Chapter 8: The Missing File
655 Words
The drive back to the office was quiet.
Neither Aria nor Ethan spoke much after the phone call. The cheerful atmosphere they had shared in the park had vanished, replaced by a growing sense of unease. Every passing car and every unfamiliar face seemed suspicious now.
As they entered the lobby of Ethan's company headquarters, security officers were already waiting.
"Mr. Blake," one of them said. "We've sealed your office. The police have documented the scene, but we haven't found any fingerprints."
Ethan nodded. "Show me."
Aria followed him upstairs.
The office looked almost untouched. The expensive furniture was still in place, the computers remained on the desks, and nothing appeared broken. Yet the drawers had been opened, and several folders were scattered across the floor.
"This doesn't make sense," Aria murmured.
"If someone wanted money, they ignored everything valuable."
Ethan walked slowly toward a large bookshelf. His eyes scanned every shelf before suddenly stopping.
His expression changed.
"No..."
"What is it?" Aria asked.
He reached into the empty space on the shelf.
"A file."
"What file?"
"A confidential project file."
Aria frowned.
"I thought you said nothing was stolen."
"I was wrong."
He looked directly at her.
"They knew exactly what they were looking for."
An hour later, Detective Marcus Reed arrived to investigate. He listened carefully as Ethan explained the missing file.
"Was it valuable?" the detective asked.
"It contained plans for our new technology platform," Ethan replied. "Months of research. If it falls into the wrong hands, our competitors could launch before we do."
The detective scribbled notes into his notebook.
"Who had access to this information?"
"Only a handful of senior executives."
"So the thief either worked with you... or someone inside helped them."
The room fell silent.
Across town, Ryan sat alone in his office, staring at his phone.
His assistant knocked gently.
"Mr. Foster, the board meeting begins in fifteen minutes."
Ryan nodded but didn't move.
Instead, he opened a news article about Ethan Blake's company.
His eyes narrowed.
"So it has started," he whispered.
He picked up his coat and headed for the meeting, unaware that someone had been following him for the past two days.
That evening, Aria finally returned home.
She locked the apartment door, kicked off her shoes, and leaned against the wall, exhausted.
The day's events replayed endlessly in her mind.
The threatening messages.
The break-in.
The missing file.
None of it felt like a coincidence anymore.
As she walked into her living room, she stopped.
Her heart nearly leaped into her throat.
One of her windows was open.
She was certain she had locked it before leaving that morning.
Slowly, she stepped closer.
The curtains swayed gently in the evening breeze.
Nothing appeared to be missing.
Then she noticed something on the coffee table.
A small black envelope.
No stamp.
No address.
Just her name written neatly across the front.
ARIA.
Her hands trembled as she picked it up.
Inside was a single photograph.
It showed her and Ethan sitting together in the park earlier that day.
Across the photo, written in bold red ink, were six chilling words:
"YOU WERE WARNED. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING."
A loud knock echoed through the apartment.
Startled, Aria dropped the photograph.
Another knock followed.
Then a familiar voice called from outside.
"Aria? It's Ethan."
She hurried to the door and opened it.
The moment Ethan saw the fear in her eyes, he knew something was terribly wrong.
Without saying a word, she handed him the photograph.
His face turned pale.
"This..." he said quietly, "...is no longer just about my company."
He looked up and met her frightened gaze.
"Someone is targeting us both."
Far below, parked across the street beneath a broken streetlight, a dark sedan idled with its headlights off.
Inside, an unseen figure lowered a pair of binoculars.
Then, with a slow smile, the engine started.
The car disappeared into the night.
- Writer
