The night was heavy with tension as Layla made her way into the lion's den. The rhythm of her heart pulsed within her ears, but she managed to stay calm, at least on the outside. This was a lie as stress whirled from her anger, determination, and fright; but it was clear that her willpower was dominant. There was no way she was backing out now.
"Remember," Aidan's words taunted her as she stepped into the building, "after tonight, there's no turning back."
Despite not knowing much of what happened afterwards, she did know Kamal had stripped everything away from her which meant she had to bring it all back.
There was no doubt about it that her target was Kamal. With him, there was no room for debate considering he had single handedly built his empire around manipulation and deceit. One thing he certainly didn't count on though was the wrath of Layla. There was more than just her father's company that her father left her and she was determined to utilize it all. His strategies, control over her ideas, and knowledge, it was all moving in her favor.
Its sleek and modern architecture suggested that great effort was spent on decorations, both technological and human. This is where Kamal centralized all his operations, his headquarters. Supplying power is always intimate. It flows like blood. No more illusions. This was not about justice or revenge anymore, but a game of survival, a war, one that Layla knew she had to spend a single cent to win.
Another day means another chance, but in a place where victory and defeat coexist, she had to embody the former. She approached the fire hazard doors with a focus that betrayed the chaos in her head. While pursuing her goal, which was far from easy, she needed to metaphorically stare into the eyes of Aidan, Kamal, and even herself, and get out alive.
"Name?" A security guard asked her, barely taking his eyes off her as she passed through the metal detectors. She had already beaten dozens before. Untouched, heart beating steadily, lips pressed into one single line, she looked at him back in the same pose.
"Earless Lizards" – no, that was not the answer. With the tension still lingering somewhere inside her though. But my credentials should do. Should they not?
The elevator ride was the longest of her life. Each floor she passed felt like a countdown to the point of no return. Her stare was fixated on the shiny metals reflection of herself, the unpleasant blaring lights strongly illuminating her visage. The face looking back was barely her. In a span of a few weeks, the truth and the need to end this nightmare has obliterated her soft self, all that was left was a hard exterior.
As the elevator doors opened, Layla encountered an astonishing expansive lobby. It was clear that the wealthy and powerful constantly frequented the area as it exuded grandeur. Kamal constructed this place with the sole purpose to remind everyone of his dominance.
Layla walked past the sizeable marble columns and classical sculptures while hearing the echoes of her footfalls. With a pedestrian's pace, she focused on a single powerful goal: destruction of Kamal's most dangerous secrets. Hiding him was her greatest strategic asset, but exposing him proved to be oh so easy.
Her heart raced as she approached the security office. Previously, she finessed her way into the building's systems before, but Kamal's personal files were a different story entirely. The vaults themselves were reserved for the highest levels of encryption and added to that, Kamal had a battalion of security personnel on standby. But there was no reason for her to be scared. She was in control.
From the terminal in front of her, she began to dismantle every single one of Kamal's operations. Folders containing data she previously recognized were opening up—offshore accounts, shell companies, numerous transactions, the works. Layla was finding file after file and completely unlocking every single one of Kamal's secrets. This was a magnitude of corruption that was beyond what Layla could have conjured up.
Nonetheless, something did stick out for her. The file containing the details, the almost mythical file she had been on the hunt for. The Raven Project.This was it, Kamal's plan, complete. These thoughts racked through Layla's mind as she began reading the document. She remembered the warning her father gave her about Kamal. The father that was always so paranoid was right, Kamal was a power hungry madman. That was now evident with what she was holding in her hands. She recalled how he used to tell her how seeing some of his research feels like seeing a sick painting of the world. And now she understood. In reality, all her father wanted was for the world to know that in his hands was his final masterpiece, an absolute project of domination.
"Domination in the eyes of people, where they would do anything to follow one singular leader," thought her mind as she read. On one terminal window she had the document open, in the other, the world swirled around her Kamal violating her father's worst fears. Everything screamed of malicious intentions and she couldn't stop it.
And now letting loose Kamal's malicious intentions, 'screw the consequences' she thought while tapping away on her keyboard. Set server login clearances to ultra, only she would ever have the ability to draw blood from this pointless cat and mouse game run by Kamal.
Ding, email sent, confirmation message blared on her screen as the evidence left her grasp forever. Ironically the blank disk holding Kamal's files will serve the sole purpose of keeping him pacified for now. She remained still staring at her sticky note covered wall, eyes wide open unable to react, with the body slowly vibrating out of pure adrenaline. Never had she ever brushed her fingers to hyperfocusing on creating the final steps of the beginning "The end."
Minutes washed away one by one, finally someone had the guts to walk up to her door. It was the last day of chatting behind closed doors, now all that stood left in front of her was reality.
With the file and irrefutable evidence in hand, Layla's mind began working as she trudged toward the elevator. But she had to brace herself for more than just Kamal's threat. Aidan was just as imposing - he desired everything, after all. If she wasn't cautious, she stood to lose more than a legacy - she stood to lose herself.
As she stepped into the elevator after the doors opened, her mind was a flurry of conflicting thoughts. She accomplished her goal. She entered Kamal's territory, unearthed the truths he concealed, and set the wheels in motion to defeat him. But winning the battle would entail an uphill task. Kamal was combative and full of surprises, and Aidan was only marking the start of his game.
A swift glance at the elevator's mirror revealed Layla's reflection - unwavering, ever determined, ready to stave off all that stood in her way and all that she had left. Fighting for Kamal would have been easy, but the battle wasn't and this time the fight isn't retract for revenge. This
time, it's for a future worth hoping for.