I never thought I'd walk back through the front doors of GeneKey. Not after everything. Not after the firestorm I'd unleashed, the truths I'd exposed, the family I'd lost because of this place.
But here I was. A prisoner of my own "match."
The press had turned the leak into a spectacle—"the reunion of star-crossed lovers," they called it. A fairy tale spun from cold data and corporate desperation. They didn't know the truth. They had no idea what I was walking back into.
The lobby was too bright, the sterile white walls echoing with the hum of security cameras and whispered conversations. Cameras flashed as I stepped inside, every eye hungry for the story. Me—the whistleblower, the enemy, now the reluctant leading lady in Caspian Vale's grand charade.
I kept my head high, my jaw clenched tight. There was no room for fear, no space for hesitation.
But my heart? It was pounding like a warning drum. Because nothing about this felt safe.
The first person I saw was Maya, Caspian's assistant—always perfectly composed, always watching. She gave me a polite nod that didn't reach her eyes.
"Welcome back," she said, voice crisp but cold.
"Thanks," I replied, forcing a smile I didn't feel. "Let's get this over with."
She led me through the maze of hallways to the conference room, where the board members were already assembled. They looked like vultures, dressed in sharp suits and sharper expressions.
And then, there was Caspian.
He stood at the head of the table, every inch the CEO: calm, commanding, and utterly unreadable. Our eyes locked for a fraction of a second—electric, dangerous.
"You're late," he said, voice low.
"Traffic," I replied, though I was sure he didn't believe me.
The briefing was a spectacle, designed to shape public opinion, to rewrite the narrative. Cameras streamed live, shareholders nodded, and reporters waited with bated breath.
"Lyra Voss has agreed to work with GeneKey to enhance transparency," Caspian announced smoothly. "Together, we will address the concerns raised about the soulmate system."
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. This was their game, their illusion of cooperation. But I had conditions—access to the suppressed data, the files that would finally expose the full truth.
They hesitated. Caspian glanced at me—an unspoken warning or a challenge. I stood firm.
"Access granted," he said after a moment. "On one condition: public appearances together. For the next year."
I wanted to scream, but instead, I nodded.
I had to play their game. For now.
Back in my temporary office, I sat before a wall of screens, the suppressed files unfolding like a nightmare. GeneKey's data wasn't just about love—it was about control, about manipulating society's very foundations.
Then, a message popped up on my secure chat.
Unknown Sender: Meet me tonight. I have information you need. Alone.
I froze.
Who was this? A ghost? An ally? Or a trap? Again, all at once?
I decided to take the risk.
Night fell like a shroud as I slipped out of the building, hood up, heart racing. The city was quieter, but danger lingered in every shadow.
The meeting place was an abandoned subway station—forgotten by time but alive with echoes.
A figure emerged from the darkness, tall, cloaked, face hidden.
"You're Lyra Voss," the voice was low but urgent.
"That depends," I said, gripping my jacket tighter.
"I have data. Proof of something deeper, beyond the algorithm. GeneKey's reach goes farther than you know."
He handed me a flash drive.
"Be careful who you trust," he warned, disappearing before I could ask questions.
Back home, I plugged the drive into my laptop. Files poured out—encrypted documents, audio recordings, images.
GeneKey wasn't just matching soulmates.
They were tracking behaviors, manipulating outcomes, and controlling futures.
And worse—there was evidence of a secret project, one Caspian hadn't disclosed even to his board.
I stared at the screen, breath catching.
What had I walked into?
A knock on my door shattered the silence.
My heart jumped.
"Lyra, it's me," came a familiar voice.
I opened to find Stella, my oldest friend, eyes wide with worry.
"They know you're back," she whispered. "You're not safe."
I nodded, the weight of the secret pressing down.
This was bigger than a fake relationship. It was a war for the soul of humanity.
As I looked out at the city lights flickering like distant stars, I realized one thing:
They didn't just want me to play the part of Caspian's soulmate.
They wanted me to be silent.
But I had other plans.