Pandora's Box

The sun rays slipped through the curtains. Valerie blinked in discomfort before slowly getting up. It had been a long time since she had slept in until sunrise, though it was understandable—she had spent the late-night hours immersed in playing games with Julian, and she honestly couldn't recall when she had finally fallen asleep.

Julian was still sleeping, though—almost on the edge of the mattress, wrapped in his cover like a worm with his limbs tightly tucked in, obviously trying to avoid accidentally leaning onto her side.

Valerie drew the curtains tight and then went to wash up. Although it wasn't a work day, she planned on leaving early.

Enjoying her coffee in her study, she called Lukas for an update on the top-priority transition: the chairman "resigning."

Lukas was going through his emails as he responded, "Because we stressed the urgency when we briefed everyone yesterday, PR worked through the night and finished the press release and emergency media Q&A. Legal also wrapped up the mandatory regulatory filings."

"How much time is needed for what is still in progress?"

"Investor Relations is putting the final touches on the messaging for our top shareholders—they need another two hours to finalize the briefing list. Meanwhile, Governance Counsel is fast-tracking the family-succession compliance checks for the Vice Chairman's takeover, which will take them until the end of the day."

So tomorrow would be the day she finally drove that man from the position he had secured by causing a tragedy: a life, a leg, a scar, and a lifetime of distress for her family.

She casually tried different passcodes for the briefcase. It had been sent anonymously, but she knew it was from the private investigator she had hired to look more profoundly into the embezzlement of donations sent to Country A. It had been a long time since his last update, and he had previously reported that he needed more time to get solid evidence. But sending it locked meant it might contain much more than expected. Although she had made sure Nathan was truly responsible before resorting to punishment, Brian definitely had roots in it, too—though his son refused to admit it, and she didn't want to make it so big that it leaked to the public.

"The investigator sent an email, but…" Lukas read the text sent from a sketchy email address, his brows knitting together.

"Is he asking for compensation for injury? He went to a war zone, after all. Just send him a check accordingly."

"Not exactly. He is asking if you can ensure he will not be mentioned in the future regarding the evidence he sent."

Valerie frowned. Did Brian have deep connections with some military factions? Is that why he had his eyes set so firmly on the military sector for the acquisition of HWMS?

"Tell him to call my private number."

She reached for the burner phone hidden behind a huge painting and stood by the window, waiting for it to ring. Lukas put her on speaker and started checking the press release draft.

Valerie answered the call from the unknown number. He stayed silent, so she assured him, "I didn't inform anyone other than my assistant of the additional investigation, and all our transactions were secure and secretive."

He responded with a hoarse voice, "Although I don't have much conscience, I really hope you can make things different." He sighed, and his tone softened. "It's a big burden for someone like you to even know of this. Are you certain you want to open Pandora's box?"

Her heart sank. This meant it was even worse than she expected. Her gaze drifted to Inas, who was jogging around the residence below, the scar on her face clearly visible from the window.

Valerie sneered, "It's okay, since I am not someone who can genuinely be called righteous."

The investigator chuckled, clearly opposed to her statement. He communicated the passcode to her and reminded her to be cautious.

Valerie set the briefcase down in front of her. She punched in the numbers, and it clicked. Taking a deep breath, she spoke to Lukas, "Contact my attorney; she needs to be in my office by noon"—before opening Pandora's box.

She had planned to review whatever evidence was inside before discussing it with her attorney, but instead, she was faced with the most horrifying news she had ever received.

Minutes passed, feeling as long as years. With each word she read and each photo she saw, it felt like a dull knife cutting through her entire body. She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears, beating so fast it distracted her.

Lukas, noticing her silence, initially thought she was just deeply focused and perhaps even angry. But as time passed and she didn't even answer him when he called her name, he grew worried. He could still hear the rustle of paper, but she simply wouldn't respond. He got up, quickly strode to his car, and sped toward the estate , keeping the call connected the entire time.

"Lukas… the attorney… here," she whispered, her voice sounding as if it were being forced through clenched teeth. Before he could answer, she loudly slammed the briefcase shut. She didn't even bother to end the call before walking away, the sound of her fading steps cutting through the line.

Lukas anticipated the worst. Her voice hadn't sounded that tormented since her mother passed away, back when she had been cornered into giving up further legal investigations and forced to lie for the sake of her younger siblings.

Stepping hard on the gas, he slammed his foot down on the accelerator, while praying to that she wouldn't do anything reckless.

Valerie walked slowly back to her room, her mind replaying the sinister smile on Brian’s face in the photos and the atrocities he had committed alongside his "acquaintances." Her ears were ringing as if she could hear the desperate, choked screams of the victims—those who hadn't even been given the time to cry out—and the weeping of their families, accompanied by the resentful shrieks of the dead buried in the rubble.

She placed the briefcase back into the safe and pulled open the drawer of her nightstand.

Ring, ring.

Julian tossed and turned on the mattress, blindly searching for his phone.

“Hello?” he answered without checking the caller ID.

“Lock Valerie up right now!”

Julian sat up instantly, jolted awake by the sheer urgency in Lukas’s tone. “I just woke up... I think she was just here. What—?”

Lukas cut him off. “Check the drawer of the nightstand. Is the gun still there?”

Julian turned to the left—the side Valerie had slept on—and caught sight of the open, completely empty drawer.

He sprang out of bed, sprinting out of the room as Lukas barked through the phone, “Run to her uncle’s residence! She’s definitely there. You have to stop her; I’m on my way!”

“Can the medical team at the residence handle severe injuries?” Julian asked, his heart hammering.

Even though neither of them knew the exact horrors contained in the briefcase, it must have been utterly atrocious for Valerie to snap like this and head straight for a violent confrontation. Still, Julian’s racing mind quickly calculated the fallout: if she ended up injuring him, they could easily use his own dirty secrets to blackmail him into keeping the police away. Even if the bastard held a grudge, he wouldn't succeed in retaliation as long as they were careful enough.

“Yes, just make sure she doesn’t kill him on the spot or get injured herself. A few bullets aren't–”

Bang!

The gunshot rang out in the quiet morning air, firing the first shot announcing the impending wave that threatened to drag the Miller family and their empire down to the depths of the ocean.