Justin's POV
Analyst was clean. Frantic, terrified,but clean.
That meant someone with high access.
That narrowed it down to four names.
And one of them used to be my closest advisor.
I stared down at the list on my screen.
One of these names had betrayed me.
And I found out who it was.
No matter what it took.
Because I may not have had control over my past.
Or even the chaos in my personal life.
But in this world, in my world, I ruled.
And betrayal has a price.
The person who did this is Derek Mallory.
The whole boardroom gasped. Shock rippled through the glass-walled room like a wave breaking on steel.
"Impossible," someone muttered. "He's been with the company since the early stages."
My jaw tightened. I stood from my chair, the silence thick around me.
"I thought the same. But the evidence is overwhelming. Cross-referenced security access, IP logs, time stamps… every breadcrumb leads back to him. He used Thomas York's inactive profile to reroute the financial statements through a shadowed server. This wasn't a mistake. This was deliberate."
"Why?" came a strangled voice from across the table. "Why would Derek risk everything?"
"Because he thought I would never find out." My voice was colder than the room's air-conditioning. "Because he believed he was untouchable and wanted to destroy everything I had cause of a little argument we had"
I hit a button on the control panel and brought up the surveillance footage. Grainy at first, but clear enough to show Derek entering the finance wing late at night two weeks ago after hours.
"Motion-capture software confirmed it," I added. "He used an admin override code only a few of us have. And his access trail wasn't wiped thoroughly. He missed a step. And that's all I needed."
The room remained silent, board members exchanging wary looks.
Finally, Frederick Kane, the oldest member of the board and the most influential, spoke. "Justin, are you sure you want to go public with this?"
I turned my gaze to him.
"I didn't get where I am by covering up treason. He tried to burn my company from the inside out. And for what? A quick payout from one of our competitors? A grudge?"
I shook my head slowly. "No. Derek Mallory is done. I want him arrested before lunch."
My security chief, Ethan Cross, stepped forward from the shadows behind the glass.
"He's already in custody," Ethan said. "We moved fast once your call came in. He was caught trying to board a private jet with untraceable crypto in his bag."
Of course he was. Cowards always ran.
"Notify legal," I said. "Every deal he touched in the last six months must be re-evaluated. I want no loose threads."
"Yes, sir."
The meeting dragged on for another hour. Questions. Strategies. Damage control. But my mind kept drifting.
Not just to the betrayal.
But to Elena.
To the way her lips parted in surprise when she saw Paris.
To the way she curled up on the couch and fell asleep waiting for me.
To the look in her eyes when I stepped away from her under the Eiffel Tower.
Why did that look haunt me more than Derek's betrayal?
By the time I stepped out of the boardroom, my head was pounding. My assistant trailed behind me, trying to keep up.
"There's an emergency call from the New York office, sir. And some investors request for the update of the matter on ground sir"
"Tell them I'll return their call. And hold any non-critical messages for now."
"Yes, sir."
I walked into my office and closed the door.
Leaning on the desk, I stared out the window. The city moved beneath me—cars weaving, lives shifting, deals closing.
And I… I felt tired.
Not from the work. Not even from the betrayal.
But from the noise in my own mind.
Why was I thinking about her smile?
Why did I remember the way she touched the glass in awe on the plane, as if seeing the clouds for the first time?
Why did I want to know if she slept through the night?
I shook my head and opened my laptop. There was still too much to do. The company was stabilizing, yes but now I needed to show the world that JUSH was stronger than ever.
We released a statement about Derek Mallory's removal and the swift investigation. Investors appreciated the transparency. The stock price stopped dipping.
By the afternoon, I was in a better position.
But not at peace.
I checked my phone. Still no text from Elena.
I didn't know why that stung.
I had built a wall so high around myself, even I didn't know what was on the other side anymore. Maybe I just didn't expect her to keep her silence after everything.
But maybe… she was learning too.
Maybe she was building walls of her own.
The day ended with a team debrief, a press scheduling, and three more investor calls. By the time I returned home, the sky was a bruise-purple and the streets glowed under the city lights.
I parked and stared at the front door.
A part of me didn't want to go in.
Not because I feared confrontation.
But because I didn't know what I'd see in her eyes.
Disappointment?
Resentment?
Something I couldn't name?
I stepped out of the car and walked into the house.
No lights on downstairs.
The butler met me in the hallway. "Welcome back, Mr. Shawn. Mrs. Shawn is in her room."
I nodded once. "Anything urgent?"
"No, sir. Dinner was served, but she declined. She asked not to be disturbed."
I almost asked what she'd said exactly.
Almost.
Instead, I turned and climbed the stairs.
The hallway was quiet. My footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors. When I reached the door, I paused.
Something twisted in my gut.
But I didn't knock.
Not yet.
I turned toward my own room, needing one more night of silence before the next battle began.
Because the war at work was over.
But the one inside me?
It was just beginning.
And somewhere, beneath all this cold calculation, beneath the guarded expressions and long-forged habits of control, I knew one thing for certain:
She was changing me.
Even if I refused to admit it.
Even if I still clung to the old rules.
Elena Clark had walked into my world as collateral.
But now… she was something else entirely.
And I didn't know whether to run from it or fall.