FAZER LOGINThe name echoes in my head. Victor Salazar. For a moment, the rooftop disappears. Because I remember him. Not clearly. But enough. Tall. Controlled. Always dressed in dark suits. The man who stood at the end of the boardroom table after the crash, speaking calmly about corporate stability. Marcus breaks the silence first. “You’re telling me Victor Salazar ordered the hit?” Margaret shrugs slightly. “I’m telling you he had the most to gain.” Adrian’s expression is colder than I’ve ever seen it. “That’s not proof.” “No,” Margaret agrees. “But it’s a pattern.” The rain keeps falling around us. Marcus rubs the back of his neck. “Let’s rewind.” He points toward Margaret. “You’re saying Salazar wanted Adrian dead.” “Yes.” “And when the crash erased Alessa’s memory…” “He adjusted the plan.” Marcus exhales slowly. “Jesus.” My chest tightens. “What plan?” Margaret gestures toward the city skyline. “Reyes Holdings without Adrian Reyes.” Adrian says nothing. But I feel the tens
The storm seems quieter now. Not because the rain has stopped. But because every person on the rooftop is thinking the same thing. Someone inside Reyes Holdings. Margaret’s words linger like a shadow across the concrete. “The one person who benefited most from you losing those three years.” Marcus exhales slowly. “Alright.” He looks around the rooftop. “Let’s stop and think before we start accusing random executives.” Adrian hasn’t moved. His gaze is fixed on Margaret. “You’re implying someone in my company ordered the crash.” “Yes.” “Why?” Margaret shrugs slightly. “Because timing matters.” Marcus folds his arms. “Explain.” She nods toward me. “Three years ago, Alessa discovered something inside Reyes Holdings.” I feel the tension return to my chest. “The second set of accounts.” Marcus nods. “Yes.” “But those weren’t the real problem,” Margaret continues. Adrian’s voice lowers. “Then what was?” Margaret studies him carefully. “You built a war chest.” “Yes.” “Offs
“Ask him.” Margaret’s voice is calm. Too calm. All eyes turn toward my father. Eduardo Valez stands exactly where he has been since this conversation started—unmoved, composed, rain sliding down the shoulders of his coat. For a long moment, no one speaks. Marcus breaks first. “You’re saying Valez sent the SUV?” Margaret shrugs slightly despite the guards holding her. “I’m saying I didn’t.” Marcus exhales slowly. “That’s not the same thing.” Adrian’s gaze sharpens. “No,” he says quietly. “But it narrows the field.” My pulse pounds in my ears as I turn toward my father. “Did you?” The question leaves my mouth before I can stop it. For the first time tonight, Eduardo Valez hesitates. It’s subtle. Barely visible. But I see it. And so does Adrian. Marcus mutters under his breath. “Well, that’s not comforting.” My father exhales slowly. “I didn’t order a crash.” My chest tightens. “That’s not what I asked.” He meets my eyes. “I did not instruct anyone to kill you.” The word
The rain hasn’t slowed. If anything, the storm feels heavier now, pressing down on the rooftop like the city itself is listening. Margaret’s last words echo in my mind. She became the more valuable target. My pulse pounds. Marcus is the first to react. “That doesn’t make sense.” Margaret lifts an eyebrow. “Doesn’t it?” Marcus shakes his head. “No. Killing Alessa would have made the corporate war worse, not better.” Adrian’s voice is low and controlled. “Explain your logic.” Margaret studies him carefully. “You’re assuming the goal was still the corporate war.” Marcus frowns. “What else would it be?” Margaret turns toward me. “You.” The single word lands like a stone in my chest. Marcus groans softly. “This again.” But Margaret continues. “Three years ago, Alessa Valez was more than an architect.” I blink. “What does that mean?” She gestures toward my father. “She was Valez Urban Development’s quiet successor.” Eduardo Valez doesn’t deny it. Marcus mutters under his
The rain continues to hammer the rooftop. But the storm inside my head is louder. Margaret’s version of the crash hangs in the air like a shadow none of us can ignore. You called your father. You asked him to stop Adrian. For a moment, it almost sounds believable. Almost. Marcus is the first to speak. “No.” The single word cuts through the silence. Margaret turns to him. “You disagree?” “I know you’re twisting the narrative.” Her eyebrow lifts slightly. “Oh?” Marcus gestures toward the rooftop. “Everyone here needs to slow down before this turns into exactly what you want.” Adrian’s eyes narrow slightly. “Explain.” Marcus exhales slowly, rain dripping from his hair. “Margaret just gave us a version of the crash.” “Yes,” Adrian says. “But not the truth.” Margaret rolls her eyes. “Of course the spy has opinions.” Marcus ignores her. “This is important,” he says, looking directly at me. “Because if we let her control the story, we’ll lose track of what actually happened.
“…what?” Marcus’s voice cracks across the rooftop. For the first time since I met him, he actually looks stunned. Not defensive. Not calculating. Just… shocked. The security guards react immediately, shifting their weapons toward him. “Easy,” Marcus says quickly, raising both hands higher. “Everyone relax before somebody makes a very stupid decision.” My pulse pounds. Margaret’s smile hasn’t changed. “Interesting reaction,” she murmurs. Marcus glares at her. “You just accused me of attempted murder.” “I pointed out a possibility.” “That’s not a possibility,” Marcus snaps. “That’s insanity.” Adrian hasn’t moved. His eyes remain locked on Marcus, unreadable. “Answer the question,” Adrian says quietly. Marcus exhales sharply. “You seriously think I ran Alessa off the road?” “No,” Adrian replies. “I think you knew about the meeting.” Marcus laughs bitterly. “Of course I knew about the meeting.” The admission sends a ripple through the rooftop. My stomach twists. “You knew
By the time we leave the boardroom floor, the building already feels different.Tighter.Charged.Word travels fast inside Reyes Holdings, and nothing travels faster than fear. Directors who avoided looking at me earlier now glance quickly when I pass, their curiosity barely concealed.My accident.
The boardroom empties slowly.One chair scrapes against the marble floor. Another director gathers his tablet with deliberate calm, as though the room has not just watched a video suggesting my accident might have been deliberate.No one looks directly at me.Not out of respect.Out of calculation.
The elevator ride to the executive floor feels longer than it should.Thirty-two floors.Thirty-two seconds.Thirty-two reasons why I shouldn’t be here.But the moment the doors open, I step out anyway.The hallway of Reyes Holdings is quieter than I expected. The polished marble reflects the ceili
“I want my full medical records.”The words leave my mouth steady. Not shaken. Not fragile. Steady.Adrian studies me for a long moment, his gaze sharp, assessing.“Not a summary,” I continue. “Not a physician’s recap. Everything. Intake notes. Lab work. Security logs. Visitor access.”His eyes nar







