The warning
500 Words
Lena’s heart was still racing as she stepped out of the grand ballroom, her mind replaying every word Ethan Steele had said. He wasn’t just powerful—he was perceptive, dangerous, and, most frustratingly, intriguing.
She had expected him to dodge her questions, maybe brush her off like any other social climber looking for attention. But he had done the opposite. He had acknowledged her, challenged her, and worst of all, warned her.
Lena didn’t like warnings. She wasn’t the type to back down.
Pulling out her phone, she checked the encrypted messages from her contact at the cybercrime unit. No new updates. If she wanted answers, she’d have to dig deeper herself.
She made her way to the elevator, the heels of her stilettos clicking against the marble floor. As she pressed the button for the rooftop parking, her instincts screamed at her—she was being watched.
Casually, she adjusted the strap of her purse and glanced at the reflection in the polished elevator doors. A man in a dark suit stood near the lobby entrance, his gaze locked onto her. Not Ethan. Someone else. Someone with a job to do.
Lena didn’t panic. Instead, she turned on her phone’s front camera and pretended to check her lipstick while zooming in on the man behind her. Snap. The image saved instantly.
The elevator doors slid open, and she stepped inside. The moment they closed, she pulled up the photo and sent it to her contact.
Lena: Tell me who this is. Now.
The elevator ascended, but her pulse didn’t slow. If Ethan Steele wanted to intimidate her, he had another thing coming.
---
Ethan leaned back in his private suite, swirling the amber liquid in his glass as he stared out at the city skyline. The night was supposed to be about business, networking, sealing deals.
Instead, it had become about her.
Lena Carter. The name rolled through his mind, unfamiliar yet intriguing. He had read plenty of reports from his security team—people poking around his business, competitors trying to sabotage his work, law enforcement sniffing too close. But Lena was different.
She wasn’t just watching him. She was analyzing him.
His phone buzzed on the table. A message from Xavier, his lead security officer.
Xavier: Confirmed. She’s ex-FBI cybercrimes division. Independent now, but still well-connected.
Ethan exhaled slowly. So, she wasn’t just some nosy journalist or thrill-seeker. She had real skills. Real access.
And she was after something. Him.
He set the glass down and reached for his phone, typing a single response.
Ethan: Keep an eye on her. But don’t interfere. Not yet.
---
Lena reached her car and slid into the driver’s seat, locking the doors immediately. Her phone pinged with a reply.
Unknown Number: Be careful, Lena. You don’t know what you’re getting into.
A chill ran down her spine.
She didn’t recognize the number. But the message was clear.
She had just stepped into something much bigger than she had anticipated.
- Writer
