Lila's heart pounded as the red text glared from her laptop: Stop now, or you're next. The words lingered like a threat carved in stone, the Hamptons estate's silence amplifying her fear. It was 3 a.m., the ocean's roar outside her guest suite a restless echo of her thoughts. The note from last night—Trust no one. Aurora is watching—sat beside her, its warning now a reality. Someone knew she was digging into Aurora Holdings, and they weren't just watching—they were threatening.
She closed the laptop, her hands trembling. Elias Vantage's partial confession about Aurora being his brother's project gnawed at her, but so did his intensity, the way his gray eyes seemed to see through her. He'd called her capable, but was it trust or a trap? And Zara's cryptic mention of "Phase Two" last night—did she know about the hacking network Lila had uncovered?
A sharp rap at the door made her jump. "Miss Carver." Elias's voice, low and commanding, cut through the quiet.
Lila hesitated, her sweater rumpled from hours at the keyboard. She opened the door, and there he was, still in his black shirt, sleeves rolled up, a faint shadow of stubble softening his sharp jaw. His presence filled the room, his cologne—sandalwood and storm—making her pulse skip.
"You're up," he said, his gaze flicking to the laptop, then back to her. "Progress?"
Lila's defiance flared, overriding her fear. "Someone hacked my system. A message—'Stop now, or you're next.' Care to explain?"
His eyes darkened, but he didn't flinch. "Show me."
She reopened the laptop, the message still there, stark against the screen. Elias leaned in, his arm brushing hers, sending an unwelcome spark through her. He studied the text, his jaw tightening. "This is why you're here," he said, his voice low. "Aurora's revival isn't just fraud—it's a breach. Someone inside Vantage is involved."
"Inside?" Lila's voice rose. "Like Zara? I heard her last night, talking about Phase Two. The same name as the encrypted file from the tower."
Elias's gaze sharpened, a flicker of surprise betraying his control. "You were eavesdropping?"
"I was surviving," she snapped. "You drag me here, threaten my career, and now I'm being watched. I deserve answers."
He stepped closer, his height forcing her to tilt her head back. "You're here because you're good, Lila. Better than you know. But push too far, and you'll regret it."
The air crackled, their proximity electric. His eyes dropped to her lips for a fraction of a second, and Lila's breath caught, her anger tangled with something dangerous—attraction. She stepped back, breaking the moment. "Don't threaten me, Elias. I'm not your pawn."
A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "Not a pawn. A partner. For now." He handed her a USB drive. "New access codes. Trace the hacker. I need to know who's behind this."
She took the drive, their fingers brushing, her skin tingling. "And if it's Zara?"
"Then we deal with it," he said, his tone final. "Together."
Before she could respond, heavy footsteps approached. Marcus, Elias's security chief, appeared—a broad-shouldered man with a scar above his brow, his expression unreadable. "Elias, we've got a problem. Server logs show unauthorized access. Tonight."
Elias's face hardened. "Handle it. And get Lila what she needs." He turned to her. "Don't leave this room until I say."
He left with Marcus, the door shutting with a heavy click. Lila gripped the USB, her mind racing. Partner, he'd said. But partners didn't keep secrets, and Elias was hiding plenty.
She plugged in the drive, diving into the new files. The data confirmed her fears: Aurora's hacking network was active, siphoning funds to a rival, Nexus Global. But one file stood out—a photo buried in the server, dated two years ago. It showed Elias's brother, Julian, with a woman who looked eerily like Zara, their faces close, intimate.
Lila's stomach dropped. Zara wasn't just the COO—she was tied to Julian, to Aurora, maybe to his death.
As she saved the photo, a shadow moved outside her window. She froze, the estate's darkness pressing in. Someone was out there, watching.