Chapter10
1105 Words
The atmosphere outside matched the one building within ReedTech’s sleek glass tower. Rain dropped down the windows in harsh, silver lines as Adrian stood right in front of his desk, the recording still playing repeatedly in his ears. His mother’s fragile voice. Veronica’s cruelty, sharp as a blade. He had listened to it so many times the words felt itchy in his ears.
But Adrian Carter-Reed wasn’t a man who let emotion steer his decisions. Not anymore. He stopped the record, set the headphones down, and slid the file into his locked drawer. There would be time for the ghosts later. Right now, he has enemies alive and moving, enemies who wanted him to bring him down.
A sharp knock sounded on his office door.
“Come in,” Adrian said.
The door opened, Miranda Shaw showed up, one of ReedTech’s senior compliance officers. She was in her early thirties, tall, with long dark hair tied into a sleek ponytail, and eyes that gleamed with intelligence—and something else, something more unimaginable. She was carrying a file in her hand, but the way she leaned against the doorframe made it clear she hadn’t come just for business.
“Mr. Carter-Reed,” she said, her voice smooth, intentional. “We’ve finished cross-checking the offshore accounts flagged in the Harris audit. There’s more. A shell company routed money through Singapore and Dubai. Both were traced back to signatures under Emily Harris’s clearance.”
Adrian tightened his jaw. “Bring me details. I want the full paper works, not summaries.”
Miranda gave him a faint smile. “Already on your desk.” She stepped inside, setting the files aside—but she didn’t step back. Instead, she came closer, her perfume subtle but intoxicating, her gaze steady. “Get some rest, Adrian. You’ve been here three nights straight. Even machines overheat.”
He ignored the shift in her tone, focusing instead on the numbers spilling across the reports. Fraud. Deceits. Veronica’s bold signature on every piece, yet hidden behind Emily’s name. His gut told him Emily wasn’t involved—but that didn’t mean she was innocent.
“Rest is a luxury,” Adrian said, flipping over more pages intentionally.
“Sometimes,” Miranda said softly, “luxuries are what keep us sane.”
Before he could respond, she placed her hand lightly on his broad shoulder. The move was bold, reckless even. Her fingers trailed slowly down his bold arm, her eyes never leaving his face.
Adrian froze, then shifted just enough for the contact to break. His voice was cool steel. “I don’t mix business with pleasure. Don’t dare try that again.”
For a moment, Miranda’s lips curved into something unreadable—a soft smile mixed with a little bit of shame, maybe, or a challenge. “Of course, Mr. Carter-Reed. Strict lines. I understand.” She picked up her empty folder and walked out immediately, hips swaying deliberately.
Adrian exhaled slowly once the door shut. Not everyone in ReedTech could be trusted. Even those closest to him might carry hidden motives. And temptation was just another form of weakness his enemies could exploit.
Across town, Emily Harris sat at the edge of her bed, the ReedTech summons letter trembling in her hand. Fraud. Her name smeared across documents she never signed. Her own mother had set her up to be the shield.
For years, she had obeyed her mother. All her life, she had believed loyalty to family was her duty. But now, looking at the letter that threatened to strip away what little respect she had left, Emily felt only rage.
She grabbed her phone and called her mother.
“Emily.” Veronica’s voice came sharp, clipped. “I assume you’ve seen the letter. Calm down. I’ll handle it.”
“Handle it?” Emily snapped. “You forged my name! You stole millions and put it under my signature! You’re trying to ruin me!”
“Lower your voice,” Veronica hissed. “You’re hysterical. Do you think Adrian will believe you weren’t involved? He already hates you. You’re the perfect scapegoat, darling. That’s why I used your name. He’ll try to crush you, and when he does, no one will think to look at me but I’ll try to save you.”
Emily’s hand trembled as she held to her phone, fury flooding her veins. “You’ll let me burn for you?”
“You’ll survive. You’re a Harris. Play your part,” Veronica said coldly, then hung up.
Emily stared at the black screen, her heart hammering. Something inside her snapped. For the first time, she didn’t feel like her mother’s puppet. She felt like her enemy, and she asked herself. “What kind of a mother is this”?
That same night, Adrian’s private line rang. It wasn’t a number he recognized. He considered ignoring it—but something in his instincts made him answer.
“This is Carter-Reed.”
A distorted voice came through, masked by static. “Your empire won’t save you, Carter. Your mother couldn’t save herself either.”
Adrian straightened, his eyes narrowing. “Who is this?”
The caller chuckled low, cruel. “History repeats. Just as Veronica buried Clara, you’ll be buried too. Check tomorrow’s headlines. Let’s see how your shareholders react when your darkest secret goes public.”
The line went dead.
Adrian remained still, the dial tone humming in his ear. His darkest secret? The words echoed like thunder. Someone out there knew about Clara Carter. Someone who wanted to drag her memory into the fire with him.
By morning, the first blow landed.
Headlines splashed across every financial outlet: “Adrian Carter-Reed, Hidden Illegitimate Son: Was ReedTech’s Legacy Stolen?”
Attached was a grainy old photo—his mother, Clara, holding a baby outside a hospital, her face pale, her eyes frightened. Next to it, a blurred document claiming Jonathan Reed had “never legally acknowledged” him.
The media storm was instant. Stocks wavered. Rivals whispered. And Veronica Harris smiled behind her glass of whiskey, watching from her mansion as the city began to doubt the man who had taken everything from her.
But Adrian wasn’t a man to crumble. As the cameras flashed and questions rained, he stood tall, his jaw set, his voice measured. “Truth is never hidden forever. Let the world speculate. ReedTech stands on results, not gossip.”
Still, inside, his blood boiled. Someone inside ReedTech had leaked those files. The enemy wasn’t just outside—it was already in his walls.
And Adrian Carter-Reed was about to hunt them down.
- Writer
