Chapter 3 – Shadows of the Past

Anna stayed at the office long after everyone else had left.

Most of the employees had already gone home, and the corridors of the fifteenth floor were quiet. Only the dim office lights illuminated the long glass hallway. Outside the enormous windows, the city lights glittered in the darkness.

But Anna wasn’t looking at the view.

Her eyes were fixed on the computer screen.

The old financial report she had found earlier that day wouldn’t leave her mind. Her father’s company name had appeared in the same file as one of Orlov Holding’s past investments.

That couldn’t be a coincidence.

Her fingers moved quickly across the keyboard as she searched through the company’s archived files.

Years of records.

Contracts.

Transfers.

Most of the files were encrypted, but some of the older documents were still accessible.

Anna’s heart began to beat faster.

If she could find the truth…

she could finally prove that the Orlov family was responsible for destroying her father’s company.

Suddenly a new file appeared on the screen.

“Morena Trading – 8 years ago.”

Anna’s breath caught in her throat.

That was her father’s company.

She opened the document immediately.

Lines of financial transfers and investment agreements filled the page.

Then she saw it.

A name.

A signature.

Orlov Group.

Anna’s hand slowly curled into a fist.

“I knew it…” she whispered.

At that exact moment, footsteps echoed in the corridor.

Anna quickly closed the file.

The office door opened slowly.

She froze.

David stood in the doorway.

His expression was calm, but his sharp eyes were carefully observing the room.

“You’re still here?” he asked.

Anna stood up quickly.

“Yes… I just wanted to finish a few things.”

David stepped into the office.

In the dim evening light, he looked even more serious than during the day.

“Most people don’t stay this late during their first week.”

Anna forced a calm smile.

“I like to do my job well.”

David’s gaze shifted toward the computer screen.

“What were you looking for?”

Anna’s heart skipped a beat.

“Just some old financial reports.”

David walked closer.

“Old reports?”

His voice was quiet, but there was a hint of suspicion in it.

Anna tried to remain natural.

“I wanted to learn more about the company’s history.”

David didn’t respond immediately.

His eyes rested on her face.

As if he were trying to read her thoughts.

“Interesting,” he said finally.

Anna felt the tension between them growing.

He was standing too close.

“Why did you choose this job?” David asked suddenly.

The question caught her off guard.

“Because it’s a good opportunity.”

David slowly shook his head.

“I don’t think so.”

Anna narrowed her eyes slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“According to your resume,” David continued calmly, “you received offers from several other companies.”

His gaze remained steady.

“And yet you came here.”

Anna didn’t answer.

David stepped closer.

Now only a few centimeters separated them.

Anna could feel his presence.

His scent.

His eyes watching her.

And it unsettled her.

“So I’ll ask again,” he said quietly.

“Why Orlov Holding?”

Anna’s heart was racing.

She couldn’t tell him the truth.

She couldn’t say that she had come here for revenge.

“Maybe… I was curious,” she said finally.

David raised an eyebrow.

“Curious about what?”

Anna hesitated for a second.

Then she said something that surprised even herself.

“You.”

David’s expression didn’t change.

But a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Dangerous curiosity,” he said.

Anna crossed her arms.

“That depends on who you ask.”

David’s gaze slowly moved over her.

The moment suddenly felt much more personal.

“Perhaps you’re right,” he said.

He turned toward the door.

But before leaving, he stopped.

“Miss Tóth.”

Anna looked up.

“Yes?”

David slowly turned back toward her.

His expression was much more serious now.

“The past can be more dangerous than people think.”

Anna felt a chill run down her spine.

“What do you mean?”

David remained silent for a moment.

“Just advice.”

His voice was deeper now.

“Sometimes it’s better not to dig too deeply.”

Then he left the office.

The door closed quietly behind him.

Anna stood there without moving.

His words echoed in her mind.

Sometimes it’s better not to dig too deeply.

But she had already come too far to stop now.

Anna sat back down at the computer.

She reopened the document.

And then she noticed something she hadn’t seen before.

Under the name Orlov Group, there was another signature.

A name.

A name Anna knew very well.

Her hands began to tremble.

“This… can’t be possible…”

On the screen she read:

László Kovács

Her father’s name.

Anna stared at the document in shock.

If this was true…

then her father had not been a victim.

He had been part of the deal.