless and luxurious.

Roman walked to the bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He didn’t offer me one.

“Did you take photos?”

I took out my phone and gave it to him. His expression remained the same as he flipped through the pictures.

“Marcus Webb,” he said.

“This was not their first meeting. Your cousin has been working with Webb for some time.”

Roman handed the phone back. “This is not proof that he wants to steal my company.”

“No. But it’s enough to start an investigation.”

Something close to anger flickered in his gray eyes.

“You have a habit of not following orders,” he said.

“I just told you what you need to know.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

I met his eyes. “You hired me to find the person trying to takeover your company. How I find out who this phantom is, is my business.”

He took a step closer.

“I don’t like being kept in the dark,” his voice dropped.

“Alright,” I said finally. “But I’m not working for you. I will be working with you.”

Roman stared at me for a long moment before he nodded. “Good.”

He took out his cell phone and dialed.

“Clara, tell Dmitri to see me in the office,” he said into the phone. “By seven, tomorrow morning.”

He hung up and turned to me.

“Tomorrow, we find out how much information Marcus has. Together.”

“Together,” I repeated.