The office was quiet except for the low hum of computers and the occasional rustling of papers. Most of the staff had already left for the evening, leaving only a few of us burning the late-night oil. My desk lamp cast a dim circle of light across the cluttered surface, illuminating the thick file I'd been staring at for hours—Gabriel Thorne. The man had been haunting me for months, a billionaire with a flawless public persona but deep, dark secrets hidden beneath the surface.
I clicked through the documents on my laptop for the hundredth time, hoping something new would jump out. Offshore accounts. Discreet shell companies. The connections were there, but they were too vague to take him down. I needed something concrete, something that would blow his empire wide open. The problem was, Thorne was an expert at hiding his tracks. Everyone I'd tried to contact either clammed up or disappeared before I could get close.
Leaning back in my chair, I rubbed my temples, trying to shake the fatigue that was creeping in. It was late, and I hadn't eaten since lunch, but there was no way I was leaving without something new to chase. The thought of exposing Thorne's corruption kept me going. He was powerful, yes, but untouchable? No one was untouchable.
My phone buzzed on the desk, jolting me out of my thoughts. I glanced down and saw a text from Tyler.
"Got something for you. Meet me downstairs."
My heart kicked up a notch. Tyler Matthews wasn't the type to send a message like that unless it was important. We had been working together on this investigation for months, chasing leads and trying to unravel the tangled web of Thorne's business empire. Tyler had connections, sources that I could never access, and if he had a lead, I wasn't about to ignore it.
I grabbed my bag and headed for the elevator, my pulse quickening with every step. The darkened office felt heavier now, as if the walls themselves knew I was getting closer to something big. I needed this. I needed something to break open the investigation and bring Thorne to his knees.
As I reached the lobby, I spotted Tyler pacing near the front doors. His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced with an edge of urgency that sent a chill down my spine. He looked up as I approached, his eyes serious.
"What's going on?" I asked, my voice lower than I intended.
"We need to talk," Tyler said, glancing around the nearly empty lobby. "Not here. Let's go outside."
A small knot of anxiety twisted in my gut, but I followed him out into the cool evening air without a word. The city was still buzzing with late-night traffic, the lights of the buildings overhead casting long shadows on the street. We crossed to a small park just down the block, finding a bench tucked away from prying eyes. The park was mostly deserted, save for a couple walking their dog in the distance.
Once we sat down, Tyler wasted no time. "I've got a lead," he said, his voice low and urgent. "But we need to act fast."
"A lead? On Thorne?" I leaned forward, the excitement mixing with a hint of dread. "What is it?"
"Not just any lead," Tyler said, pulling out his phone. He opened a document and handed the phone to me. "Lila Reynolds. She's alive."
I froze, staring at the screen as the name sank in. Lila Reynolds, Thorne's former CFO. The woman who had worked alongside him for nearly a decade before vanishing under mysterious circumstances. Rumors had swirled around her disappearance—some said she had fled, others claimed Thorne had her killed to keep her quiet. But no one had seen her since.
"She's alive?" I echoed, my mind racing. "Where is she?"
Tyler nodded. "I have a source who says she's been hiding for years. Thorne's been looking for her too, but she's managed to stay off his radar. Barely."
Lila Reynolds was the key. If she had the kind of information I suspected she did, we could take down Thorne's entire operation. But it also meant she was in danger—serious danger. And now, by association, so were we.
"Where is she now?" I asked, barely able to keep the urgency out of my voice.
"Upstate," Tyler said, showing me a location on his phone. "She's been staying in a small cabin near the woods. It's remote. But my source says Archer West is on her trail."
I felt the blood drain from my face at the mention of Archer West. Thorne's right-hand man. His enforcer. Archer was known for making people disappear—quietly, efficiently, permanently. If he was after Lila, we didn't have much time.
"We need to get to her before he does," I said, standing abruptly. "She's the only one who can take Thorne down. We can't lose her."
Tyler stood as well, his face grim. "I already have the car ready. But we need to leave now."
***
The drive out of the city was tense, the weight of the situation pressing down on both of us. The further we got from the bright lights and crowded streets, the darker the sky became, the road ahead illuminated only by the car's headlights. I stared out the window, my thoughts racing with every passing mile. If Lila Reynolds really had the evidence we needed, this could be the break we'd been waiting for. But it also meant we were about to step into very dangerous territory.
Tyler was quiet beside me, his hands gripping the wheel tightly as we sped toward the small cabin in the woods. I could feel the tension radiating off him. He knew, just as I did, that we were racing against time. If Archer found Lila before we did… I didn't want to think about what would happen to her.
"We'll get there in time," Tyler said, his voice cutting through the silence, as if reading my thoughts.
I nodded, though I wasn't sure if I believed it. I had seen what people like Archer West were capable of. He was ruthless, and Thorne had sent him after Lila for a reason. She knew too much. She was a threat, and people who threatened Thorne didn't last long.
As we approached the turnoff for the gravel road leading to Lila's cabin, my stomach twisted with nerves. The woods loomed dark and dense around us, the narrow road barely visible in the dim light. Tyler slowed the car, navigating the sharp turns carefully. Every shadow felt like it was hiding something—or someone.
Finally, the cabin came into view, a small, weathered structure tucked deep in the woods. No lights were on, and the place looked abandoned at first glance, but I knew better.
Tyler parked a short distance away, and we both climbed out of the car. The air was cold and still, the only sound the crunch of gravel under our feet as we approached the cabin.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" I whispered, my eyes scanning the trees for any sign of movement.
"This is it," Tyler said, his voice equally quiet. "She's here."
We reached the front door, and I knocked softly, my heart pounding in my chest. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, faint footsteps from inside the cabin.
The door creaked open, revealing a thin, pale woman with wide, fearful eyes.
Lila Reynolds.
"You shouldn't have come," she whispered, her voice trembling. "They're coming for me. For all of us."