Wrong Girl, Right Love
"Good evening, Mom. How was your day?"
"My day was good, my love. How is yours going?" Her voice was a soothing balm against the stress of the day.
"It’s... busy. My boss gave me a mountain of work to finish before tomorrow morning, so I won't be coming home tonight. I’m going to stay late and then head straight back in."
"Oh, my dear," she sighed. "Just be careful. Don't get into any trouble."
"I won't, Mom. Did you take your medication?" I asked, knowing how she tended to forget when I wasn't there to nag her.
"Ah... I’ll take it now."
"Mom, please. You need to stay strong for me."
"I will, I will. I love you, Annabelle."
"Love you too."
After I hung up, the silence of the office felt even heavier. The lights were dimmed, except for the glow from my monitor and the soft yellow light spilling from Elias’s office. He was still in there, a silhouette of intense focus as he reviewed the project details.
Suddenly, a sharp ping echoed through the quiet room. I jumped slightly, my eyes snapping to my computer screen.
Unknown Email.
No encrypted address.
No profile picture
No signature.
Whoever sent this, don't want to be traced.
"What is this?" I muttered, my skin crawling with a sudden, inexplicable chill. The subject line was written in bold, stark capital letters: BEFORE THE INVESTMENT.
My pulse shifted into a frantic rhythm. I hesitated, my mouse hovering over the notification. When I finally clicked, my breath hitched. It wasn't just a message; it was a cache of attached documents, internal financial transfers, offshore account statements, and adjusted revenue projections. I realized instantly that these were different from the official files Elias had given me.