Chapter 15:The Plan

Julian's POV

“We go in together.”

Zoe placed a printed floor plan on the kitchen island between them.

Julian looked at the paper.

Then he looked at her.

It was still early in the morning.

The kitchen was quiet, except for the soft sound of the coffee machine and the occasional noise coming from the city outside.

Julian picked up his coffee.

“No.”

Zoe frowned.

“You haven't even looked at the plan.”

“I don't need to.”

“You should at least—”

“No.”

She stared at him.

Julian took a slow drink of his coffee.

Zoe crossed her arms.

“You're not even going to hear me out?”

“I already know what you're going to say.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

She leaned closer to the island.

“Then tell me.”

“You want to go into the security office.”

“Correct.”

“You want us to search it.”

“Yes.”

“And you think this is a good idea.”

“Yes.”

Julian shook his head.

“Absolutely not.”

Zoe's eyes narrowed.

“Why?”

“Because you're not going anywhere near that office again.”

“That's not your decision.”

Julian finally looked up from his coffee.

“It is exactly my decision.”

He placed the cup down.

“This is my house, my company, my security team, and my responsibility.”

Zoe gave him a look.

“Your what?”

“My responsibility.”

“No. I mean your responsibility.”

She pointed at herself.

“I am not one of your employees that you can order around whenever you want.”

Julian's jaw tightened.

“Zoe.”

“No.”

She pulled the floor plan closer.

“I found the flash drive.”

“I know.”

“I've been keeping notes.”

“I know.”

“I've been watching Marcus's movements.”

“I know.”

“I was almost killed in a fire he set.”

Julian's expression hardened.

“I know.”

Zoe leaned forward.

“Then you should understand why I'm going.”

Julian stared at her.

She was not backing down.

He had learned that about her over the past week.

Once Zoe decided something was important, she did not easily change her mind.

There was a fire in her eyes.

Not anger alone.

Determination.

She had every reason to be afraid.

Yet somehow, fear had not made her weaker.

It had made her more determined.

“This is my fight too,” she said.

Julian looked away for a moment.

He hated that she was right.

She was already involved.

There was no easy way to remove her from the situation.

Marcus knew about her.

Whoever “R” was might know about her too.

She had found the flash drive.

She had seen things she was never supposed to see.

She had been threatened.

And now someone had tried to kill her.

Keeping her locked away would not make the danger disappear.

But that did not mean Julian wanted her anywhere near Marcus.

“I can do this without you,” he said.

Zoe shook her head.

“No, you can't.”

Julian looked at her.

“You don't know what you're dealing with.”

“And neither do you.”

“I have Arthur.”

“And I have eyes.”

He almost sighed.

Zoe pointed at the floor plan.

“The security office has cameras, access records, visitor logs, and probably copies of the security reports.”

Julian said nothing.

“If Marcus has been changing records or giving people access they shouldn't have, that's where we'll find proof.”

Julian looked at the floor plan.

She was right.

The security office was one of the few places where they might find information that could connect Marcus directly to what had been happening.

But there was another problem.

Marcus would know the building better than almost anyone.

He could know when security changed shifts.

He could know where cameras were located.

He could know which doors were locked.

He could know who was supposed to be where.

And if he discovered them inside the office, they would be trapped in his territory.

Julian looked back at Zoe.

“No.”

Her face fell slightly.

“Why?”

“Because if Marcus catches you in there, he won't give you a second chance.”

Zoe's expression softened for a moment.

Then she shook her head.

“I can't keep hiding.”

“You're not hiding.”

“Yes, I am.”

“You're staying safe.”

“That's not the same thing.”

Julian stood.

Zoe stayed where she was.

He walked around the kitchen island until he was standing across from her.

“Do you understand what could happen?”

“Yes.”

“You could get hurt.”

“I know.”

“You could be trapped.”

“I know.”

“You could—”

“I know, Julian.”

Her voice was quieter this time.

“I know.”

He stopped.

Zoe looked down at the floor plan.

“I was scared when the fire started.”

Julian's chest tightened.

“I thought I was going to pass out.”

She swallowed.

“But I couldn't leave that man behind.”

Julian remembered finding her outside.

He remembered her coughing.

He remembered the fear that had hit him when he saw her on the ground.

His voice became quieter.

“If anything happens to you…”

He stopped.

Zoe looked up.

Julian stared at her.

The rest of the sentence stayed in his throat.

If anything happened to her, he didn't know what he would do.

He didn't want to think about it.

He didn't want to say it.

He wasn't ready to admit why the thought frightened him so much.

Zoe's eyes widened slightly.

She had heard enough to understand the unfinished sentence.

For a moment, something soft appeared in her expression.

Something surprised.

Then she quickly covered it with her usual confidence.

“Nothing is going to happen to me.”

Julian said nothing.

“Not if we're careful.”

She touched the floor plan.

“And not if we do this together.”

Julian looked at her.

Together.

The word stayed in his mind.

He didn't like how much he wanted to believe it.

He turned his attention back to the floor plan.

He studied the layout carefully.

The security office was on the second floor.

There were two entrances.

One was connected to the main hallway.

The other was through a smaller service corridor.

The service corridor had fewer cameras.

Julian pointed to it.

“We use this entrance.”

Zoe moved closer.

“Why?”

“Less traffic.”

“Good.”

He continued studying the plan.

“There's also a camera here.”

Zoe nodded.

“We can avoid it.”

“Maybe.”

She looked at him.

“Maybe?”

“Nothing is certain.”

“That sounds encouraging.”

“It isn't meant to.”

Zoe smiled slightly.

Julian almost smiled back.

Almost.

Then his attention returned to the plan.

He checked the security schedule.

“Tomorrow night.”

Zoe looked up.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Eleven.”

“Why eleven?”

“Security does a shift change at eleven.”

He pointed to the schedule.

“The old team logs out. The new team takes over.”

“How long?”

Julian checked his phone.

“There's usually a gap.”

“How long?”

“About six minutes.”

Zoe stared at him.

“Six minutes?”

“Yes.”

“That isn't much time.”

“It will have to be enough.”

She looked back at the floor plan.

“What happens if someone comes in?”

“We leave.”

“What if Marcus is there?”

Julian's expression hardened.

“Then we don't stay.”

“What if we find something important?”

“We take it.”

“And if we can't?”

“We get out alive.”

Zoe nodded.

“That works.”

Julian looked at her.

“I'm serious.”

“So am I.”

He studied her face.

She was scared.

He could see it now.

She was trying to hide it, but he could see the tension in her shoulders.

Yet she was still willing to go.

“Six minutes,” she repeated.

Julian nodded.

“Our window.”

She took a slow breath.

“Okay.”

She folded the floor plan.

“Tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night.”

Zoe turned and started walking away.

Julian watched her.

He wanted to stop her.

He wanted to tell her they would find another way.

He wanted to tell her that he would handle everything himself.

But he knew she would not listen.

And deep down, he knew he did not want her to.

She had become part of this.

Not because he wanted her to be.

Because the danger had found her.

Zoe reached the doorway.

“Julian?”

He looked at her.

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For trusting me enough to let me help.”

Julian looked at her for a moment.

Then he nodded.

“Be ready tomorrow.”

She smiled.

“I will.”

Then she left.

Julian watched her disappear down the hallway.

Something tight moved inside his chest.

It was fear.

At least, part of it was fear.

Fear for her safety.

Fear of what they might find.

Fear of what Marcus was capable of.

But there was something else.

Something he had been trying not to think about.

It had started quietly.

A look here.

A conversation there.

The way Zoe refused to be intimidated by him.

The way she spoke her mind.

The way she looked at him as if he were more than the cold businessman everyone else saw.

The way she had trusted him after he had failed her.

Julian rubbed a hand over his face.

He needed to stop thinking about it.

His phone suddenly buzzed on the kitchen counter.

Julian picked it up.

A message.

From Marcus.

Julian opened it.

Marcus: Heard about the fire. Terrible business. Let me know if you need anything. I'm looking into it personally.

Julian stared at the message.

His stomach turned cold.

Marcus was already covering his tracks.

He was acting concerned.

Helpful.

Loyal.

Exactly what everyone would expect from the head of security after an incident like that.

But Julian knew better now.

Marcus was not simply investigating the fire.

He was probably making sure no one connected it to him.

Julian read the message again.

I'm looking into it personally.

He almost laughed.

There was nothing funny about it.

Marcus had been in control of security.

He knew what happened.

He knew which cameras worked.

He knew which ones didn't.

He knew who had access to the building.

And now he was offering to investigate the same fire he might have caused.

Julian locked his phone.

His expression became hard.

Tomorrow night was no longer just about finding evidence.

It was about moving before Marcus realized they were coming.

Julian looked toward the hallway where Zoe had disappeared.

He thought about the six-minute window.

Six minutes to get inside.

Six minutes to search.

Six minutes to find something that could prove what Marcus had done.

And six minutes to get out.

But one thought refused to leave his mind.

Marcus was already watching.

Julian was certain of it.

Somewhere in the building, Marcus Webb was waiting.

Watching.

Listening.

Planning.

And if Julian was right, Marcus was probably already three steps ahead of them.

Which meant tomorrow night might not be their best chance.

It might be their last.

Julian looked down at his phone again.

Then he whispered to himself,

“Not this time.”

He had spent too long reacting to Marcus's moves.

Tomorrow, they would make the first move.

And whatever waited for them inside that security office, Julian intended to be ready.