The city was quiet as I left the alley, but I could feel eyes on us. The darkness had a way of hiding more than just shadows. It hid the truth.
Ethan walked beside me, silent, his presence steady and unnerving. Claire trailed a few steps behind, still shaken but determined. I could see her mind racing, calculating whether she had just made the right choice.
We reached my apartment building, and I locked the door behind us. For a moment, the silence stretched too long. The adrenaline of the infiltration hadn't yet faded.
Ethan finally broke it. "We have a small window," he said quietly. "Helix isn't just a database. It's a network. One wrong move and Trent will know we've touched the files."
"I know," I said, setting the encrypted drive on the table. "That's why we move carefully. One step at a time."
Claire peeked at the drive, her hands still shaking. "How do we even begin to expose him?"
I leaned forward. "We don't just expose him. We hit where it hurts—his financial control and his leverage over people. Helix keeps him powerful. We strip him of it."
Ethan nodded. "I've already traced several of the accounts to shell companies overseas. If we can make the connections public, Trent loses his grip on everything."
I smiled faintly. "And he won't see it coming."
Hours passed as we planned. I mapped out the network on paper, connecting files, emails, transfers, and the people manipulated under Trent's commands. Claire helped where she could, offering insights into office procedures and who Trent trusted blindly.
"You think he's watching right now?" Claire asked nervously.
"Of course he is," I said calmly. "He watches everyone. But he can't see everything."
By midnight, we were exhausted but ready. The files were organized, encrypted in layers even Trent's team wouldn't easily break. My fingers itched to launch the public release, but I held back. Timing was everything.
Ethan leaned against the wall, finally letting some of the tension slip. "You're incredible, Selina. I've seen skilled people before, but you… you're on another level."
I felt a small flicker of satisfaction but quickly pushed it aside. "Skills don't mean anything without precision. And without strategy, they're useless."
He smiled faintly, watching me closely. There was a tension there—unspoken and dangerous. I didn't have time to think about it. Not now.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number: "We know what you did. Stop now or Claire pays."
I froze, then set the phone down calmly. "Trent's patience is thin," I said quietly. "And he's ruthless."
Ethan's eyes darkened. "We expected that. It doesn't change the plan."
I nodded. "No. It only confirms it's working. Fear is part of the weapon, and he just handed it to us."
Claire looked at me, pale. "And if he finds out we're working together?"
"Then we deal with it," I said firmly. "We've already made the first move. Trent doesn't know who we really are yet. That gives us an edge."
Ethan finally moved closer, lowering his voice. "Selina… after tonight, things will change. Trent will retaliate in ways you can't predict. Are you ready for that?"
I stared at him, calm but resolute. "I've been ready a long time. I just didn't know what the battle was. Now I do."
The night stretched on as we finalized our plan. Every contingency considered, every potential leak sealed. By the time I went home, exhaustion pressed against me, but satisfaction burned brighter.
I sat in front of my monitors at home, reviewing the encrypted files one last time. Each line of code, each document, each financial trail represented a piece of Trent's empire. Every hidden corner we uncovered was a step closer to his collapse.
A knock at my door startled me. It was Claire, holding a folder. "I double-checked the internal logs," she said. "No one else accessed the system during the infiltration. You were perfect."
I gave her a small smile. "Thank you. Your help matters more than you think."
She hesitated, then added quietly, "Be careful, Selina. Trent isn't just dangerous. He's… clever. He sees patterns before you can even think them."
"I know," I said softly. "And that's why we're moving first."
After she left, I sat in silence, the glow of the monitors reflecting my own tired but determined face. The night was quiet, but I knew Trent's retaliation was already forming somewhere in the shadows.
Tomorrow, we would take the next step. The moment of exposure was near, and I would be ready.
I wasn't just surviving anymore. I was controlling the game.