جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 90

The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped onto the marketing floor of Haven Enterprises, the familiar hum of printers and chatter greeting me. My heels clicked against the polished floor, and I adjusted the strap of my bag.David was at the coffee machine, wrestling with a jammed filter, his usual grin replaced by a scowl. “Morning, Tee,” he called, spotting me. “This thing’s out to ruin my day.”I laughed, setting my bag down at my desk. “Not unless it involves unplugging and praying. Rough start?”“You have no idea,” he said, finally yanking the filter free, coffee grounds scattering. “Torres kept me up late with his theories about that mock-up glitch. The guy is like a dog with a bone. Have you heard anything new?”I leaned against my cubicle, keeping my voice low. “Not yet. He’s supposed to update me and Nick today. Something about Marcus Reed’s login. You think it’s an inside job?”David wiped his hands on a napkin, his eyes narrowing. “Marcus was weird, always by himself, neve

The morning air was sharp as I stood outside Brew & Bean, the coffee shop Torres had pinpointed as the source of Marcus Reed’s off-site login. The neon sign flickered lazily above the door, the pink glow struggling against the hazy grey light of dawn. A steady stream of early risers bustled past, their conversations blending with the hum of traffic and the occasional whoosh of a passing bus. The scent of roasted beans drifted through the open window, rich and earthy, weaving into the cold breeze that tugged at my coat.I hadn’t slept much—maybe three hours at most—but adrenaline had kicked in the moment my alarm went off. I’d come early, before heading to Haven, hoping to catch something—anything—that might explain who had used the coffee shop’s public Wi-Fi to tamper with our mock-up files. A familiar face. A name dropped accidentally. Even a strange look exchanged across the counter. Something.My breath puffed visibly in the cool spring air, and I tightened my scarf, peering throug

The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the park near Haven Enterprises, where I’d slipped away to clear my head after the archive room meeting. I sat on a wooden bench, the faint rustle of leaves and distant laughter of kids on a playground softening the edges of my thoughts.My phone rested in my lap, a text to Ella half-typed: “Coming this weekend with Nick. How’s Mom holding up?” The Suzan-Marcus email weighed on me, a knot of suspicion tightening with every new clue, but I needed a moment to breathe, to reconnect with family before diving back into the mystery. I hit send, watching a squirrel dart across the grass, and let the park’s calm settle over me.Ella’s reply came fast: “Mom’s stressed but hiding it. Dad’s being a stubborn mule. Nick’s coming? OMG!”I stood, brushing off my green dress, and headed toward the office to grab my bag. The park’s peace lingered, but Suzan’s guarded face and Jordan’s evasiveness crept back, sharpening my focus. Torres’s workstation logs wo

The marketing floor was a hive of activity as I stepped out of the break room, the soda can cool in my hand, its fizz still bubbling against my nerves. The hum of printers and the clatter of keyboards filled the air, but my mind was locked on Torres’s revelation—Suzan accessing a backup file after Marcus’s login, her phone call.I wove through the cubicles, my cream slacks brushing softly, and headed toward my desk, ready to check the Reid Corps follow-up reports. But before I could sit, Mr. Lawrence’s voice cut through the noise, calling from the conference room doorway.“Ms. Bennett, a moment, please,” he said, his gray suit impeccable, his expression stern as always.Beside him stood Ms. Carver, a board member known for her piercing questions and zero patience for delays.My stomach tightened—board members didn’t drop by for casual chats.I nodded, setting my soda on my desk, and followed them into the conference room, the glass walls giving a clear view of the bustling floor.Clar

The sharp buzz of my alarm jolted me awake, dawn’s gray light seeping through my curtains. I fumbled for my phone, silencing it, and dialed Nick, my voice hoarse as I sat up, the chill of the morning prickling my skin. He answered on the first ring, his tone alert despite the hour. “Tee, you’re up. What’s going on? You sound tense.”I swung my legs over the bed, my bare feet hitting the cold floor, and took a breath. “I am. Last night, Priya came to my apartment. She said Clara gave her my address. She overheard Suzan in the design lab, on the phone, planning to meet someone at Brew & Bean tonight to ‘get a file.’ Priya sounded scared, Nick, but something about her felt wrong. Too nervous, like she wasn’t telling me everything.”Nick’s voice tightened, a rustle suggesting he was moving. “Brew & Bean keeps coming up. Priya’s new and could she be trusted? What if she is feeding you half-truths to throw us off? What’s your gut say?”I stood, pacing to my dresser, my reflection pale in th