Chapter 8: The Offer
763 Words
The city never truly sleeps. That night, neither did I.
The text replayed in my mind, over and over. Walk away.
Lor had brushed it off, but I couldn’t. It was too clean, too precise. It wasn’t just some random warning—it was a directive. And something about that chilled me more than Uma’s cryptic words at the bar.
I stood on my apartment balcony, looking toward Dan’s office building. Lights were still on. Someone was still working. Or watching.
I grabbed my binoculars.
Dan’s cabin was empty. But Burn Hidds was there, pacing. His phone was pressed to his ear, and his face was twisted in frustration. Then, something strange happened.
He turned to the window. And he smiled.
At me.
I jerked back. No way. There was no way he could see me. But that grin—it was deliberate. It was knowing.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown Number. “Last warning.”
I slammed the balcony door shut.
This wasn’t just some company drama anymore. This was something else.
That night, I barely slept. Every sound outside my window had me on edge. The city never really sleeps, but this time, the usual hum of life felt... different. As if something was waiting in the shadows.
By morning, I was convinced I was being paranoid. Then I stepped out of my apartment.
There was a car parked across the street. A black sedan, windows tinted so dark I couldn’t see inside. It hadn’t been there last night.
I pulled out my phone, took a casual photo like I was just snapping a shot of the skyline, then crossed the street, acting like I wasn’t walking straight toward it.
As soon as I got close, the engine roared to life. The car peeled off, tires screeching as it disappeared down the block.
I stood there, heart pounding.
Someone was watching me.
I met Lor at our usual café, tossing my phone on the table. “Someone’s following me.”
She barely looked surprised. “That didn’t take long.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You expected this?”
She stirred her coffee absentmindedly. “After that text? Yeah. Someone’s rattled.”
I exhaled sharply. “It’s gotta be Dan.”
Lor shook her head. “No. Dan doesn’t do scare tactics. He’s not that subtle.”
I frowned. “Then who?”
Lor didn’t answer right away. Instead, she pulled something out of her purse. A folded note.
She slid it across the table. “This was in my mailbox this morning.”
I opened it.
“You don’t want to know the truth.”
I stared at the words. No name. No signature.
I looked at her. “You think this is the same person who texted me?”
She nodded.
I leaned back, rubbing a hand over my face. “Alright. We need to find out what’s really going on.”
Lor smirked. “Thought you’d never say that.”
We started where we knew the trouble began—Dan’s office.
Lor had connections there, people who still owed her favors. She pulled some strings, got us access to some of the old financial reports from when she was CEO.
That’s when we found it.
A series of payments.
Large sums of money, funneled into shell companies. The transactions started about a year before Lor was forced out. They weren’t listed under Dan’s name, but we recognized one of the signatures.
Burn Hidds.
Lor’s hands tightened around the paper. “That bastard.”
Burn had been Dan’s right-hand man for years, but he was never the brains of the operation. If he was involved in something shady, it meant someone was pulling his strings.
I looked at Lor. “You think this is why Dan pushed you out?”
She clenched her jaw. “I think Dan doesn’t know half of what’s happening under his nose.”
I frowned. “You’re saying he’s not behind this?”
She shook her head. “No. But I think he’s about to be the fall guy.”
That night, my phone buzzed again.
Another unknown number.
But this time, it wasn’t a warning.
It was an invitation.
“Meet me at Pier 17. 11 PM. Come alone.”
I stared at the screen. My gut told me this was a mistake. But if we wanted answers, we had to take risks.
Lor read the message over my shoulder. “You’re not going alone.”
I sighed. “I figured you’d say that.”
She grabbed her coat. “Let’s go.”
- Writer
