Aria stared at the message on her phone, her mind racing. Who is H? She had been careful—meticulous, even. No one should have known about her infiltration tonight, and yet, someone clearly did.
Her fingers trembled as she typed a response:
"Who is this?"
The reply came almost instantly:
"An ally. For now."
An ally? Aria wasn't naïve enough to trust that. If anything, it felt like a warning—or a threat. Whoever H was, they had eyes on her, and that made them dangerous.
---
The next morning, Aria walked into the office with a renewed sense of caution. She kept her head down, blending into the background as she navigated the labyrinth of cubicles.
Her stolen files were safely encrypted on a separate drive, hidden in a secure location, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Liam's lingering gaze from the night before haunted her, and Damon's cold assessment lingered in her mind.
By midday, her paranoia spiked when Liam appeared at her desk, his smile sharp.
"Busy morning?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes too focused.
"Always," Aria replied, forcing a smile.
"Good to hear. Damon was impressed with you last night."
Her stomach churned. "Was he?"
"Yeah," Liam said, leaning against her desk. "Said you've got potential. That's high praise coming from him."
Aria gave a noncommittal nod, her fingers tightening around her pen. "I'll do my best to live up to it."
Liam's smile widened, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sure you will."
---
That afternoon, Aria locked herself in a conference room under the pretense of preparing a presentation. In reality, she was combing through the Zenith files, trying to piece together the final phase of Damon's plan.
The project wasn't just about profit—it was about control. Damon and his mysterious partner, H, were building more than an industrial complex. They were constructing a sprawling network of facilities designed to monopolize critical resources.
The communities being displaced weren't just collateral damage—they were targeted intentionally, their land rich with rare minerals needed for cutting-edge technology.
Aria's hands shook as she realized the scale of Damon's ambition. This wasn't just corruption—it was an empire in the making.
---
That night, she received another message from H:
"You're digging too deep, Aria. Damon isn't your only enemy."
Her breath caught. How did they know her name? And what did they mean by "digging too deep"?
Instead of responding, Aria encrypted her phone and set it aside. She couldn't risk engaging further until she knew more about who—or what—H was.
But one thing was clear: she needed leverage.
---
The opportunity came sooner than she expected.
The following evening, Damon called an emergency meeting with his senior staff. Aria wasn't invited—at least, not officially. But she intercepted Liam on his way to the boardroom, pretending to have urgent files for him.
"Can't this wait?" Liam asked, clearly irritated.
"Damon wanted these reviewed immediately," she lied, holding out a folder filled with dummy documents.
Liam sighed, taking the folder. "Fine, but stay out here. This meeting is classified."
Aria nodded obediently, but as soon as Liam disappeared into the boardroom, she slipped into an adjacent office.
From her vantage point, she could see and hear everything through the thin glass partition.
---
The meeting was intense. Damon stood at the head of the table, his commanding presence silencing the room.
"Project Zenith is entering its final stage," he announced. "The summit is our last chance to secure global support. Any dissent must be eliminated."
The room murmured in agreement, but one voice stood out—Liam's.
"What about the leaks?" Liam asked, his tone sharp. "Someone's been poking around. We can't afford exposure right now."
Damon's expression darkened. "I'm handling it. Our security team has identified a potential suspect."
Aria's blood ran cold. Was he talking about her?
"Who?" Liam pressed.
Damon's response was chilling. "We'll deal with them when the time comes. For now, focus on the summit."
---
When the meeting adjourned, Aria slipped out before anyone could spot her. Her mind was racing. Damon suspected someone, but she couldn't be sure if it was her—or someone else entirely.
Back in her apartment, she reviewed the files again, her determination hardening. The summit was only days away, and if she didn't act soon, it would be too late to stop Damon.
But H's warning lingered in her mind. Damon wasn't her only enemy.
She opened her laptop and began drafting a plan—one that would expose Damon and his empire, once and for all.