A Little girl whispers “There’s a camera in your office ” Millionaire exposes spy fiancée…
Every moment of their relationship had been calculated. Her interest in technology, her admiration for his work, her tears when he’d given her the house key, all of it scripted and performed by a woman who saw him as nothing more than a target to be exploited. But the most chilling discovery was yet to come.
Tomorrow night’s extraction isn’t just about stealing your prototype, Isla said, her young voice heavy with understanding far beyond her years. They’re going to frame you for corporate espionage. Miles has been creating a paper trail that makes it look like you’ve been selling secrets to foreign competitors for months.
When the FBI raids your office tomorrow, they’ll find evidence that you’re a traitor to your own country. What evidence, Eli asked, though he dreaded the answer. Forged documents in your handwriting, bank accounts opened in your name with suspicious deposits, communications with overseas buyers that look real enough to fool investigators.
Isla’s eyes met his directly. They’re not just stealing from you, Eli. They’re going to destroy your life so completely that even if you prove your innocence, eventually no one will ever trust you again.
Eli sat in stunned silence as the full magnitude of the trap became clear. His business would be ruined. His reputation would be destroyed.
He’d likely face federal charges that could put him in prison for decades. And worst of all, Isla would be left alone again, returned to the foster system because her adoptive father was a convicted criminal. Why, he asked finally, why go to such extremes? The algorithm is valuable but not worth this level of risk and complexity.
Because it’s not just about the algorithm, Josephine said quietly. She’d been reading through more of the intercepted communications. Her face grave.
Apex Industries is planning a hostile takeover of your entire company. With you disgraced and facing criminal charges, your stock price will collapse. They’ll be able to buy controlling interest for pennies on the dollar.
It’s brilliant in a horrible way, Isla added with the analytical clarity that never failed to amaze him. They get your technology, your company, your market share, and your client base, all for the cost of bribing one employee and hiring one very skilled actress. Eli looked around the library at these two extraordinary people who’d become his family, in the most unlikely way possible.
Josephine, whose loyalty and wisdom had sustained him through tragedy and triumph. Isla, whose courage and insight had saved him from destruction he’d never seen coming. They were depending on him to protect them, and he’d almost failed them completely.
Not if we stop them first, he said, his voice carrying the hard edge of determination that had built his empire from nothing. Josephine, can you get us copies of everything Miles has been falsifying? I want to know exactly what evidence they’re planning to plant. Already working on it, she replied with a smile that was pure steel.
I’ve been his assistant for five years. I know where he keeps everything. And Isla? Eli turned to the eight-year-old, who’d somehow become his most valuable ally.
How much can you intercept of their communications without them detecting you? All of it, she said confidently. They’re using encrypted channels, but they’re not expecting to be monitored by their own surveillance equipment. I can see every message, every plan, every backup strategy they’ve prepared.
Then here’s what we’re gonna do, Eli said, feeling the familiar thrill of a chess game where he finally understood his opponent’s strategy. We’re going to let them execute their plan exactly as they’ve designed it. But when they reach for the prize, they’re going to find we’ve set a trap of our own.
What kind of trap? Isla asked, her eyes bright with anticipation. Eli’s smile was sharp as a blade. The kind that turns predators into prey.
Tomorrow night, when they think they’re destroying me, we’re going to destroy them instead. And we’re going to make sure the whole world knows exactly what they tried to do. For the first time since this nightmare began, Eli felt like himself again.
Not the lovestruck fool who’d been manipulated by a beautiful woman. Not the betrayed friend who’d been sold out by his business partner. But the strategic thinker who’d built something from nothing and wasn’t about to let anyone take it away.
The game was far from over. In fact, it was just beginning. Justice rarely comes easy, but it’s always worth fighting for.
When have you had to stand up against people who underestimated your strength? The next evening arrived with the weight of destiny hanging in the air like storm clouds before lightning strikes. Eli’s house, which had been a home filled with warmth and growing trust just days ago, now felt like a stage set for the final act of an elaborate drama where everything, his future, his freedom, his family, hung in the balance. Sabrina moved through the house with her usual grace, preparing for what she believed would be her final performance…