TANGLED IN DECEIT

Chapter 7: Eyes everywhere

Coraline sat at her desk, surrounded by piles of paperwork, her mind not on the numbers but on the truth she was desperately trying to uncover. She had thought she’d have the day to catch up on routine tasks, but instead, her thoughts kept straying back to the emails she had discovered earlier. Jaxson’s ties to Victor Callahan—there was something about their relationship that didn’t sit right. She needed to know more.

Her fingers clicked rapidly on the keyboard as she dug deeper, retracing every financial transaction, every business deal, looking for something, anything that would connect the dots. There were multiple accounts linked to offshore entities, but something told her that this was only the surface. She couldn’t stop herself. She had to dig further. Something dark was hiding just beneath the polished exterior of Hartwell Industries.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from an unknown number.

“Coraline, you’re looking into Hartwell.Stay out of this or else!.”

Coraline frowned at the message, a knot formed in her stomach. Had someone already caught on to what she was doing?

Pushing the thought aside, she steeled herself. She couldn’t afford to back down now. Not when she was this close.

Meanwhile, in the penthouse that overlooked the city, Jaxson sat at his desk, papers scattered in front of him, but his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts wandered back to Coraline, and how her determined attitude had both intrigued and irritated him. She hadn’t been easily swayed, even when he had tried to put her in her place with his usual charm and arrogance. He had underestimated her.

But that wasn’t the problem. The real problem was what she had been digging into. Jaxson had people watching. Always. And lately, they’d reported back with something unsettling.

Coraline Hayes had been poking around—hard. She wasn’t just reviewing the company’s operations, she was digging into things that didn’t concern her. It was only a matter of time before she uncovered something that could bring everything crashing down.

At Hartwell Industries: Lucas, Jaxson’s most trusted ally and right-hand man, was sitting in the company’s security room. He was reviewing surveillance footage, checking up on Coraline’s movements around the office. Over the past few days, he had noticed her behavior shifting. No longer was she just the efficient consultant—she was now actively probing, and Lucas knew better than anyone that wasn’t a good sign.

The last thing Jaxson needed was someone poking into his personal life, especially when it came to people like Victor Callahan. Lucas had seen the storm clouds gathering before, and he wasn’t about to let Coraline become a liability.

With a quick sigh, Lucas picked up the phone and dialed Jaxson’s number.

A few moments later, Jaxson answered the phone with his usual clipped tone.

“Yeah?”

“Boss,” Lucas’s voice was calm but urgent. “It’s about Coraline Hayes.”

Jaxson frowned, leaning back in his chair, his eyes narrowing. “What about her?”

“She’s been digging into your business. Hard. Not just the company’s finances, she’s going through old accounts, personal transactions, and” Lucas hesitated for a moment, “she’s even looking into your ties with Callahan. This isn’t just curiosity anymore. She’s onto something.”

Jaxson’s eyes darkened at the mention of Callahan’s name. He hadn’t expected Coraline to go this far.

“What exactly has she found?” Jaxson asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Lucas shook his head slightly, though Jaxson couldn’t see it. “I don’t know the full extent yet. But she’s definitely digging deeper. I thought you’d want to know before it escalates.”

Jaxson sat up straighter, his fingers drumming on the edge of his desk. Coraline’s investigation could endanger everything. He had already been too lax, but now he had to act before she uncovered things that weren’t meant to be uncovered.

“I’ll handle it,” Jaxson said, his voice colder now. “Make sure she doesn’t get too far. I don’t care how you do it, but keep an eye on her. We don’t need her stumbling upon something she can’t handle.”

Back at her apartment, Coraline closed her laptop, rubbing her eyes as exhaustion crept in. She hadn’t gotten nearly as far as she wanted, but she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that someone was watching her. It was too quiet. No one had mentioned anything to her at the office. But the tension was palpable, and it was only a matter of time before someone caught on.

The phone in her hand buzzed again. Another message, this time from another unknown number: “You’ve been digging into something you're not supposed to poke your nose in. Stop before it’s too late.”

Coraline felt her heart skip. This wasn’t a coincidence. Someone knew. They knew she was investigating Jaxson.

She quickly glanced around her apartment, almost expecting to see someone lurking in the shadows. But there was nothing,just the echo of the city below and the quiet hum of her air conditioner.

She could have deleted the message, could have ignored it, but instead, she leaned in closer, her fingers hovering over the phone screen. She was already too far in, too invested. There was no turning back now.