Amelia sat in her small office, her hands gripping the edge of her desk as her mind raced. The weight of Lucas's confession still lingered, but she knew she couldn't let it consume her. If Lucas's connection to Victoria was as dangerous as it seemed, she had to act fast. Her trust in Lucas was shaken, but her resolve to uncover the truth and protect those she cared about had never been stronger.
Her phone buzzed, interrupting her thoughts. It was a message from Martin, her most trusted ally.
"We need to meet. I've found something."
Amelia grabbed her coat and rushed out, determination etched across her face. She met Martin at a small café on the edge of town. The place was quiet, perfect for a conversation that needed secrecy.
Martin slid a folder across the table to her. "I dug deeper into Victoria's operations. She's been funneling resources into something big, but this time, she's made a mistake. I found a lead—an offshore account tied to one of her major schemes."
Amelia opened the folder, her eyes scanning the documents. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the names and numbers laid out before her. "This is it," she whispered. "This could expose everything."
"But it's risky," Martin warned. "If Victoria finds out we're onto her, she'll come after you with everything she has."
Amelia looked up, fire burning in her eyes. "I don't care. Someone has to stop her. If Lucas can't, then I will."
Back at her office, Amelia began piecing together a plan. She would hack into Victoria's offshore accounts and retrieve the evidence needed to bring her down. It wasn't just about justice anymore—it was personal. Victoria had hurt too many people, and Amelia wasn't going to let her win.
She contacted an old friend, Zara, a tech genius known for her ability to crack even the most secure systems. Zara was hesitant at first but eventually agreed to help. "You're playing with fire, Amelia," she said. "But if anyone can pull this off, it's you."
Amelia spent hours preparing for the operation. She reviewed every detail of Victoria's network, memorizing passwords and access points. The deeper she dove, the more she realized just how dangerous Victoria truly was.
"Ready?" Zara asked as they sat in front of a glowing computer screen.
Amelia nodded. "Let's do this."
Zara guided Amelia through the hacking process, her fingers flying across the keyboard. They bypassed firewalls and encryption, slowly making their way into Victoria's system. Each second felt like an eternity as they waited for the files to load.
"We're in," Zara whispered. "But we don't have much time. Grab what you need and get out."
Amelia downloaded the files, her heart pounding as the progress bar inched closer to completion. Suddenly, an alert flashed on the screen.
"They've detected us," Zara said, panic creeping into her voice. "We need to go now!"
Amelia grabbed the USB drive and shut down the computer. "Let's move."
The two women left the building, their every step shadowed by the fear of being caught. Amelia clutched the drive tightly in her hand, knowing it held the key to Victoria's downfall.
Back at her apartment, Amelia reviewed the files she had stolen. Among the financial records and transaction histories was something far more chilling—a list of names.
Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Lucas's name on the list, along with details of his "deal" with Victoria. But what shocked her even more was the name that followed: hers.
"What the hell?" she muttered, her hands trembling.
The document revealed that Victoria had been keeping tabs on her for months. Every move Amelia had made, every conversation she had had—it was all there.
Her phone buzzed, and she hesitated before answering. It was Lucas.
"Amelia, where are you?" His voice was tense. "We need to talk."
"Do we?" she snapped, anger boiling inside her. "Because it seems like you've already said enough."
"Amelia, please," Lucas pleaded. "You don't understand. I was trying to protect you."
"Protect me? By working with Victoria?" she shot back. "I don't know who I can trust anymore, Lucas."
Before he could respond, there was a loud knock at her door. Amelia froze, her heart racing as she realized she might not be safe.
"Amelia, open the door!" a voice commanded.
It wasn't Lucas. It was one of Victoria's men.
Amelia grabbed the USB drive and shoved it into her pocket. She looked around the room, searching for a way out. Her apartment was small, with few options for escape.
The knocking grew louder, more insistent. "Amelia, we know you're in there. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Amelia took a deep breath, her mind racing. She couldn't let them take the files. If Victoria got her hands on the evidence, it would all be over.
She quickly climbed out the window, landing on the fire escape with a soft thud. The cold night air stung her skin as she descended the metal stairs. Below her, she could hear the sound of footsteps—Victoria's men were already in the building.
Amelia reached the ground and took off running, her legs carrying her as far away as possible. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she couldn't stop.
As she rounded a corner, she collided with someone. She stumbled back, ready to fight, but then froze when she saw who it was.
"Martin?" she gasped.
Martin's face was pale, his eyes filled with urgency. "Amelia, you need to come with me. Now."
"Why? What's going on?"
"There's something you don't know," Martin said, his voice trembling. "Victoria isn't the only one after you. Someone else is pulling the strings, and they're closer than you think."
Amelia's blood ran cold as she realized the danger was far greater than she had imagined.
As she rounded a corner, she collided with someone. She stumbled back, ready to fight, but then froze when she saw who it was.
"Martin?" she gasped.
Martin's face was pale, his eyes filled with urgency. "Amelia, you need to come with me. Now."
"Why? What's going on?"
"There's something you don't know," Martin said, his voice trembling. "Victoria isn't the only one after you. Someone else is pulling the strings, and they're closer than you think."
Amelia's blood ran cold as she realized the danger was far greater than she had imagined.
Before she could respond, the sound of a car screeching to a halt nearby made her turn. A black SUV came into view, and the passenger door swung open.
"Get in," said a familiar voice.
Amelia froze. It was Lucas. His face was shadowed, his expression unreadable.
"Amelia, we don't have time," Martin urged, gripping her arm. "You can't trust him."
Lucas leaned out of the car, his eyes locking onto hers. "If you want to live, you'll listen to me."
Amelia stood rooted to the spot, torn between the two men. The weight of her next decision pressed down on her, knowing that one wrong move could mean the end.
The sound of footsteps closing in made her heart race. Victoria's men were getting closer.
"Amelia!" both men shouted in unison.
Taking a deep breath, she made her choice.