CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - When secrets move
1220 Words
Cassie sat at her desk long after returning from lunch, but her concentration was nowhere near the stack of files waiting for her attention.
The events of the day seemed determined to follow her.
Yurin’s warning.
Maddie’s cautious advice.
The argument with Ronald.
Everything felt tangled together into one giant knot she couldn’t undo.
With a frustrated sigh, she pushed herself away from her desk and stared out the floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city.
From this height, everything looked smaller.
Simpler.
Yet somehow her life had become more complicated in less than a week than it had been in years.
A week!!!!
One week since her mother married Walton.
One week since she moved into the mansion.
One week since she entered a world she still didn’t fully understand.
And the deeper she went, the more secrets she seemed to uncover.
A knock on her office door pulled her from her thoughts.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Maddie stepped inside.
“You look like you’re about to declare war on somebody.”
Cassie laughed softly.
“Maybe I am.”
“Should I be concerned?”
“Depends.”
“On?”
“Whether you’re the target.”
Maddie placed a hand dramatically over her chest.
“Wow. After I bought you lunch too.”
Cassie shook her head, smiling despite herself.
“You’re impossible.”
“That’s what makes me lovable.”
The two women shared a brief laugh before Maddie’s expression became more serious.
“You settling in okay?”
Cassie hesitated.
“I think so.”
“You think so?”
“Honestly?” Cassie sighed. “I don’t know anymore.”
Maddie leaned against the desk.
“That bad?”
Cassie looked around the massive office assigned to her.
The expensive furniture, polished floors and impressive view.
Everything looked perfect.
Yet none of it felt normal.
“Do you ever feel like everyone knows something except you?”
Maddie was quiet for a moment.
“Every day.”
That earned a genuine laugh from Cassie.
Before she could respond, another knock interrupted them.
This time it was one of Ronald’s assistants.
“Miss Cassie?”
“Yes?”
“Mr Walton would like the quarterly projections finalised before five.”
Cassie frowned.
“Today?”
The assistant nodded.
“His exact words.”
Maddie groaned dramatically.
“See? This is why nobody likes CEOs.”
The assistant tried not to smile before excusing himself.
The moment he left, Cassie grabbed the nearest file.
“Looks like lunch break is officially over.”
“Tragic.”
Across the building, Ronald sat in his office reviewing reports.
Or at least pretending to.
His attention had drifted to the city skyline several times in the last twenty minutes.
Something wasn’t right And his instincts rarely lied.
A soft knock sounded.
“Come in.”
Chris entered carrying a tablet.
The expression on his face immediately erased whatever remained of Ronald’s patience.
“What happened?”
Chris placed the tablet on the desk.
“You need to see this.”
Ronald looked down.
His eyes narrowed.
A series of financial records filled the screen.
Several transactions, Several accounts and inconsistencies.
Small enough to avoid immediate detection.
Large enough to be intentional.
His expression darkened.
“Who found it?”
“Our internal audit team.”
“And?”
Chris folded his arms.
“They think someone has been leaking information.”
Silence.
Cold.
Dangerous silence.
Ronald slowly leaned back.
“How long?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Find out.”
“We’re already working on it.”
Ronald’s gaze hardened.
“No.”
Chris understood immediately.
Not working.
Hunting.
Someone inside Walton Holdings had crossed a line.
And Ronald intended to find them.
Fast.
************
Meanwhile, another meeting was taking place a few blocks from Walton Holdings.
Yurin sat alone inside a private lounge of an upscale hotel.
A glass of wine rested untouched before her.
She wasn’t interested in drinking.
She was waiting.
The door opened and A man entered.
Tall, well-dressed, and Dangerous.
Yurin smiled.
“You kept me waiting.”
The man took the seat opposite her.
“You came back.”
“I did.”
His eyes studied her carefully.
“And?”
Yurin’s smile widened.
“Things are getting interesting.”
The man leaned back.
“Does Ronald know?”
“No.”
“Good.”
The smile on her face became colder.
Much colder.
“Not yet.”
*********
Back at Walton Holdings, the day dragged on.
By five o’clock Cassie’s eyes felt exhausted.
Numbers, Reports, schedules, and Meetings.
She had spent hours buried beneath work.
Yet somehow she felt accomplished.
For the first time since arriving at the company, she had handled something meaningful.
A small victory.
But a victory nonetheless.
She was gathering her files when a message appeared on her phone.
Unknown Number
Her eyebrows furrowed.
She opened it.
The message contained only five words.
“You’re asking too many questions”
Cassie’s stomach dropped.
She stared at the screen Then read it again.
And again, no name, no explanation.
Nothing.
Just those words.
A chill crawled down her spine.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The office suddenly felt colder.
Who sent it?
And more importantly—
How did they get her number?
At almost the same moment, Chris burst into Ronald’s office without knocking.
That alone was enough to signal trouble.
Ronald looked up immediately.
“What is it?”
Chris closed the door behind him.
“We’ve got a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
Chris placed another file on the desk.
This time Ronald’s expression changed instantly.
“Where did you get this?”
“Warehouse Seven.”
Ronald stared at the photograph.
One symbol.
Spray-painted across a steel container.
A black serpent.
The mark of the Romano family.
The room became silent.
Chris spoke carefully.
“Someone sent us a message.”
Ronald’s jaw tightened.
The Romano family hadn’t made a move in months.
Not openly.
Not directly.
Until now.
“They’re getting bold.”
Chris nodded.
“Looks that way.”
Ronald stood.
The decision already made.
“Prepare the cars.”
Chris sighed.
“I figured you’d say that.”
“Tonight.”
“I know.”
Ronald grabbed his coat.
Because if the Romano family wanted to send a message—
He intended to answer it.
Several miles away, completely unaware of the storm beginning to form around her, Cassie left the building and headed toward the parking area.
The strange text message still occupied her thoughts.
Something about it felt wrong.
Personal and Targeted.
As if someone was watching.
She stopped walking.
A strange sensation settled over her.
The feeling of being observed.
Cassie slowly turned.
Nothing.
Just employees leaving work.
Traffic in the distance.
The fading evening sunlight.
Yet the feeling remained.
Strong enough to make her uneasy.
After a moment, she shook it off and continued walking.
She didn’t notice the dark vehicle parked across the street.
She didn’t notice the man sitting inside.
And she certainly didn’t notice the camera pointed in her direction.
From inside the vehicle, a photograph snapped.
Then another…..Then another.
The man lowered the camera and pulled out his phone.
And sent a single message.
“Target confirmed”.
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