Flying off on vacation with her boss’s husband, the happy woman waited for him at the airport. Suddenly, a fortune teller touched her hand…

The emails were a goldmine. In them, Victoria openly discussed the plan to bankrupt the company and withdraw funds. Specific amounts, accounts, dates were mentioned.

«This is what we need,» Emily said. «With this evidence, we can go to the police.» Michael shook his head.

«Not so fast.» «We don’t know how influential the people Victoria is connected to are. If there are any in law enforcement, our report might just disappear, and we’ll be in even greater danger.

What do we do then?» Emily asked. «I have an acquaintance who’s a journalist,» Michael replied. «He does investigations into corruption schemes.

If we give him copies of all the documents, he can make a story that’s impossible to ignore.» Emily nodded. It sounded reasonable.

Public exposure was safer than a quiet report to the police. «Then copy everything and let’s get out of here,» she said, inserting the external drive into the computer. They started copying all the found documents.

The process took a few minutes, but each second felt like an eternity. Emily kept glancing at the door, fearing it might open any moment and Victoria would appear on the threshold. «Done,» she finally said, ejecting the drive.

«Now make sure we left no traces.» She closed all open files and folders, restored the desktop to its original state, and shut down the system. «Let’s go,» Michael said, taking her hand.

They left Victoria’s office, and Michael locked the door. The hallway was still empty. They took the elevator down to the floor where Emily’s office was.

«What now?» she asked when they returned to her office. «Now we need to contact the journalist,» Michael replied. «And as soon as possible.»

«But not from here.» «It’s not safe.» Emily nodded.

She looked at the camera in the corner of the office. «Who knows if Victoria is watching us right now.» «I’ll grab my things, and we’ll leave,» she said.

«Are you driving?» «Yes, it’s in the underground parking.» «Good. Give me five minutes.»

Emily quickly gathered her personal items into a bag. Photos from the desk, her favorite mug, a few books. Everything else—computer, documents, office supplies—belonged to the company.

«I’m ready,» she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder and grabbing the handle of the suitcase she’d brought from the airport. They left the office, and Emily locked the door. For the last time.

She knew she wouldn’t return to this office. Regardless of how this story ended, her career at Apex Commerce Inc. was over. They went down to the underground parking and approached Michael’s silver BMW.

He opened the trunk to put Emily’s suitcase in and suddenly froze. «What is it?» Emily asked, noticing how his face changed. Michael slowly looked up.

«We need to get out of here.» «Immediately. Why?» «What’s wrong?» «The trunk is empty,» he said quietly.

«There was supposed to be a bag with things. I was going to drive to the airport with you. Remember?» I had a bag with stuff for the trip.

Emily felt a chill down her spine. «You think?» «Victoria was here,» Michael nodded. «She knows I’m in the building.

Maybe she even knows we were in her office.» At that moment, they heard the sound of the elevator door opening. Turning, they saw Victoria stepping out into the parking lot accompanied by two large men in dark suits.

«Run!» Michael shouted, grabbing Emily’s hand. They dashed toward the parking exit, leaving the suitcase by the car. Emily heard Victoria’s shouts behind them and the heavy footsteps of the pursuers.

Her heart pounded wildly, blood throbbed in her temples. «This way!» Michael pulled her toward the emergency stairs. They burst into the stairwell and started climbing rapidly.

From below came Victoria’s voices, and her companions entered the stairs too. «Why are we going up?» Emily asked, gasping. «We need to get to the street.

They’ll catch us right away there,» Michael replied. Security at the entrance, surveillance cameras. Victoria has probably already alerted them.

They climbed higher and higher, jumping steps. Emily felt her lungs burning from lack of air. Her high-heeled shoes weren’t meant for such a marathon.

«Where are we going?» she asked as they passed the fifteenth floor. «To the roof,» Michael replied. «From there, we can cross to the neighboring building.

Different security, different cameras. We’ll have a chance to escape unnoticed.» They reached the top floor, and Michael pushed the door to the roof.

The evening air hit their faces. The sun was setting, painting the city’s skyscrapers in golden tones. That way, Michael pointed to the edge of the roof, where a narrow walkway connected their building to the adjacent business center.

They ran to the walkway, but suddenly the roof door opened again, and the pursuers appeared. Victoria stayed by the entrance, while the two men charged after them. «Faster!» Michael shouted, pushing Emily toward the walkway.

She stepped onto the narrow metal structure and froze. Below was a fifteen-story drop. One wrong step, and she’d fall to her death.

«I can’t,» Emily whispered, stepping back. «I’m afraid of heights.» Emily, please, desperation in Michael’s voice.

«We have no choice.» «They’re catching up.» He was right.

The men were already twenty meters away and closing the distance fast. Emily took a deep breath and stepped onto the walkway again. Step, another step.

The walkway swayed slightly under her weight. She didn’t look down, only forward, at the opposite roof, which now seemed her only salvation. Michael followed, constantly looking back.

The pursuers reached the walkway but stopped. Apparently, they weren’t eager to risk their lives on the shaky structure either. «Almost there,» Michael encouraged Emily.

Just a little more. They covered the last meters and jumped onto the solid surface of the neighboring building’s roof. Emily felt her legs buckle from the fear she’d endured, but Michael supported her.

«You’re amazing,» he said. «Now we need to go down and get out of here as fast as possible.» They found the stairwell door and descended.

Unlike their office, this business center was almost empty; the workday had long ended. They reached the first floor unimpeded and exited through the side door onto a side street. What now? Emily asked when they were a safe distance from the building.

She still couldn’t believe what had happened. Just this morning, she was heading for her dream vacation, and now she was fleeing pursuit, with evidence of financial crimes in hand. «We need to find a safe place,» Michael replied.

Victoria won’t stop. She has too much at stake. He looked around and flagged a passing taxi.

The car stopped, and they quickly got in. «Where to?» the driver asked. Michael gave an address on the city’s outskirts.

«It’s my friend’s apartment,» he explained to Emily. «He’s abroad right now. We can lay low there for a few days.

No one will find us.» Emily nodded silently. She felt drained.

Too much information, too many shocks for one day. What we learned, she said quietly.

This isn’t just financial fraud, is it? It’s much more serious. Michael looked out the window at the passing city. Yes, he finally replied.

Apex Commerce Inc. is used for laundering money from illegal operations. Maybe even something worse. Victoria is just a link in the chain, but an important one.

And you knew all this time? Reproach in Emily’s voice. Not everything, Michael shook his head. I started suspecting something about a year ago, when I noticed oddities in the company’s financial reports.

But concrete evidence came only six months ago. That’s when. He paused.

That’s when our affair started, Emily finished for him. Victoria instructed you to get close to me so I’d help find evidence, right? Michael nodded, not looking at her. Initially, yes.

It was her plan. But then everything changed. I really fell in love with you, Emily.

And I decided to use the situation to find a way out of all this. To free myself from Victoria and her backers. Emily looked at his profile, unsure whether to believe him.

Her heart said one thing, her mind another. Why didn’t you go to the police right away when you found the first evidence? she asked. I tried, Michael smiled bitterly.

Anonymously contacted an investigator I thought was honest. A week later, he died in a car accident. An accident, as the papers said.

But I realized I was dealing with very dangerous people. And that the direct path wasn’t an option. The taxi stopped at an ordinary high-rise on the city’s edge.

Michael paid the driver, and they got out. «Apartment on the seventh floor,» he said as they entered the lobby. Elevator’s out, we’ll have to walk.

They climbed the stairs and stopped at an ordinary metal door. Michael took a key ring from his pocket, selected one, and opened the lock. The apartment was small but cozy.

Simple furniture, minimal decor, but clean and tidy. «Make yourself at home,» Michael said, locking the door with all the locks. «There should be food in the fridge.»

Alex, my friend, asked me to look after the apartment while he’s away. Emily went into the living room and sat on the couch. Only now did she realize how tired she was.

Physically and emotionally. We need to contact your journalist friend, she said. The sooner we give him the documents, the better.

Michael nodded. I’ll call him right now. But not from this number. Victoria is probably already tracking all calls.

Michael removed the back cover of his phone, took out the SIM card, and broke it in half. Alex should have a spare phone. He always keeps one for emergencies.

He went into the bedroom and started searching the drawers. Emily stayed in the living room, trying to process everything that happened. Her life had turned upside down in one day. This morning, she was a successful financial analyst, preparing for vacation with her loved one.

Now she was a fugitive, holding evidence of serious crimes, with influential and dangerous people behind her, ready to do anything to prevent that evidence from becoming public. Found it. Michael returned to the living room with a simple button phone.

Old model, but it works. And no one can track a call from it. He dialed the number and stepped to the window, speaking quietly, but Emily could still hear the conversation.

Paul? It’s Michael. Yes, I know it’s late. Listen, I have information.

Very serious. No, not over the phone. Tomorrow? Okay, tomorrow at 10 a.m.

That cafe on Main Street? Got it. Yes, I’ll not be alone. Thanks, see you tomorrow…