CHAPTER 20
1425 Words
Chapter 20: “Countdown to the Gala”
Morning broke like a warning — golden sunlight slicing through a sky heavy with unspoken threats. The city outside gleamed, oblivious to the chaos brewing within the glass fortress of Blackwell Tower.
Inside, the building was a hive of motion. Technicians rushed between departments, executives barked orders, and security teams patrolled every corridor. To the public, it looked like last-minute preparation for a high-profile corporate gala.
But inside the inner circle, only three people knew the truth — Ava, Liam, and Ethan.
The gala wasn’t just a celebration.
It was a ticking bomb.
---
Ava sat in the server control room, her eyes glued to the screen as code streamed endlessly. Every second felt like an hour. Her body was running on caffeine and adrenaline, her mind stretched between fear and fury.
Samantha’s words from the night before echoed in her head:
> “Tomorrow night, the world will see the truth.”
That phrase alone was enough to make her stomach twist. Samantha had planned everything — from the viral infiltration to the public exposure. The woman wasn’t just seeking revenge. She wanted domination. She wanted to burn the Blackwell legacy down to ashes and rebuild it in her own image.
Ava slammed her hands against the desk. “She’s going to destroy everything,” she whispered.
Ethan, standing beside her, adjusted his glasses. “I’ve been tracing her digital footprint all night. She’s masked herself behind so many proxies it’s like chasing a ghost. But I found something — a remote backup linked to a secure personal terminal.”
“Where?” Ava asked sharply.
“Her private suite. The one connected to the executive wing.”
Ava frowned. “That’s on the top floor. Near Liam’s office.”
“Exactly.” Ethan looked up, his tone serious. “If we can access that terminal, we might be able to intercept her before she launches the broadcast. But we’ll need clearance — full clearance.”
Ava exhaled slowly. “Then we go to Liam.”
---
When she entered Liam’s office, the man she saw looked nothing like the cold, calculated CEO she’d first met. His tie was loosened, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion, and a faint bruise marked his jaw — evidence of a long night.
He was staring at a set of encrypted files on his tablet, but the moment she stepped inside, his gaze lifted.
“You found something,” he said, his voice hoarse.
Ava nodded. “Samantha has a personal terminal connected to the system. If we can get access before the gala, we might stop her from triggering the virus remotely.”
Liam’s jaw tightened. “Of course she does. That woman’s always had a contingency plan.”
He stood, grabbing his jacket. “I’ll get you clearance. But once we’re in, Ava — we do this quietly. No one else can know.”
“Understood,” she said.
For a second, they just stood there — two people on opposite sides of chaos, bound by something neither could fully define.
“After tonight,” Liam said softly, “everything changes.”
She met his gaze. “You mean for the company?”
His lips twitched faintly. “For us.”
Ava’s breath caught, but before she could respond, Ethan’s voice crackled through the intercom.
> “Guys, you’d better see this. The press feed is already being prepped for the gala. And someone’s modified the schedule.”
Liam frowned. “Modified how?”
Ethan hesitated. “They’ve added a new segment — right after your keynote speech.”
“What segment?” Ava asked.
“The Reveal,” Ethan said grimly. “It’s titled ‘The Truth About Blackwell Corp.’”
---
Panic rippled through the room. Liam slammed a fist against his desk. “She’s not even hiding it anymore.”
Ava paced, her mind spinning. “She’s planning to expose something live. But what?”
Liam’s gaze darkened. “My father’s archives. The ones that were locked after the merger. If those files go public, every secret deal, every buried scandal — everything we built — will collapse.”
“And she’ll take your place,” Ava said quietly. “As the savior who ‘uncovered the truth.’”
Liam exhaled sharply. “Not if we stop her first.”
He turned to Ava, his eyes burning with determination. “We have less than twelve hours. You and Ethan secure her terminal. I’ll handle the gala prep and make sure no one suspects a thing.”
Ava nodded. “We’ll need full network access.”
“You’ll have it,” he promised. “But, Ava…”
She paused. “What?”
“If things go wrong — if she manages to trigger the feed — walk away. Don’t go down with me.”
She gave him a hard look. “I didn’t come this far to walk away now.”
He almost smiled. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
---
By afternoon, the city buzzed with anticipation. Luxury cars lined the street outside Blackwell Tower, and the media flocked to the front entrance like vultures waiting for a feast.
Inside, decorators arranged crystal chandeliers, waiters rehearsed serving routines, and the main stage was built beneath a sprawling LED screen — the very system Samantha planned to hijack.
Ava moved unseen through the crowd, a badge around her neck marking her as a technical assistant. Ethan followed close behind, carrying a case of encrypted drives.
“You sure you can handle this?” he whispered.
Ava nodded. “If we don’t stop her before midnight, she’ll unleash the files during Liam’s speech.”
Ethan sighed. “You realize that means we’ll be committing cyber-treason against one of the biggest corporations in the world.”
She gave him a tired smile. “At this point, what else is new?”
---
As evening approached, Liam stood on the balcony overlooking the gala floor. The sight below was dazzling — chandeliers sparkling, champagne glasses clinking, reporters laughing under the soft hum of music.
But all he could feel was dread.
He adjusted his cufflinks, then felt his phone vibrate. A message from Ava:
> We’re in.
He looked up at the massive LED screen suspended above the stage. The same one that would soon broadcast his speech — or Samantha’s betrayal.
He whispered under his breath, “Not tonight.”
---
Meanwhile, deep in the executive wing, Ava swiped her access card and entered Samantha’s suite. The air inside was heavy with perfume and power. On the desk sat a sleek silver terminal, its monitor glowing faintly.
“This is it,” Ethan said.
Ava sat down and began typing. “If we can clone the system image before she notices, we can redirect the broadcast link.”
But as soon as she pressed Enter, the screen flashed red.
> WELCOME, AVA. I WAS EXPECTING YOU.
Her stomach dropped.
Ethan swore softly. “She’s been monitoring this terminal remotely.”
Then another message appeared on-screen.
> I admire your courage. But you’re too late. The upload begins in six hours.
Ava’s hands trembled. “She’s taunting us.”
“Or warning you,” Ethan murmured. “Look — she left coordinates attached to the message.”
Ava frowned. “Coordinates?”
Ethan nodded. “Somewhere off-grid. Maybe where her main server is housed.”
Ava stared at the blinking numbers. “If we find it, we might still have a chance to stop the launch.”
Ethan gave her a wary look. “Ava, if this is a trap—”
“It probably is,” she said, standing. “But it’s our only lead.”
---
Back in the ballroom, the lights dimmed as rehearsals began. Liam rehearsed his speech before the empty tables, unaware that two floors above him, his enemies — and his salvation — were already in motion.
The timer on Samantha’s secret program continued to count down in the background.
05:59:57… 05:59:56…
As Ava and Ethan left the suite, the camera in the corner blinked red — a small, unseen light recording every move.
And somewhere in the city, in a hidden room filled with screens, Samantha watched them both — a glass of wine in hand, a cold smile on her lips.
> “Let’s see,” she whispered, “just how far they’re willing to go.”
The storm was coming.
And this time, no one would walk away unscathed.
- Writer
