The glass walls of Jared's office reflected the dusk like a warning—silver and sharp, just like him. Every inch of the space was curated: minimalist, impersonal, cold. It matched him perfectly.
He rose from behind his desk when I walked in, his expression unreadable, as always. Not surprised. Not pleased. Just calculating.
"Stacey," he said. "I wasn't expecting you."
"No," I said, stepping further inside, letting the door click shut behind me. "I figured that's when you're most honest."
He gave a tight smile. "Clever. But then, you always were."
He gestured toward the seat in front of him. I didn't sit.
"I need to know the truth," I said. "Not your rehearsed version. Not what you told the board. I want the real story. About Argentum. About the others. About you."
He tilted his head, still smiling faintly. "The real story? That's a dangerous request."
I didn't blink. "I'm already in danger. So you might as well tell me what I'm risking my life for."
He considered me for a long moment, then slowly walked around the desk and leaned against the edge.
"Argentum is a failsafe," he said. "Built by necessity. Sustained by compromise. We don't chase chaos—we manage it. People like Sophie… like Daniel… they were part of the mechanism. They made moves when others hesitated."
"You funded them," I said flatly.
"I backed them," he corrected. "Not because Itrusted them, but because control isn't about loyalty—it's about leverage. Sophie knew that. Daniel… learned it the hard way."
I swallowed hard. "And me? What am I in all of this?"
His gaze sharpened. "You were a variable. A risk no one saw coming. You had access. Curiosity. The wrong combination. Sophie wanted to contain you. Daniel tried to protect you. I—" He paused, eyes flicking to the window. "—thought you'd burn out before you became a problem."
"But I didn't," I said.
"No," Jared admitted. "You didn't."
There was no remorse in his voice. Only observation, like I was a detail in a report. My hands curled into fists at my sides.
"You used me," I said.
"You used yourself," he replied smoothly. "You were the one asking questions. You were the one who pushed when everyone else was content to stay blind."
I took a shaky breath. "So what now? You silence me?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't answer. And that was all the answer I needed.
"I'm not going to be another name in your cover-up," I said, taking a step back toward the door.
But before I could turn the handle, he spoke again—quieter this time. "There's something you haven't considered, Stacey."
I froze.
"Everything Sophie told you… everything Alex is digging up… none of it is the whole truth. You think you've seen the top of the web, but all you've touched are threads."
I turned. "Then tell me what's at the center."
He gave a slow smile. "You'll find out soon enough."
—
Alex was waiting in his car outside my building, eyes flicking toward me the second I opened the door. I slid into the passenger seat without a word.
"Well?" he asked.
"He confirmed it," I said. "Jared's behind it. The whole thing."
Alex's jaw clenched, but he nodded. "I figured as much. But there's more. Look at this."
He handed me a tablet. Lines of transactions, offshore accounts, corporate shell companies, and at the center of it all… Jared. His name didn't appear outright, but the connections were undeniable.
My stomach turned. "How long have you been tracking this?"
"Since the night Sophie showed up at your door. Her visit wasn't just a warning—it was a shift in the game. She's scared now. And she doesn't scare easy."
"Then why hasn't she disappeared?" I asked.
Alex hesitated. "Because she wants to fight. But not alone."
A beat of silence passed.
"You think we can trust her?" I asked.
"No," he said honestly. "But we may have to work with her anyway."
I looked out the window, the city glowing in fractured light. There was a war unfolding beneath the surface of polished offices and pristine boardrooms, and somehow, I'd become one of its players.
"We need to move," I said. "If Jared knows I've seen the records—"
"He does," Alex interrupted. "I found a trace on your phone. Surveillance. Audio."
My blood went cold. "So he's listening to everything?"
"Not anymore," he said. "I cleaned it. But that means he knows we're coming."
We sat in silence, the gravity of it all settling over us like ash.
Then Alex looked at me.
"You still in?"
I nodded. "All the way."
—
That night, as I lay in bed, Sophie's words came back to me: When Daniel decides you're a threat, he won't hesitate to burn you down.
I hadn't seen him since the pieces started falling into place. But something told me that silence wasn't safety—it was strategy. And Daniel didn't like to lose.
The next morning, my fears were confirmed.
An email arrived. No sender. No subject. Just a single attachment.
I opened it.
A photo. Me and Alex. Taken from a distance. Blurry but unmistakable.
Then a message:
You're being watched. Choose wisely.