Chapter 43
A Dangerous Game
Elena sat in the dimly lit control room, watching the real-time activity logs on Jordan’s laptop. Each keystroke, each system access—they were tracking Richard Kane’s every move.
Naomi leaned against the desk, arms crossed. “So, how long do we wait before he makes a move?”
Jordan adjusted his glasses. “Could be hours. Could be minutes.” His fingers tapped against the keyboard as he pulled up the latest log entries. “He’s smart—whoever is behind this knows how to cover their tracks. But no one is perfect.”
Elena’s patience was razor-thin. If Richard was the traitor, she needed proof. If he wasn’t, then they were running out of time to find out who was.
She exhaled slowly. “Keep watching. The moment he does anything suspicious, we move.”
Jordan nodded, his eyes locked on the screen.
Naomi shifted beside her. “You really think it’s him?”
Elena hesitated. Richard had always been meticulous, trustworthy. But something wasn’t adding up. Had she been blind to the truth? Or was he being set up?
A notification popped up on Jordan’s screen.
ACCESS GRANTED: RESTRICTED SERVER. USER ID: R.KANE.
The room went silent.
Naomi straightened. “He’s in.”
Elena leaned forward, her pulse hammering. “What’s he doing?”
Jordan’s fingers flew across the keyboard. “He’s retrieving financial records. Looks like he’s accessing accounts tied to—” He stopped, eyes widening.
Elena’s stomach twisted. “What?”
Jordan turned the laptop toward her. “He’s pulling his own transaction history.”
Naomi frowned. “Wait… if he’s the traitor, why would he be looking at himself?”
Elena’s blood ran cold. Because he wasn’t the traitor. He was trying to clear his name.
She shot to her feet. “Where is he right now?”
Jordan quickly switched to the security feed. A grainy live video popped up—Richard was in his office, staring at his laptop, his expression tense.
Naomi’s voice was sharp. “He knows he’s being framed.”
Elena grabbed her phone and dialed Richard’s number. It rang once, twice—then his voice came through, low and urgent.
“Elena,” he breathed. “I need to see you. Now.”
Her grip tightened around the phone. “I know, Richard. Stay where you are. I’m coming to you.”
She barely ended the call before Naomi was already moving toward the door.
Jordan’s voice stopped them. “Wait.”
They turned back.
Jordan’s eyes were locked on the security feed. “Someone’s already in the building. And they’re heading straight for Richard’s office.”
Elena’s breath caught.
Naomi’s expression darkened. “If they’re cleaning up loose ends—”
Elena didn’t let her finish. She was already running.
