Author's Preface
[Cont.]
[Annie]
The physical evidence of Tuesday’s incident is fading into a dull, yellowish bruise on my cheekbone, but the atmosphere on SilverOak’s 16th floor feels tighter with every passing minute.
I sit at my desk in the marketing department, three separate terminal windows open on my screen.
Following James’s diagnostic sweep from yesterday, I am cross-referencing legacy access logs from the EX-0 system framework.
My eyes scan rows of time stamped IP addresses until one particular entry makes me freeze.
An access request appears in the archive, dated nearly six years ago, around the time Kai joined the university.
It traces back to a shared server domain near the old university campus, used by the postgraduate department.
I frown, zooming in on the log.
The login itself occurred nearly five years ago, just weeks before Henry moved to London after graduation, when we were wrapping up our final degree requirements.
Why would an external ping originating from that campus server node touch SilverOak’s early EX-0 codebase six years ago?
None of us had corporate access back then, but I recall Kenny mentioning that Henry spent a few weeks tutoring Kai’s younger brother, Lucas, around that same time for some extra income.
It’s likely an old routing coincidence or a recycled IP, but seeing that familiar campus server domain embedded in a legacy diagnostic file leaves a quiet, curious thread waiting to be unraveled.
Before I can dig deeper into the archived registry, a private notification pops up in the corner of my screen.
It is an external email flagged by the server’s spam filter, sent directly to my work address.
Sender: Oliver Roven
Subject: Your corporate lapdog moves.
My stomach churns as I open it, scanning the furious, accusatory lines:
Did you think I wouldn't notice?
You get your boss Kai Sterlings to throw his weight around at my firm, and suddenly two of my key investors get hostile buyout offers from a shell company pulling data directly through SilverOak's network channels?
You were always full of yourself, Annie, but using your marketing clearance to help Sterlings dirty-play my business is low.
Tell Sterlings to back off before I expose how your division is leaking private partner metrics to interfere with competitors.
Anger and sheer confusion boil up inside my chest.
What on earth is he talking about?
Leaking private partner metrics?
I have done nothing of the sort, and the sheer arrogance of him blaming me for his company's internal messes makes my blood run hot.
I close the tab, grab my tablet, and walk straight toward Kai’s office.
[ *** ]
When I knock and step inside, Kai is standing by the glass window, a thin folder in his hands.
He looks up, his eyes instantly softening as they sweep over my face, checking my cheek before meeting my gaze.
"You should be sitting down," he says quietly, setting the folder on his desk.
"Kai, read this," I say, stepping closer and turning the tablet screen toward him, my voice tight with frustration.
"Oliver is sending crazy emails accusing me—and you—of using SilverOak’s data channels to sabotage his investors. He’s threatening to claim our division is leaking competitor metrics."
Kai takes the tablet from me.
His expression doesn't change as his eyes run over the furious text.
There is no surprise or anger—only a calm, controlled stillness.
"He’s throwing a tantrum," he says, handing the tablet back without a single trace of concern.
"He lost control of his board, so he’s fishing for reactions from you. Ignore him. I’ll handle it."
"He’s accusing our whole marketing division, Kai," I push, still agitated. "If he starts throwing wild rumors around—"
"He won't get the chance," he interrupts, speaking calmly.
He reaches out, his long fingers gently catching my wrist, pulling me half a step closer.
"Don't let him get under your skin Annie. Go have lunch."
[ *** ]
During lunch, I take my salad to the quiet terrace on the 14th floor, away from the hum of the main office.
My phone vibrates in my lap—Kenny’s name flashing on the screen.
I pick up immediately.
"Hey, Kenny."
"Hey! How are you holding up over there?" Kenny’s voice is warm, accompanied by the muffled chatter of a London cafe.
"You sounded exhausted when we texted yesterday."
"Just busy with this audit," I say, forcing my voice to sound light as I lean against the stone balustrade.
"How are things with you?"
"Pretty good, actually! That’s why I called," she says cheerfully.
"Henry and I were looking at our project timelines for the rest of the year. If we can sync our leave schedules with our firms, we’re planning to come back home a bit earlier than New Year’s. Maybe late autumn."
I freeze, my fingers tightening around the phone.
"Earlier? Both of you?"
"Yeah. Henry mentioned wanting to wrap up his current contract as soon as possible. If our leaves get approved together, we could all be back in the same city in just a couple of months."
Kenny laughs softly.
"It’d be great to catch up properly, like old times."
"Yeah... that would be great," I manage to say, trying to force enthusiasm into my tone.
After hanging up, I remain on the terrace, staring blindly at the city traffic below.
My mind wanders to Henry returning months earlier than expected.
I remember Kenny once mentioning how Henry used to tutor Kai's younger brother years ago, and how Henry had seemed oddly tense or uncomfortable whenever that family came up.
It was probably nothing—just old university awkwardness or a bad working relationship.
But with Kai being so intensely protective of me now, I can't help but wonder if seeing Henry again will be awkward.
And why was that campus server footprint in the EX-0 logs in the first place?
A sharp, piercing tone chimes simultaneously from my phone and the building’s internal PA speakers, shattering my thoughts.
MANDATORY EMERGENCY AUDIT MEETING. EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM. ALL DIVISION AND SYSTEM LEADERSHIP REPORT IMMEDIATELY.
I blink, the sudden urgency pushing me straight out of my seat.
Since I'd been assisting with the EX-0 diagnostic review, I assume I'm expected to attend.
I rush back inside and take the elevator up to the executive wing.
The corridor outside the main boardroom is packed.
Senior executives, department leads, and legal advisors are whispering anxiously in tight, restless clusters.
I push through the heavy glass doors into the boardroom.
At the head of the massive mahogany table stands James, flanked by two senior officers from the External Audit Commission and the Head of Corporate Security.
James’s expression is serious and unreadable.
In front of him lies a thick, sealed document binder.
A moment later, Kai enters through the side entrance.
He looks perfectly calm, his dark suit immaculate, his hands casually resting in his pockets as he takes a spot near the center of the table.
Once the room settles into a heavy, suffocating silence, the Security Chief steps forward, clearing his throat.
"Thank you for assembling quickly," the Chief announces, his voice echoing off the soundproofed walls.
"An hour ago, our external diagnostic team isolated a massive, encrypted data transmission originating directly from the EX-0 core architecture. Critical internal framework specifications were leaked to an offshore destination."
A collective gasp echoes across the room.
Whispers break out instantly.
My heart begins to thump violently against my ribs.
"This was not an external hack," James speaks up, his voice cutting through the noise like a cold razor.
He opens the binder, pulling out a set of printed, timestamped authorization sheets.
"The breach was executed using master clearance credentials. The internal routing key, the physical terminal ID, and the cryptographic signature all point to one account."
James raises his head, his gaze sweeping over the shocked faces before locking dead center.
"Kai Sterlings."
The room goes completely dead silent.
It feels as if all the oxygen has been sucked out of the space in a single second.
My breath catches violently in my throat.
My blood runs ice-cold, my head spinning as I stare at James.
Kai? The mole?
That’s impossible—he runs this division, he brought in the audit—
Panic, disbelief, and a terrifying wave of fear surge through me all at once.
My hands tremble against my notepad as I slowly turn my head to look at Kai.
Two security guards step toward him from the side door.
Kai doesn't move.
He doesn't tense, flinch, or offer a single word of defense.
Amid the murmurs around him, he slowly turns his head.
His eyes meet mine across the tense room, calm and composed.
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