(Damien Cross)
The USB drive in her hand holds half the puzzle, but we need more. Vivienne's playing a game bigger than Horizon, bigger than us, and I'm done being her pawn. Isabella's gray eyes are locked on mine, steady, like she's ready to burn it all down. I hope she is.
"We need the summit servers," I say, pocketing my phone. "They've got merger records. If Vivienne's hiding a partner, it's there."
She nods, slipping the drive into her bag. "Tonight. Midnight. The server room's on Sublevel 2. I've got a keycard."
I raise an eyebrow. "You've been planning this?"
Her lips twitch, not quite a smile. "I don't trust my mother. Let's move."
I follow her out, the vault's steel door creaking shut behind us. The hallway's dark, but my pulse is loud. This isn't just a data grab, it's a declaration. We're in this together, for now.
Back in my suite, I'm prepping. Nate's on my laptop, feeding me the server room's layout. "Two guards, one camera," he says, his voice crackling through the call. "Keycard gets you in, but the system's got a silent alarm. Trip it, and you're done."
"Got it," I say, checking my watch. Eleven p.m. "Send me the bypass code."
"Already did," he says. "And Damien? Don't get caught. Moretti's got eyes everywhere."
I hang up, grabbing a black hoodie and a flash drive of my own. Evelyn's texting me, asking where I am, but I ignore her. She's loyal, but she'd try to stop me. I slip out, heading for the elevator, my mind on Isabella. She's a Moretti, but she's risking everything. Why? I need to know.
I'm in the summit's bar, killing time before the meet. It's crowded, the air thick with cigar smoke and laughter. Julian's here, at a corner table, chatting up some investor. He spots me and waves me over, his smile too easy.
"Damien," he says, leaning back. "You're avoiding me."
"Busy," I say, grabbing a chair. "What's up?"
He sips his drink, his eyes sharp. "Heard you're cozy with Isabella Moretti. Bad move, brother."
I tense, my hand tightening on my glass. "Who's talking?"
"People," he says, shrugging. "She's Vivienne's kid. You think she's on your side?"
I lean in, my voice low. "I think you're fishing, Julian. Stay out of it."
He laughs, but it's tight. "Just looking out for you. Don't say I didn't warn you."
I stand, tossing cash on the table. "I don't need warnings. I need answers."
Midnight. Sublevel 2. The server room's behind a steel door, the hum of machines leaking through. Isabella's waiting, her hoodie dark, her hair tucked under a cap. She hands me a keycard, her fingers brushing mine.
"Ready?" she says, her voice low.
I nod, swiping the card. The lock clicks, and we slip inside, the door shutting soft. The room's cold, racks of servers blinking green and red. I pull out my flash drive, plugging it into the main terminal. Isabella's at the keyboard, her fingers flying.
"Alarm's off," she says, glancing at me. "Bypass code?"
I hand her my phone, Nate's code glowing on the screen. She types it in, and the terminal unlocks, files spilling across the monitor. We're in.
"Search for Horizon," I say, leaning over her shoulder. "Look for holding companies."
She nods, pulling up records. "Here," she says, clicking a folder. "New company. Apex Ventures. Created last month. Vivienne's the primary shareholder."
I scan the screen, my jaw tight. "Who's the partner?"
She scrolls, her breath catching. "No name. Just an alias, Shadow Trust. But the account's offshore. Cayman Islands."
"Damn it," I mutter, grabbing the mouse. "Download it. All of it."
She starts the transfer, but a red light flashes on the console. "Shit," she whispers. "Someone's accessing the system."
I glance at the door. "Guards?"
She shakes her head, her fingers still moving. "Remote login. We've got maybe two minutes."
"Finish it," I say, pulling a screwdriver from my pocket. I pry open a panel on the server, yanking a cable to slow the system. The light stops flashing, but footsteps echo outside.
"Done," Isabella says, yanking the drive. "Go!"
We bolt for the door, slipping into the hallway just as a guard rounds the corner. I grab her arm, pulling her behind a pipe stack. The guard's flashlight sweeps past, his radio crackling. We hold our breath, pressed close, her heartbeat fast against my arm. He moves on, and we run, hitting the stairwell and climbing until we're back on the main floor.
We're in a maintenance closet, catching our breath, the drive safe in Isabella's bag. Her cap's off, her hair spilling out, her eyes wild but focused. I'm leaning against the wall, my chest heaving, adrenaline still pumping.
"That was close," I say, wiping sweat from my brow.
"Too close," she says, checking the drive. "But we got it. Apex Ventures. Vivienne's endgame."
I step closer, my voice low. "Isabella, stop. I need to know something."
She looks up, her eyes narrowing. "What?"
I swallow hard, the question burning. "Do you want to win this war, or do you want the truth?"
She doesn't blink, just steps toward me, her voice steady. "I want both. And I'm willing to lose you to get them."
Her words hit like a punch, but I don't look away. She's not backing down, and neither am I. But losing her? That stings more than I expected.