Chapter 9: The Enemy Inside The Company
The room went silent.
Nobody moved.
"What do you mean she wasn't working alone?"" I asked.
Adrian held the phone tightly.
"The investor list.""
Margaret stood.
"What about it?""
Adrian looked at her.
"One of the names supporting Victoria...""
He swallowed.
"Is someone inside our company.""
A cold feeling moved through me.
For years, I believed Adrian's biggest weakness was his ego.
I was wrong.
His ego only opened the door.
Someone else had been waiting behind it.
"Who?"" Margaret asked.
Adrian shook his head.
"They wouldn't tell me.""
"Why not?""
"Because the person has access to confidential information.""
I immediately understood.
Someone had been feeding Victoria information.
Board decisions.
Financial plans.
Internal strategies.
Everything.
Margaret started making calls.
I watched Adrian standing there, finally realizing the world he built was not only collapsing.
It was being attacked.
"I need to tell you something," he said quietly.
I looked at him.
"What?""
"There were moments when I thought something felt wrong.""
I didn't speak.
"Before the gala, Victoria kept asking about company structure.""
My expression changed.
"What did you tell her?""
He looked ashamed.
"Everything.""
I closed my eyes.
"Adrian.""
"I know.""
His voice cracked.
"I know.""
For once, he wasn't defending himself.
He was admitting it.
He had handed someone the keys because he wanted to feel admired.
Margaret returned after twenty minutes.
Her expression told me everything.
"You found something.""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
She placed a folder on the table.
Inside were security records.
Access logs.
Communication records.
I read the name.
My stomach dropped.
Because I knew this person.
Someone who had worked beside us for years.
Someone my father trusted.
Someone Adrian trusted.
"Daniel?"" Adrian whispered.
Margaret nodded.
Daniel Cross.
Victoria's father.
But the impossible part wasn't his connection to Victoria.
It was the fact that he had been inside the company for almost a year.
Under another name.
Adrian sat down.
"How?""
Margaret looked at him.
"He was hired by your recommendation.""
The room became quiet.
Because Adrian had brought him in.
Not me.
Not my father.
Adrian.
He had unknowingly invited the person trying to destroy everything into the heart of the company.
That evening, Adrian asked me to meet him outside.
We stood on the balcony overlooking the estate.
The same place where he once promised me forever.
"I don't expect forgiveness," he said.
I looked at him.
"Good.""
He nodded.
"But I need you to know something.""
"What?""
"I never stopped loving you.""
I stayed silent.
Because those words were painful.
Not because I didn't believe them.
Because I did.
And that was the hardest part.
Adrian looked at the city lights.
"I loved you.""
He paused.
"But I loved the version of myself everyone saw even more.""
The honesty surprised me.
He continued.
"I thought success would make me respected.""
He looked at me.
"But I lost the one person who respected me before I had anything.""
I didn't answer.
Because there was nothing simple about what happened between us.
A betrayal could be understood.
A broken promise could be remembered.
But rebuilding trust?
That was something different.
Then my phone rang.
Margaret.
I answered.
"Elena.""
Her voice was urgent.
"What happened?""
"We found Daniel.""
I stood straighter.
"Where?""
A pause.
Then she said:
"He's not hiding.""
My heart sank.
"Why?""
"Because he's already made his next move.""
I looked at Adrian.
And for the first time, we were standing on the same side.
"What did he do?""
Margaret's answer changed everything.
"He filed paperwork claiming ownership of the original holding company shares.""
I froze.
Because those shares weren't just valuable.
May you like
They were the foundation of my family's entire legacy.
And Daniel Cross had just declared war.
