CHAPTER SIX The Woman Who Knew Too Much

Elena woke to the sound of her phone ringing.

For several seconds, she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, wondering why her bed felt so comfortable and why the room was so quiet.

Then she remembered.

Blackwood Tower. The falling metal structure. Alexander Blackwood. The hotel.

Her phone rang again.

“Sarah, I told you I was fine,” she answered sleepily.

“Good morning to you too,” Sarah replied. “I was calling to check whether you're still alive or whether your billionaire has finally worked you to death.”

Elena sat up.

“First of all, he's not my billionaire. Second, I don't work for him personally. And third, if you continue talking like this, I'll start charging you for every unnecessary worry you give me.”

Sarah laughed.

“Are you coming home today?”

“I don't know yet. Someone is supposed to arrange for you to join me here. I'll explain everything when I see you.”

“You're making this sound mysterious.”

“That's because my life has apparently become a mystery novel. Unfortunately, nobody asked for my permission before choosing the genre.”

After ending the call, Elena checked the time.

Eight fifteen.

She had slept for barely a few hours.

A knock sounded at the door.

Elena immediately sat straighter.

“Who is it?”

“Hotel staff, Miss Hayes. We've brought your breakfast.”

She opened the door after checking through the peephole.

A hotel employee wheeled in a trolley containing eggs, toast, fruit, and a pot of tea.

Elena stared at the spread.

“Is this for me?”

“Yes, miss. Mr. Blackwood arranged it.”

Of course he had.

She thanked the employee and closed the door.

For a woman who usually calculated whether she could afford breakfast before leaving home, the sight was almost ridiculous.

She took a photograph and sent it to Sarah.

Elena: If you see me eating like this regularly, remind me that we still have bills waiting at home.

Sarah replied almost immediately.

Sarah: Please enjoy your breakfast before the billionaire remembers you're a cleaner and sends you back to work.

Elena laughed so hard she nearly spilled her tea.

For a few minutes, she allowed herself to enjoy the unexpected luxury.

Then her phone vibrated again.

This time, the message was from Alexander.

Alexander: Good morning. Security will collect your sister at ten. I need you at Blackwood Tower afterward. There has been a development.

Elena's smile faded.

She typed a response.

Elena: Is the development good news or the kind that requires me to cancel my breakfast?

His reply arrived quickly.

Alexander: The second kind.

Elena put down her phone.

“Of course.”

Apparently, even a billionaire couldn't afford her one peaceful morning.

At Blackwood Tower, Alexander stood beside his desk while Daniel reviewed the overnight reports.

“The technician still hasn't been located,” Daniel said. “His apartment was empty when security checked. We're also reviewing the access records from the mechanical level.”

“Was his absence reported before last night?”

“No. According to his supervisor, he completed his previous assignment normally.”

Alexander picked up the report.

“And the inspection authorization?”

“The request came through your executive account. The system shows a valid approval, but the authentication trail is incomplete.”

“Meaning someone may have manipulated the records.”

“Possibly.”

Alexander placed the report down.

“Find out who had access to the account. I want a full audit, not assumptions.”

Daniel nodded.

“There is another matter. Adeline Blackwood has requested a meeting.”

Alexander's expression changed.

“What does she want?”

“She says the attempted accident could affect the company's reputation. She wants to discuss how we're handling the investigation.”

“Since when has Adeline been concerned about my reputation?”

Daniel didn't answer.

He didn't need to.

Adeline had spent years moving comfortably through the company's inner circle. She understood the business, knew the important people, and had an impressive ability to appear wherever a decision might affect her interests.

Alexander had never considered her a threat.

That didn't mean he trusted her blindly.

“Tell her I'll meet with her in twenty minutes,” he said.

Daniel left.

Alexander returned to the report, but his thoughts shifted briefly to Elena.

She had saved his life without hesitation. Now she was caught in a situation she hadn't chosen, and he had no intention of allowing her to face it without protection.

He had dealt with hostile competitors, difficult negotiations, and people who would gladly exploit a weakness for profit.

Elena was different.

She had no interest in his fortune, and she wasn't afraid to question him.

That made her difficult to predict.

It also made her difficult to ignore.

Adeline Blackwood entered the office precisely twenty minutes later.

She wore an elegant cream suit, her hair arranged neatly, and an expression of concern that would have convinced almost anyone unfamiliar with her.

“Alexander,” she said. “I've been worried about you.”

“I'm fine.”

“I heard about the accident. It could have been much worse.”

“It wasn't an accident.”

Adeline paused before taking the seat opposite him.

“You're certain?”

“The evidence suggests someone deliberately interfered with the inspection and security arrangements.”

Her fingers tightened briefly around her handbag.

“That's a serious accusation.”

“I haven't accused anyone.”

“Not yet, perhaps.”

Alexander studied her.

“Why did you request this meeting?”

Adeline crossed one leg over the other.

“The board is already hearing rumours. If people begin believing the company has security problems, our competitors will use it against us. We need to control the information being released.”

“The investigation comes first.”

“Of course. But you can't ignore the consequences for the company.”

“I haven't.”

Adeline leaned forward.

“Then I hope you're being careful about the people you involve. An incident like this can attract opportunists. People may exaggerate what they saw or use the situation to get close to you.”

Alexander's expression remained unreadable.

“Are you referring to someone in particular?”

“No. I'm simply reminding you to be cautious.”

He let the silence stretch.

“Thank you for your concern, Adeline. I'll handle the investigation myself.”

She stood.

“I'm glad you're taking it seriously.”

At the door, she turned back.

“One more thing. I heard a cleaner was involved. Is she the person who pulled you away from the structure?”

“Yes. Her name is Elena Hayes.”

Adeline repeated the name quietly, as though committing it to memory.

“Then I suppose you owe her a great deal.”

“I do.”

Adeline smiled politely.

“Be careful, Alexander. Gratitude can make people feel responsible for others in ways they don't fully understand.”

He held her gaze.

“And suspicion can make people see problems where none exist.”

For the first time, her smile became rigid.

“I'm only trying to help.”

“Then let the investigation do its work.”

Adeline left without another word.

Alexander remained still for several seconds.

Her concern had sounded reasonable. Her questions had been carefully phrased.

Yet something about the conversation bothered him.

He picked up his phone.

“Daniel, I want Adeline's meeting request and any correspondence relating to the inspection preserved with the investigation records.”

“Understood.”

Alexander ended the call.

He wasn't ready to accuse Adeline of anything.

But he wasn't going to overlook her interest in Elena, either.

Elena arrived at Blackwood Tower shortly after eleven.

A security officer escorted her upstairs, and she entered Alexander's office carrying her handbag and wearing the same expression she used whenever someone asked her to clean a room that had already been cleaned.

“Your message said there was a development,” she began. “Please tell me someone has found the person responsible.”

“We've made progress, but we haven't identified them.”

“So we're still at the exciting stage where everyone knows something happened, but nobody knows who did it.”

Alexander smiled.

“That's one way to describe an investigation.”

“It's the only way I can describe it without becoming frustrated.”

He gestured toward a chair.

“Have a seat.”

Elena sat.

Alexander explained what the team had discovered about the inspection authorization and the missing security records. He also told her that the technician connected to the camera's last maintenance check hadn't been located.

She listened carefully.

“Did the technician know about the inspection?”

“We're trying to establish that.”

“And whoever arranged the inspection knew your schedule?”

“Yes.”

Elena frowned.

“Then someone had access to information that should have been private.”

“That's our working theory.”

She considered the details.

“Mr. Blackwood, I may not understand your company's security system, but I know the difference between an ordinary mistake and something that doesn't make sense.”

“Go on.”

“If someone wanted to make an accident look convincing, wouldn't they want everyone to believe the building had simply malfunctioned? The camera failure would help with that.”

Alexander leaned forward.

“That's possible.”

“And if the inspection was moved to Friday, why was it suddenly happening last night?”

“That is one of the questions we're investigating.”

Elena nodded.

“Then I hope your investigators are asking the same questions. Because if they aren't, I would like to know what exactly we're paying them for.”

Alexander laughed.

This time, the sound was warm and unrestrained.

“You're remarkably comfortable criticizing my staff.”

“I've cleaned up after them. I have evidence.”

He shook his head, still smiling.

For a moment, the office felt less like an interrogation room and more like an ordinary conversation between two people who happened to come from very different worlds.

Then Elena's phone vibrated.

A message from Sarah appeared on the screen.

Sarah: I'm on my way. The security man says everything is arranged. Please tell me this hotel has food because I'm starving.

Elena showed Alexander the message.

“Your security team has apparently won my sister's approval. Food was always going to be the deciding factor.”

“I'm relieved to hear it.”

She put her phone away.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Why are you personally involved in all of this? You have an entire company full of people who can investigate the incident.”

“Because someone tried to kill me.”

She waited.

“And because you were put in danger while saving me,” he continued. “I won't hand your safety over to people whose reliability we haven't established.”

Elena looked at him.

She had expected a businesslike explanation, perhaps another promise about security arrangements.

Instead, he had made it personal.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

Alexander held her gaze.

“You're welcome.”

A knock interrupted them.

Daniel entered with a document.

“Mr. Blackwood, the board has requested an emergency meeting. They're concerned about the incident and want to know whether it will affect the company's operations.”

Alexander accepted the document.

“When?”

“This afternoon.”

He scanned the page, then set it aside.

Elena rose.

“I should leave you to your billionaire problems.”

“Your problems are connected to mine now.”

“That's precisely what worries me.”

Alexander stood as well.

“Elena, there's something else we need to discuss.”

She looked at him cautiously.

“What now?”

“Your safety may become more complicated if this incident attracts public attention. The company will need to address what happened, and people may begin asking questions about the woman who saved my life.”

Elena stared at him.

“Are you saying I might end up in the news?”

“It's possible.”

“Wonderful. I've always wanted to become famous for nearly being crushed by office equipment.”

He smiled, but his expression soon became serious again.

“I won't let anyone use you to damage the investigation or put you in danger.”

Elena adjusted the strap of her handbag.

“I appreciate that. But whatever happens, I need you to remember something.”

“What?”

“I have a life outside this building. I have a sister who needs me, responsibilities I can't abandon, and a future I still intend to build. I won't become a prisoner just because someone tried to kill you.”

Alexander looked at her for a long moment.

“I wouldn't ask you to.”

“Good.”

She walked toward the door, then stopped.

“And if you ever decide to offer me another job, make sure the benefits include hazard pay.”

Alexander laughed again.

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Elena left the office.

Alexander watched the door close behind her.

He had a company to protect, an attempted murder to investigate, and an emergency board meeting waiting for him.

Yet his thoughts kept returning to a woman who refused to be intimidated by his money or authority.

Across the city, Adeline Blackwood was making her own plans.

Elena Hayes had become more than a witness.

She was now a person Alexander trusted enough to keep close.

And Adeline had begun to understand that this ordinary cleaner might become the one obstacle she hadn't prepared for.

End of Chapter 6