Chapter 26: The Counterattack
922 Words
The next morning, I woke before the alarm.
For a few seconds, everything was quiet.
Then reality came rushing back.
The leak.
The traitor.
Eleanor.
I sat on the edge of my bed, rubbing my temples. Outside my bedroom window, the city was already awake. Cars filled the streets below, and the early sunlight reflected off the glass towers surrounding TechEdge.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Marcus.
I answered immediately.
"Tell me you have good news."
"We do."
His voice sounded steadier than it had in days.
"The police arrested Daniel Pierce early this morning."
I frowned.
"The analyst?"
"Yes. He's already confessed to copying the files."
"And Eleanor?"
There was a brief silence.
"He admitted someone paid him."
"But?"
"But he never met Eleanor personally."
My heart sank.
"Of course."
"The money came through three shell companies before reaching his account."
"Legally, it's difficult to connect her directly."
I let out a slow breath.
"She covered her tracks."
"Exactly."
Before hanging up, Marcus added quietly,
"But we're not finished."
Neither was I.
---
The apartment slowly came alive.
The smell of pancakes drifted from the kitchen.
I smiled.
Only one person would already be cooking.
When I walked downstairs, Ethan was standing by the stove wearing one of my aprons.
The sight was almost ridiculous.
A billionaire CEO flipping pancakes while humming softly to himself.
Alex sat at the table drawing dinosaurs.
Leo was carefully arranging blueberries into the shape of a race car.
Mia stood beside Ethan on a chair, proudly stirring a bowl of batter.
"Daddy says I'm the assistant chef."
Ethan smiled.
"The best assistant."
She looked at me proudly.
"I haven't spilled anything."
"Yet," Alex teased.
"I won't!"
Leo laughed.
"She always says that."
"I do not!"
Within seconds, all three were arguing.
Ethan simply looked at me and grinned.
"They definitely inherited your stubbornness."
I folded my arms.
"My stubbornness?"
"You've never admitted you're wrong."
"I have."
"When?"
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
The children burst into laughter.
"Mommy lost!"
Even I couldn't help laughing.
For a few wonderful minutes...
The world outside didn't exist.
---
The peace ended the moment my phone rang again.
Claire.
"Good morning, Zara."
Her voice was calm but urgent.
"We've received three requests from major investors."
"What kind of requests?"
"They want an emergency meeting."
"Today."
I looked at Ethan.
He already knew.
"I'll be there in an hour."
After ending the call, I sighed.
"The market still doesn't trust us."
"They will."
Ethan poured coffee into my favorite mug.
"Today we start earning that trust back."
---
By ten o'clock, the executive boardroom was full.
Investors, lawyers, auditors, and senior executives filled every chair.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked angry.
I stood at the front beside Ethan and Marcus.
No slides.
No speeches.
Just honesty.
"I won't waste your time," I began.
"TechEdge was betrayed by someone inside our company."
"We found him."
"We reported him."
"And we are strengthening every security system we have."
One investor interrupted.
"How do we know it won't happen again?"
Marcus stepped forward.
"Because from today, no confidential file can be accessed by one employee alone."
He displayed the new security plan.
"Every sensitive document now requires three executive approvals."
Another investor nodded slowly.
"What about the merger?"
Everyone turned toward Ethan.
He stood calmly.
"The merger moves forward."
"Nothing has changed."
"In fact..."
He paused.
"We're investing an additional two hundred million dollars into TechEdge's cybersecurity division."
The room became completely silent.
One board member blinked.
"You're increasing your investment?"
"Yes."
A woman near the window smiled.
"That sends quite a message."
"Exactly."
Ethan looked around the room.
"My confidence in this company has never been stronger."
For the first time all week...
The atmosphere changed.
People weren't whispering anymore.
They were listening.
---
By late afternoon, the meeting finally ended.
Investors shook our hands before leaving.
Some even smiled.
Marcus closed the conference room door behind the last guest.
"I think we just stopped the bleeding."
I leaned against the table.
"For now."
Claire walked in carrying a tablet.
"You should both see this."
She placed it on the table.
Financial news flashed across the screen.
VANCE ENTERPRISES DOUBLES INVESTMENT IN TECHEDGE.
MARKETS RESPOND POSITIVELY.
SHARES BEGIN RECOVERING AFTER MORNING LOSSES.
Marcus smiled.
"I'll take that."
For the first time in days...
So did I.
---
Across town...
Eleanor Vance lowered the newspaper onto her desk.
Her assistant stood nervously in front of her.
"They recovered faster than expected."
Eleanor's expression remained unreadable.
"So they did."
"The market believes Ethan's statement."
She slowly stood and walked toward the window overlooking the city.
"They're becoming stronger together."
The assistant hesitated.
"What should we do now?"
A slow smile appeared on Eleanor's face.
"We stop attacking the company."
The assistant looked confused.
"What?"
"It's time to attack something much more valuable."
She picked up a framed photograph from her desk.
It showed Ethan as a little boy.
She stared at it for several seconds before speaking again.
"If Zara won't leave my son..."
"I'll make sure she believes someone close to her never loved her at all."
The assistant frowned.
"I don't understand."
"You will."
Eleanor picked up her phone.
"Find me every piece of information you can on Marcus Reed."
"And especially..."
She smiled coldly.
"...his past with Zara Kane."
Far across the city...
None of us knew that Eleanor had just changed her strategy.
The battle for TechEdge was ending.
But the battle for trust...
Was only beginning.
- Writer
