Three months into the Yamato project, Brandon finally felt like he was hitting his stride. The ERP system was running flawlessly—zero downtime, lightning-fast response times, and security metrics that made other enterprise systems look like toys. Client satisfaction scores were through the roof, and even the Yamato executives, notorious for their exacting standards, had sent formal commendations to Nexus management.
Elena had been true to her word. Brandon's promotion to Senior Systems Architect came with a substantial salary increase and, more importantly, autonomy over two additional high-profile projects. For the first time in years, he felt like his expertise was being recognized and valued.
The financial freedom was intoxicating. At his new salary of ninety-five thousand annually, Brandon was finally making real progress toward paying off the Carter Tech contract. His calculations showed he could have the full amount within eighteen months if he maintained his current trajectory and took on some consulting work on the side.
Freedom was within reach.
---
Richard Carter's corner office felt smaller somehow, as if the walls were closing in with each passing quarter. He studied the financial reports spread across his mahogany desk, his jaw tightening with each page he turned.
"Yamato was supposed to be ours," he said without looking up as Victoria entered and settled into the leather chair across from him. "Three years of relationship building, and they walk away for some upstart system from Nexus."
Victoria crossed her legs and smoothed her skirt with practiced elegance. "It's a temporary setback, Daddy. They'll come crawling back when they realize Nexus is all flash and no substance. Besides, we have plenty of other enterprise clients."
"Do we?" Richard finally looked up, his eyes hard. "Because our retention rates are down eight percent this quarter, and I'm hearing whispers that other clients are asking their friends about 'that new system Yamato is using.'"
Victoria's perfect composure flickered slightly. "What are you saying?"
Richard turned his laptop screen toward her, displaying what looked like a comprehensive system architecture diagram. "Our inside source at Nexus sent this over. It's documentation for the Yamato system."
Victoria leaned forward, studying the diagrams with growing recognition. "This... this looks like Brandon's work."
"According to our source, it is Brandon's work. Every line of code, every interface element, every security protocol—all his design." Richard's voice carried a dangerous edge. "The boy you were so eager to dismiss has created something that's making us look like amateurs."
"He's still under contract—"
"A contract that doesn't matter if he's working for our biggest competitor!" Richard slammed his palm on the desk, making Victoria jump. "You told me he'd come crawling back within months. Instead, he's building systems that are stealing our clients."
Victoria recovered her composure, but Brandon could see the calculation in her eyes. "It doesn't matter. He still owes us five hundred thousand dollars, and I know he doesn't have it. When the payment comes due, he'll have no choice but to return."
"And if he somehow manages to pay it?"
Victoria's smile turned predatory. "Then we activate the hidden clauses in his employment contract. Intellectual property developed using company resources, non-compete agreements that extend beyond termination, breach of fiduciary duty—we have enough legal ammunition to bury him in court for years."
Richard nodded slowly, though his expression remained troubled. "You'd better be right, Victoria. Because if Brandon Carter becomes a permanent threat to this company, I'll hold you personally responsible."
---
Brandon was deep in code review when Elena's assistant appeared at his workstation.
"Ms. Pryse would like to see you in her office. Immediately."
The tone suggested this wasn't a congratulatory meeting. Brandon saved his work and made his way to the executive floor, his mind racing through possible reasons for the summons. The Yamato project was performing flawlessly, his other assignments were ahead of schedule, and client feedback was universally positive.
Elena's office was a study in minimalist power—floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a desk that could have doubled as a landing strip, and artwork that probably cost more than most people's houses. She was standing with her back to the door, silhouetted against the afternoon sun.
"Close the door, Mr. Carter."
Brandon complied, then waited as Elena turned to face him. Her expression was unreadable, but the tension in her posture suggested he was in serious trouble.
"I have something to show you," she said, activating a wall-mounted display. The screen filled with system architecture diagrams, code snippets, and interface mockups that looked disturbingly familiar.
Brandon's blood ran cold as he recognized his own work. "Where did you get this?"
"That's exactly what I was going to ask you." Elena's voice was ice cold. "This is your Yamato system, isn't it? Every detail, down to the proprietary encryption algorithms you developed."
"Yes, but—"
"Then perhaps you can explain why these exact specifications ended up in the hands of Carter Technologies."
The words hit Brandon like a physical blow. "What?"
Elena clicked to the next slide, showing an email header with the Carter Tech logo. "They submitted a proposal to one of our prospective clients yesterday. A proposal featuring your system architecture, your security protocols, and your interface designs."
Brandon stared at the screen, his mind reeling. "I didn't give them anything. I've never shared any proprietary Nexus information with anyone outside this company."
"Cut the bullshit, Mr. Carter." Elena's professional mask slipped, revealing barely controlled fury. "We know about your connection to the Carter family. Victoria Carter is your wife, Richard Carter is your former employer. You expect me to believe this is a coincidence?"
"I expect you to think logically," Brandon shot back, his own anger rising. "If I wanted to give Carter Tech access to this system, why would I build it here first? Why wouldn't I just develop it for them directly?"
"Maybe because corporate espionage pays better when you can establish legitimacy first."
Brandon took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. "Ms. Pryse, think about the timeline. When would I have had the opportunity to leak this information? The Yamato crisis happened three months ago. If I was working for Carter Tech, that would have been the perfect time to sabotage the project and let them swoop in with a competing solution."
Elena's eyes narrowed. "Instead, you played the hero."
"Because I am working for Nexus, not against it. My divorce from Victoria Carter should be finalized within the next few weeks. My employment contract with Carter Tech expires in fifteen months. Why would I jeopardize my position here by committing corporate espionage?"
"Money. Revenge. Corporate advancement—take your pick."
Brandon gestured toward the displayed documents. "Look at the technical implementation. This isn't just copied code—it's a complete reverse engineering of our system. Whoever did this had access to our servers, our development environment, our client databases. That level of access requires administrative privileges that I don't have."
Elena studied him for a long moment. "You're saying there's a spy inside Nexus?"
"I'm saying that someone with high-level access leaked this information to Carter Tech, and it wasn't me. I wrote every line of this code. If I wanted to give it away, I wouldn't need to steal it first."
The silence stretched between them like a taut wire. Elena paced to her window, staring out at the city while Brandon waited for her verdict.
"If you're lying to me, Mr. Carter, I will destroy you."
"I'm not lying."
Elena turned back to face him. "Then we have a problem. Because if you're telling the truth, it means someone inside this company is feeding our most sensitive projects to our biggest competitor."
Brandon nodded grimly. "And they have access to everything we're working on."
"Find them," Elena said quietly. "You have two weeks to identify our leak. If you can't, I'll have no choice but to assume you're the source."
As Brandon left Elena's office, his mind was already racing through possibilities. Someone at Nexus was playing a dangerous game, and they were using his work as ammunition against his own company.
The irony wasn't lost on him. He'd spent years being exploited by the Carter family, and now someone was using his escape route to benefit them once again.
But this time, Brandon wasn't the naive victim he'd once been. He had skills, resources, and most importantly, he had nothing left to lose.
The spy had made one critical mistake: they'd underestimated him.
Brandon intended to make sure it was their last mistake.