Eva
39
_____
The hum of the city outside feels like an unspoken reminder of the chaos we’re trying to unravel. Dominic’s voice carries low and sharp from the adjoining room as he speaks to Adrian, his words clipped and deliberate. The discovery of a sleeper agent within Kane Enterprises has left a bitter taste in all of this. Betrayal from within—it cuts deeper than Reyes’s external attacks ever could.
I sit at the dining table, Lena’s files spread in front of me like a chaotic mosaic of possibilities. Each email, report, and document hints at something larger, yet the threads refuse to form a cohesive picture. My frustration mounts as I scan through the same notes again and again.
Dominic enters the room, his tie loose and shirt sleeves rolled up. He looks every bit the man I first met—poised, confident, intense—but there’s a shadow in his eyes now, a weight that wasn’t there before.
“Adrian’s narrowed it down,” he says, stopping at the edge of the table. “Whoever’s feeding Reyes information has been doing it for months. It’s someone with access to high-level projects—someone I trusted.”
I look up, the weight in his voice matching the ache in my chest. “Do you think it’s someone close to you?”
He hesitates, his jaw tightening. “It has to be. And that’s what makes this harder.”
Reaching for his hand, I squeeze it gently. “We’ll figure this out. And when we do, we’ll make sure they can’t hurt you—or Kane Enterprises—again.”
His blue eyes meet mine, and for a moment, the tension in his features softens. “I don’t deserve you, .”
I smile faintly, shaking my head. “You don’t get to decide that.”
Piecing Together the Sabotage
The hours stretch into the early evening as we comb through Lena’s files. My mind grows heavy with the implications of every page I turn. Then, a specific document catches my eye—a series of emails between a cleanup contractor and an unnamed investor.
The language is vague, but the intent is clear: the oil spill cleanup wasn’t just mishandled—it was sabotaged deliberately to prolong the damage and amplify its impact.
“Dominic,” I call, sharper than I intend.
He looks up from his laptop, his blue eyes narrowing at the urgency in my tone.
I hold up the printout. “The spill wasn’t an accident, and the cleanup wasn’t botched—it was sabotaged on purpose. Reyes and his network are weaponizing environmental disasters to destabilize industries and manipulate markets. This goes way beyond Lena’s clinic.”
Dominic strides over, leaning in to read over my shoulder. His jaw tightens, fury simmering just below the surface. “He’s not just targeting me or Kane Enterprises. He’s building a global stranglehold on industries he can profit from.”
I nod, my pulse racing as the enormity of the scheme unfolds before us. “And Lena’s clinic? Her work with natural remedies? It’s a direct threat to whatever operation he’s running in her town. He’s trying to shut her down, just like he’s trying to shut you down.”
Dominic straightens, his voice low but resolute. “We’re running out of time. If Reyes is this entrenched, exposing him will take more than evidence. We’ll need leverage. Something undeniable.”
I meet his gaze, the fire sparking in my chest matching his. “Then let’s find it.”
The Gala: An Uneasy Stage
The gala’s opulence is a stark contrast to the storm brewing beneath the surface. Glittering chandeliers illuminate the room, casting light on perfectly tailored suits and gowns. Yet, behind the smiles and sparkling champagne glasses, an undercurrent of tension thrums. These gatherings have always felt suffocating to me—an arena where every word is a calculated move.
Dominic’s hand rests lightly on my lower back as we step into the grand ballroom. His eyes scan the crowd with the precision of a predator, his calm demeanor masking the storm within.
“Adrian’s here,” he murmurs in my ear. “He’s keeping an eye on the suspect.”
I nod, my pulse quickening. Adrian’s narrowed the sleeper agent down to three executives, all present tonight. One of them has been feeding Reyes information, and we can’t afford to let them slip away.
Dominic leans closer, his voice a low rumble. “Stay close.”
I glance up, meeting his intense gaze. “I’m not going anywhere.”
We move through the crowd, mingling with attendees while keeping our true purpose hidden. The tension between us is electric, a silent understanding passing with every glance.
Near the bar, Adrian approaches, his expression grim. “It’s him,” he says quietly, nodding toward a man in his late fifties.
Dominic’s eyes darken. “Robert Marks,” he mutters.
The name is unfamiliar, and I frown. “Who is he?”
“One of my longest-standing board members,” Dominic replies, his voice tight. “I trusted him.”
Adrian glances around, his tone urgent. “We have to move fast. If Marks realizes we’re onto him, he’ll bolt.”
A Dangerous Confrontation
The private lounge is dimly lit, the air thick with tension. Dominic, Adrian, and I corner Marks, his polished facade cracking under Dominic’s piercing gaze. Beads of sweat glisten on his forehead as he shifts uncomfortably.
“You’ve been working with Reyes,” Dominic says, his voice like ice.
Marks’s eyes widen in mock confusion. “Dominic, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t insult me,” Dominic snaps, his tone cutting. “We have the emails, the financial transfers. You’ve been feeding him information for months. Why?”
Marks stammers, his facade crumbling. “I—I didn’t have a choice. He threatened me, Dominic. He has leverage on me—my family.”
“Enough!” Dominic growls, slamming his hand on the table. “You betrayed everything we built. You let Reyes into my company, into my life.”
Before Marks can respond, the door bursts open. A man in a dark suit storms in, a gun glinting in his hand.
“Step away!” the intruder barks, his voice trembling with adrenaline.
Adrian reacts instinctively, pulling his weapon, but Dominic raises a hand to stop him.
“Put it down,” Dominic commands, his voice steady despite the danger.
The man shakes his head, his grip tightening. “You don’t understand. You’re out of your depth, Kane. Walk away, or this ends here.”
Chaos and Escape
The next moments are a blur. Dominic lunges at the gunman, the two colliding in a flurry of movement. Adrian shouts something I can’t hear over the pounding in my ears as I duck behind a chair.
The struggle is fierce, the sound of furniture splintering under their weight. Adrian moves swiftly, pinning Marks before he can escape.
Dominic finally slams the gunman into the wall, immobilizing him. The intruder gasps for breath as Dominic disarms him, his body vibrating with controlled fury.
“!” Dominic calls sharply. “Get out—now!”
I hesitate, frozen by the chaos, but Adrian’s shout propels me toward the door. He drags Marks along as Dominic brings up the rear, his eyes scanning for further threats.
We spill into the hallway, the tension crackling like static electricity. Dominic’s gaze meets mine, his expression a mix of relief and determination.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice low.
I nod, my chest heaving. “What about him?” I gesture toward Marks, slumped and defeated under Adrian’s watchful eye.
“He’ll talk,” Dominic says darkly. “One way or another.”
The Cliffhanger
Back at the penthouse, the weight of the evening presses down on us. Dominic stands by the window, his silhouette outlined against the glittering skyline.
“We had him,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “And now Reyes knows we’re closing in.”
I approach him, placing a hand on his arm. “We’ll find another way. This isn’t over.”
His eyes meet mine, the storm in their depths unrelenting. “No,” he says quietly. “It’s not.”
Before I can respond, my phone buzzes. I glance at the screen, dread pooling in my stomach as I read the message:
“You’re playing a dangerous game. Time’s up. —Reyes”
The words send a chill through me. I meet Dominic’s gaze, my voice trembling. “He knows.”
Dominic’s face hardens, his focus sharpening like a blade. “Then it’s time to end this.”
The storm is here, and the clock is running out.
The message from Reyes lingers in the air, its weight pressing down on me like a vice. My stomach churns as I read it again, hoping for some detail I missed—a clue, a misstep—but it’s as sharp and cutting as a blade: “You’re playing a dangerous game. Time’s up.”
Dominic takes the phone from my hand, his fingers brushing mine. He doesn’t say anything at first, his piercing blue eyes scanning the screen. The muscles in his jaw flex, tension radiating off him in waves.
“He’s cornering us,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “This isn’t just a warning. He knows we’re moving against him, and he’s daring us to keep going.”
Dominic sets the phone on the table with deliberate calm, though I can see the storm building behind his composed exterior. “That’s what he wants—to make us hesitate. To make us question ourselves. But we won’t give him the satisfaction.”
Adrian, who’s been pacing near the kitchen island, stops abruptly. “We can’t underestimate him, Dominic. He’s always been ten steps ahead. And now, he’s making it personal.”
“Which is exactly why we don’t back down,” Dominic replies, his tone hard. “Reyes thinks he can intimidate us into folding, but we have the evidence. We know where his operations are, and we know how to hit him where it hurts.”
Adrian crosses his arms, his sharp gaze flicking between us. “Hitting him is one thing. Surviving the fallout is another. This isn’t just about Reyes anymore. He has men, resources, and enough leverage to destroy everyone connected to you—including .”
The mention of my name sends a chill down my spine. Dominic’s hand clenches into a fist on the table, and his voice drops an octave. “I won’t let that happen.”
I step forward, placing a hand on Dominic’s arm. “We can’t keep pretending I’m not already a part of this. Reyes made me a target the moment he used me to get to you. The safest place for me is right here, by your side.”
Dominic’s gaze softens, the fire in his eyes momentarily tempered. “You’re stronger than anyone I’ve ever known, . But I can’t—won’t—let him hurt you.”
“We won’t let him hurt anyone,” I reply, my voice steady despite the knot of fear in my chest. “That’s why we have to see this through. Together.”
Connecting the Dots
The tension in the room dissipates slightly as we refocus on the task at hand. Adrian pulls up schematics of the Harbor Springs facility, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he overlays surveillance footage with maps.
“Reyes’s operation isn’t just confined to the facility,” Adrian says, pointing to a series of highlighted coordinates. “These locations represent secondary hubs—storage sites, transit points, even potential safehouses. He’s creating redundancies in case one location is compromised.”
Dominic leans over the table, his expression unreadable. “And the barrels? The ones marked as biohazards?”
Adrian nods grimly. “Still no concrete intel on what’s inside them, but based on the chatter we’ve intercepted, they’re being moved as we speak. Whatever Reyes is planning, it’s happening soon.”
I cross my arms, staring at the map. “If he’s moving the barrels now, then the Harbor Springs facility might already be empty. What if we’re too late?”
“We’re not,” Dominic says firmly, his eyes blazing with determination. “Reyes wouldn’t go to such lengths to warn us if he thought we were out of the game. He’s trying to bait us, but that means he still sees us as a threat.”
Adrian exhales sharply, glancing at his watch. “If we’re going to act, it has to be now. We hit the facility, gather whatever intel we can, and track the shipments in real time.”
I meet Dominic’s gaze. “And if Reyes expects us to go there?”
“Then we give him what he wants,” Dominic says, his voice cold and resolute. “But on our terms.”
Preparing for the Strike
The hours leading up to the operation pass in a blur of planning and tension. Adrian coordinates a small tactical team, ensuring that we have the firepower and resources to handle whatever we encounter. Dominic insists on leading the mission himself, his resolve unshakable despite my protests.
“You need me,” I argue, crossing my arms as I stand in his path. “I’ve been with you every step of the way. I’m not about to sit on the sidelines now.”
Dominic steps closer, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. “This isn’t a negotiation, . It’s dangerous enough with me going in. I can’t risk you being caught in the crossfire.”
“And I can’t risk losing you,” I fire back, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. “If something goes wrong, I need to be there.”
For a moment, neither of us speaks. The tension crackles like static electricity, but finally, Dominic sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t fight fair, do you?”
“Not when it comes to you,” I reply, my voice softening.
He shakes his head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Fine. But you stay close to me. No heroics.”
“Deal.”
Infiltration
The Harbor Springs facility looms ahead, its dark silhouette cutting against the moonlit sky. The air is thick with tension as our team moves into position, the faint hum of security cameras and the occasional crackle of radios the only sounds.
Adrian motions for us to follow as he disables the perimeter sensors, his movements swift and practiced. Dominic stays close to me, his hand brushing against mine as we weave through the shadows.
Inside the facility, the air feels heavier, tinged with the acrid scent of chemicals. Rows of barrels line the walls, their labels obscured but their presence unmistakable. My pulse quickens as I glance at Dominic, whose expression is as hard as stone.
“This is it,” Adrian whispers, pointing to a control room at the far end of the warehouse. “If Reyes has left anything behind, it’ll be in there.”
Dominic nods, motioning for two of the team members to secure the area. “, stay behind me.”
I follow him into the control room, my heart pounding in my chest. The monitors flicker to life as Adrian plugs into the system, his fingers flying over the keyboard.
“Got it,” Adrian says after a tense minute. “Shipping manifests, surveillance logs—everything we need.”
Dominic leans over the console, his eyes narrowing. “And the barrels?”
Adrian pulls up a file, his expression darkening. “They’re marked as industrial waste, but the destinations don’t match up. These shipments are going to high-security locations, not disposal sites.”
I swallow hard, dread pooling in my stomach. “What’s he planning?”
Before Adrian can answer, the sound of footsteps echoes from the hallway.
“They’re here,” Dominic mutters, drawing his weapon. “, stay back.”
The door bursts open, and chaos erupts. Shouts and gunfire fill the air as Dominic and the team engage the guards. I press myself against the wall, clutching a USB drive Adrian handed me moments before the fight broke out.
“Go!” Dominic shouts over the noise, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Get to the car—now!”
I hesitate, fear rooting me to the spot. But one look at Dominic, his eyes blazing with determination, propels me into action. Clutching the drive, I slip through the back exit, my heart pounding with every step.
The cool night air hits me like a slap as I burst into the open, my chest heaving. The sounds of the fight fade behind me, replaced by the distant hum of the coastline. I sprint toward the car, the USB drive clutched tightly in my hand.
Just as I reach the vehicle, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I fumble to answer, my breath ragged. “Hello?”
A familiar voice comes through, smooth and cold. “Running won’t save you, Ms. Walker.”
My blood runs cold. “Reyes.”
“You’ve played well,” he continues, his tone almost amused. “But the game is over. Enjoy your victory while it lasts.”
The line goes dead.
I stare at the phone, my chest tightening as the weight of his words sinks in. The drive in my hand suddenly feels heavier, and a single thought pulses in my mind:
We’re running out of time.