The morning sun spilled through the glass walls of Stone Tech's executive floor, bathing everything in soft gold. Emilia stood by the window, sipping her coffee while watching the city slowly wake beneath her. From this height, everything looked calm and predictable, yet deep inside, she could sense that calmness was a lie.
Her instincts had never failed her.
Tasha stepped into the office carrying a tablet and a stack of reports. Her tone was bright but composed. Your ten o'clock with the board has been confirmed. And Daniel sent over the new financial summaries.
Thank you, Tasha. Leave them on the desk, Emilia replied, her voice even but thoughtful.
Tasha nodded and quietly stepped out, closing the door behind her. The soft click of the door left Emilia alone with her thoughts and the faint hum of the city outside.
She placed the cup down and moved to her desk. The reports looked perfectly arranged, but something in the layout caught her attention. She flipped through the first few pages, scanning the figures. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
There it was. A small alteration in the revenue chart too neat, too deliberate to be an oversight.
She took a slow breath, her fingers brushing over the edge of the document. Whoever did this knew what they were doing.
She picked up her phone and dialed Daniel in accounting. I need you to recheck the last month's revenue logs, she said calmly.
"Is something wrong, ma'am?"
Not yet, she replied. Let's make sure it stays that way.
She ended the call, her gaze drifting to the skyline again. Stone Tech had faced competitors before, but this felt different—quiet, methodical, as if someone was working from the shadows to weaken her foundation.
Her phone buzzed on the desk. It was a message from Sebastian.
A picture of Hope and Elian flashed on her screen—both covered in cereal, their little hands waving at the camera. A soft smile tugged at her lips, and warmth bloomed in her chest. No matter how ruthless her world got, her family remained her calm in the storm.
Setting the phone aside, she opened her security terminal and entered her override code. She used it only when something didn't sit right. The system opened to a list of recent access attempts.
Three failed logins. Two from the office network. One from an external device.
Her pulse slowed, her mind piecing things together. Someone was inside her system.
Before she could trace it further, the intercom beeped.
Tasha's voice came through, steady but cautious. Ma'am, another partnership request came in from Titan Dynamics. Mr. Wolfe says it's urgent.
Emilia's expression hardened. Adrian Wolfe. His name alone had become a quiet irritation in her days. For the past three months, he had been circling Stone Tech with polished charm and subtle persistence, hiding sharp intentions behind every business offer.
She closed the file on her screen. Send him a reply, she said. "Tell him I'm unavailable indefinitely.
Understood.
The line went silent again.
Emilia leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. She had no proof yet, but she could feel it in her gut—Adrian Wolfe wasn't just a rival. He was a threat. One that had already found a way too close for comfort.
She glanced once more at the photo of her twins on the phone screen and exhaled softly.
She had fought bigger battles. And if Adrian Wolfe wanted a war, he would get one.
Because she wasn't just Emilia Lores, the face of Stone Tech. She was a woman who had risen from the ashes before—and this time, she would burn brighter than ever.