Chapter 3

The night before the bid closed, Victor suddenly told me to go to the client's East District office.

"The client has a clarification letter the project lead needs to sign off on in person.

"Round trip should take half an hour."

I looked at the copied recipients on the email.

Adrian was included in the client communication group.

The comments flooded my vision.

[It's a setup to get you out of the way.]

[They're going into your apartment.]

[Don't go alone. Take Legal. Share your location.]

I turned to Leah.

"Come with me."

Victor's expression immediately soured.

"Why are you bringing Legal? The client will think we don't trust them."

Leah clipped on her ID badge.

"During bid closing, Legal has to be present for any in-person sign-off."

Victor said nothing else.

On the way to the East District, I recorded the entire trip and shared my live location.

When we reached the client's lobby, reception told us the person we were supposed to meet had just left.

We called.

The assistant gave a vague answer.

"Maybe someone mixed up the time."

Leah and I looked at each other.

Then we turned around immediately.

We were halfway back when my phone rang.

It was Mr. Bell from property management, his voice shaking.

"Ms. Quinn, you need to come back right now.

"Something happened in your apartment."

My blood went cold.

"Who's inside?"

"A pregnant woman.

"She said she's your coworker.

"She collapsed in the living room. There's blood on the floor. The ambulance is already here."

Leah put a hand over mine.

"Don't panic. Don't say anything yet."

I stared at the streetlights streaking past the window.

Comments filled my vision.

[She's started the performance.]

[Someone already posted photos in the work chat.]

[The company system is about to trigger an alert.]

A second later, the project group exploded.

Someone posted a photo.

My living room.

Tessa was lying on the floor, pale, one hand over her stomach, blood staining the hem of her skirt.

The caption read, "Something happened at Maya's apartment! It looks like Tessa miscarried!"

Then the security alert arrived.

"Possible exfiltration of core bid files. Source IP: Building 6, Sycamore Lane, Maya Quinn residential network."

The group went wild.

"Her home network?"

"Why was Tessa in Maya's apartment?"

"She refused her during the day, and now this happens at night? That's too convenient."

"The bid files went out from Maya's place too? Isn't she dating that Adrian guy from the competing company?"

My fingertips turned icy.

Adrian called.

I answered.

"Maya, where are you? Tessa says you argued and she fell."

"What else did she say?"

He paused.

"She said you found out about the baby."

"What baby?"

"Maya."

His voice lowered.

"Now's not the time for this.

"Just come back and try to be cooperative. I'll help you find a lawyer."

I laughed.

"You'll help me?"

"I'm trying to protect you."

"Then wait for me at the apartment."

I ended the call.

Ten minutes later, I ran up to the sixth floor.

The hallway was packed.

Paramedics pushed out a stretcher.

Tessa lay on it, sweat covering her forehead.

The moment she saw me, tears rolled down her face.

"Maya, I only wanted to live closer so I could finish the project.

"Even if you found out the baby was Adrian's, you didn't have to do this to me."

She didn't say it loudly.

But it was loud enough for everyone to hear.