Chapter 7

Three days passed in a blur of glowing screens and endless cups of black coffee.

I barely left my new office. I spent hours reading the Obsidian source code. Dominic’s team was good, but they were very traditional. They wrote safe, predictable code. To beat Julian, we needed something aggressive. We needed software that moved faster than Vanguard’s system.

Maya did not make it easy for me.

On Wednesday afternoon, I requested access to the deep storage servers. Ten minutes later, my screen flashed red.

ACCESS DENIED.

I sighed loudly. I picked up my secure phone and dialed Maya’s extension. She answered on the first ring.

"Security," Maya said in a crisp tone.

"Maya, it is Sienna," I said calmly. "I need access to the deep storage servers. You blocked my request."

"You only have clearance for the active project files," Maya replied smoothly. I could hear her typing on her keyboard. "Deep storage contains Obsidian pack secrets. I cannot let an outsider view those files without written permission from the Alpha."

"I need to test the load capacity of the new compression algorithm," I explained. "I cannot do that without routing it through deep storage. You are slowing down the project."

"I am protecting my pack," Maya shot back. "If you want access, go ask Alpha Dominic."

She hung up the phone.

I put my phone down. She wanted me to run to Dominic and complain. She wanted me to act like a weak victim who needed an Alpha to fight her battles.

I opened a new terminal window on my screen.

Maya was a great security expert. I knew that. I built the Vanguard firewall from scratch, so I knew a good defense when I saw one. Her digital walls were thick and layered. I spent the next hour studying her security logs. I traced the pathways of data moving in and out of the deep storage.

I hit three dead ends. Her encryption was solid.

But then, I noticed a tiny blip in the data stream. It was a small, temporary maintenance node. Maya left it open for a routine daily patch. It was a narrow crack, but it was enough.

I used my structural knowledge to slip my algorithm through that specific, narrow crack. I ran the load test quickly. The deep storage handled the pressure very well. I pulled my data out and covered my digital footprints.

I sent Maya a quick message on the internal chat system.

Sienna: The test was successful. The deep storage servers can handle the load. You might want to patch the backdoor on node 4.

Maya did not reply. But five seconds later, the chat window closed.

I smiled to myself. She would be angry, but she would also see the truth. I found her weak spot, but I did not steal any pack secrets. I warned her instead. It was one expert acknowledging another. We needed each other’s distinct skills for this project to work.

I rubbed my tired eyes. A sudden, sharp pain flared in my chest.

I gasped and grabbed the edge of the desk. The pain was hot and fast, like a burning needle striking my ribs. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for it to pass. My heart beat wildly for a few seconds.

Then, the pain vanished.

I let out a slow breath. I touched my chest. The doctors at the hospital told me my body would feel strange for a few weeks after the miscarriage. It was just stress. It was just grief. I drank some water and forced myself to focus on the code again.

A loud knock on the door startled me.

Dominic walked into the office. He wore a sharp black suit. He held a thick, creamy white envelope in his hand. He looked at my monitors, then he looked at my pale face.

"You look tired," Dominic observed.

"I am fine," I lied. I sat up straighter. "I fixed the latency issue. The Obsidian software is now twice as fast as the Vanguard system."

"Carter told me," Dominic said. He walked over and dropped the white envelope on my keyboard. "He also told me you found a flaw in Maya's security wall."

"She refused to give me access," I explained carefully. I did not want him to think I was a rogue threat. "I found a maintenance route she left open. I only used the space for a load test. I did not view any private files."

"I know," Dominic said. A faint smirk crossed his face. "Maya spent the last hour trying to trace your steps. She is very annoyed. But she is also taking you seriously now."

I let out a small breath of relief.

Dominic tapped the white envelope. "Open it."

I picked up the envelope. The paper was very thick and costly. A gold wax seal held it closed. The seal bore the crest of the Vanguard Pack. My stomach twisted with instant dread.

I broke the wax and pulled out a beautiful invitation card.

The gold letters read: Alpha Julian Vanguard and Luna Scarlett invite you to the Vanguard Charity Gala. An evening of elegance and future announcements.

"A charity gala?" I asked in disgust. I tossed the card onto the desk. "He just filed for divorce three days ago. He is throwing a gala already?"

"It is a media stunt," Dominic explained. He crossed his arms and leaned against the edge of my desk. "Julian locked his development server, just like you planned. His engineers cannot fix it. He is panicking behind closed doors. So, he is throwing a lavish party to prove to his investors that his company is strong."

"He wants to distract them," I realized.

"Yes," Dominic said. "He wants to show off his pregnant mate. He wants the city to see him as a stable, wealthy Alpha before the software launch next week."

"So why did he send an invitation to you?" I asked. "You are his biggest rival."

"Because ignoring me makes him look weak," Dominic replied smoothly. "He wants to parade Scarlett in front of me. He wants to prove he is winning."

I looked at the gold card. The thought of seeing Julian and Scarlett smiling for the cameras made me feel sick.

"You should go," I told Dominic. "You should go and ruin his night."

"We are going," Dominic corrected me.

I froze. I looked up at him. "What?"

"You are coming with me to the gala tonight," Dominic stated firmly. It was not a request. It was an Alpha command.

"No," I said quickly. I shook my head. "I cannot go back there. The pack members hate me. They will laugh at me. Julian told the press I am crazy."

"And if you hide in this office, they will believe him," Dominic countered deeply. He leaned closer to me. His icy blue eyes locked onto mine. "You are my Lead Architect now. You do not hide from anyone. You will walk into that ballroom, you will look him in the eyes, and you will show him you are not broken."

"I do not have anything to wear to a gala," I whispered. My hands started to shake.

"I took care of that," Dominic said. He stood up straight. "My driver is waiting downstairs. He will take you to a private boutique. Buy whatever you want. I will pick you up at the estate at eight o'clock."

He turned and walked toward the door.

"Dominic," I called out.

He stopped and looked back at me.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked quietly. "You could just crush his company. You do not need to bring me into his territory."

"Julian took your pride," Dominic said softly. It was the first time I heard a trace of real warmth in his cold voice. "I am going to help you take it back."