As Lily paced the living room, her mind racing, the steady buzz of her coffee maker filled the silence of her apartment. She couldn't get the mysterious SMS messages out of her head. She had repeatedly read them, following the words with her gaze until they were ingrained in her memory:
"Lily, you're playing a risky game. Take a step back, or you'll regret it.
She placed the phone on the counter, her hands shaking. Her blood boiled at the insolence of it, but underneath the rage was fear, a gnawing, deep terror that tightened her chest. She had exercised caution. She had been meticulous in every move, making sure to avoid leaving a trail that was too clear to follow.
But she was being watched. Someone was fully aware of her actions.
The first thing she did was phone Jack. He was the one person who could help her get through this. Lily, however, paused. More than she could have ever dreamed of, Jack had already taken chances for her. It's obvious that whoever gave the warning didn't care about limits or boundaries. She wasn't sure whether she could keep Jack safe if he became further involved in her mess.
She was sitting at her kitchen table, her knuckles whitened as she held her coffee mug hard. Her thoughts were racing through her head. Although the stakes were rising, she remained resolute.
The following morning, Lily made herself leave the house. Being in her flat just allowed her anxieties to worsen. Knowing that the types of individuals Daniel and Cassandra hung out with wouldn't frequent the little café close to her neighborhood, she made her way there.
With a hot cup of tea in front of her, she sat at a booth in the corner and browsed over the files that Jack had provided her earlier in the week. Even though she had mastered the art of deciphering coded emails, offshore accounts, and secret transactions, some details remained unclear.
Her heart leaped when her phone buzzed on the table. Half expecting another anonymous message, she snatched it up swiftly. It was Jack instead.
"We must speak. I am in the lead.
"When and where?" she asked, her fingertips lingering over the screen.
"Your location. Half an hour.
Lily hurried home after paying for her tea, her heart pounding with each step. She was certain that whatever Jack had discovered would be significant.
Jack was unusually serious when he came. Something heavier—concern, perhaps even fear—overshadowed his normally assured manner. As he welcomed her, he placed the black messenger bag he was carrying over his shoulder gently on the kitchen table.
"What's happening?" Lily inquired, sounding more nervous than she meant to.
Jack sat down, his mouth clenched. "I believe I know the source of the threats."
Lily gasped for air. She leaned forward in her seat across from him. "Who?"
Jack paused for a second, staring at the table. "Victor Kane," he remarked in the end.
Although the name was unfamiliar, Jack's delivery of it chilled Lily to the bone.
She questioned, "Who is he?"
Jack crossed his arms and leaned back. Victor Kane can be described as a fixer. When folks like Daniel need their messes cleaned up quickly and quietly, they call him. He eliminates issues entirely rather than merely making them disappear.
Lily felt nauseous. "And you believe that he is the one who is messaging me?"
Jack gave a nod. His approach is straightforward and commanding, yet just ambiguous enough to cause self-doubt. In the past ten years, he has contributed to the concealment of some of the largest business scandals. He's not only an unfaithful husband if he works for Daniel or someone associated with him.
Lily balled her hands into fists. Why would Daniel require such a person? What is he concealing?
Jack took out a big folder from his luggage. That's what I've been attempting to determine. This, I believe, is the solution.
Lily opened the folder with shaking hands after he slid it across the table. Pages of documents, including emails, business contracts, and transaction records, were contained within. Her eyes widened when she understood what she was looking at, and she quickly perused the first several pages.
Struggling to find the right words, she trailed off, "This is."
Jack concluded for her, "Proof." It is sufficient to demonstrate that Daniel and Cassandra have been involved in something far more significant than an affair, even though it is not the complete picture. Tax fraud, money laundering, and even embezzlement.
Lily's chest constricted. It was overwhelming to see it in black and white, even though she had suspected it.
She said, "Where did you get this?"
Jack paused. Let's assume that I requested a favor. It was also difficult to obtain.
With her mind already racing, Lily nodded. "We must do this in order to defeat them."
Jack declared, "It's a start." However, it is insufficient. We must link these transactions to the individuals—Cassandra, Daniel, and anyone else in their network. And we must act quickly. Victor Kane will not back down from threats if he is engaged.
Jack and Lily worked side by side that night at her apartment, going through the papers. New facets of Daniel's fraud were exposed on each page, including shell corporations, offshore accounts, and phony companies.
With a hint of rage in her voice, Lily stated, "This isn't just greed." "This is a premeditated move. On lies, he established a whole empire.
Jack gave a nod. Additionally, Cassandra has been supporting him. Half of these deals name her as a consultant.
Lily's mouth clenched. She had to choose between the knowledge that she had been so blind for so long and the betrayal.
Lily couldn't get rid of the feeling that they were being watched as they worked through the night. Every creak in the apartment seemed louder, and every shadow outside the window seemed to move.
At last, she broke the silence by saying, "I think we need help."
Jack's brow furrowed as he gazed at her. "From whom is the assistance?"
Lily paused. "I'm not sure. Someone who is capable of handling individuals such as Victor Kane
Jack's face grew serious. That's a risky course, Lily. You lose control the moment you engage someone else.
With firmness, she stated, "I don't care." "It is worth the risk if it means eliminating Daniel and Cassandra."
Jack looked at her for a long time and then nodded. "All right. Let me see what I can accomplish. However, you must make me a pledge.
"What?"
"Assure me you'll exercise caution," he replied in an unusually quiet voice. "Retaliation is no longer the only factor at play here. This is a matter of survival.
Lily gulped forcefully as his words sank in. "I swear."
Lily sat by herself in her apartment's dark light, gazing at the stack of papers on the table while Jack packed up and departed.
She had traveled too far to turn back now, but the road ahead was perilous.