Chapter Eleven
The attack didn't come loudly.
It came quietly.
Efficiently.
Just like everything else in Julian Thorne's world.
I knew something was wrong the moment I logged into the executive system Monday morning.
Access denied.
Not just to restricted files.
To everything.
Calendar.
Inventory controls.
Executive communications.
My name blinked red in the system directory.
Clearance revoked.
For a split second, my heart dropped.
Then it steadied.
This wasn't a mistake.
This was a move.
Across the floor, I could feel it — the subtle shift. Eyes lingering. Conversations pausing. The machine humming as usual, but with anticipation under the surface.
They were waiting to see what would happen.
I didn't panic.
I stood up and walked straight to Julian's office.
His assis
