Adrian leaned back in his leather chair, the sprawling city visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office. He was usually a master at compartmentalizing, but his focus was fractured today. The document in his hands—an innocuous-looking personnel file—had turned his world upside down.
Naomi West
A name that had, in the span of weeks, become both a source of intrigue and vexation. And now, with this revelation, it became something else entirely—a threat.
He tossed the file onto the desk, the words "Christopher Langston" practically glaring at him. The Langstons. Of all people, why did it have to be them? His jaw tightened as the memories clawed their way to the surface. He shoved them back down, locking them behind the iron walls he'd built to contain the scars of his past. But the unease remained, coiled in the pit of his stomach like a venomous snake.
Adrian stood and moved to the window, the city lights glinting like shards of broken glass in the twilight. Chris Langston. He'd done his research the moment Naomi entered his orbit—her ex-boyfriend, her boss. But he'd assumed it was just another detail in her story, not a harbinger of something more sinister.
Now, though... now he wasn't so sure.
The Langstons had a reputation, one built on manipulation and deceit. Adrian knew that firsthand. They didn't hesitate to exploit people to achieve their goals, and the idea that Naomi could have been sent by them—planted to infiltrate his world—made his blood run cold. His fists clenched at his sides as anger and worry warred within him.
No. Naomi wasn't like that. She couldn't be. Could she?
Adrian's mind replayed every interaction with her, scrutinizing them for signs he might have missed. Her determination, her curiosity, her undeniable spark—all of it seemed genuine. But then again, so had...
He closed his eyes, breathing deeply through his nose. No. He wouldn't go there. Not now. Not yet.
The sound of footsteps broke through his stormy thoughts. He turned to see Kara entering the office, her expression sharp as ever. She carried a tablet in one hand and a coffee cup in the other, looking every bit the composed strategist she was.
"You look like you're planning a murder," she said dryly, placing the coffee on his desk. "Who's the lucky victim?"
Adrian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the personnel file and handed it to her. Kara's eyes scanned the document, her eyebrows lifting slightly when she reached the relevant section.
"Langston," she said, her tone neutral. "Interesting."
"That's one way to put it," Adrian muttered.
Kara set the file down, crossing her arms. "You think she's working for them?"
"I don't know what to think," Adrian admitted, his voice low. "But the connection is there. And it's too close for comfort."
"Or it could be a coincidence," Kara pointed out. "Not everything is a conspiracy, Adrian."
Adrian shot her a look. "We don't get the luxury of believing in coincidences."
Kara sighed, leaning against the desk. "So what's the plan? Are you going to confront her? Tail her? Throw her into one of your interrogation rooms?"
The sarcasm in her voice grated on him, but he let it slide. "I don't know yet," he said honestly. "But I need to figure out what she's really after."
"And if it turns out she's innocent?" Kara asked, tilting her head. "What then?"
Adrian didn't answer. Because the truth was, he didn't know. The idea that he might be wrong, that his suspicions might taint something pure, gnawed at him. But he couldn't ignore the possibility that Naomi was a threat—not just to his operation, but to his family.
"Be careful with this," Kara warned, her tone softer now. "Don't let your past cloud your judgment."
Adrian's jaw tightened. "I won't."
Kara studied him for a moment longer before nodding. "Good. Because the last thing we need is for history to repeat itself."
Her words hung in the air long after she'd left the room. Adrian returned to his desk, picking up the file once more. His fingers brushed over Naomi's photo, her determined gaze staring back at him.
He couldn't afford to trust her—not fully. Not yet. But he also couldn't afford to let his emotions cloud his judgment, as Kara had warned. Naomi West was a mystery he needed to solve, one way or another.
And Adrian Moretti wasn't a man who left puzzles unsolved.