The first thing Mel did after grabbing three hours of restless sleep was confirm her new reality. The extreme commitment Kallen demanded was built into the scholarship's fine print: the Accelerated Corporate Immersion (ACI) status. Kallen paid the university a premium to convert her curriculum into "Executive Credit Modules," making the corporation her classroom, and Rhys Kallen's demands her final exams. Her mind belonged entirely to Kallen.
When Mel stepped onto the 70th floor, the atmosphere was a palpable shift from the lower levels. This was quiet, expensive luxury. Her new office was a modest but sleek glass cubicle just outside Rhys Kallen's private suite, boasting a heart-stopping, panoramic view of the city.
A severe, elegant chief of staff named Zara gave Mel a cursory once-over. "Mr. Kallen is in a board meeting. You are on standby. Your task is to familiarize yourself with the documents related to 'The Argos Initiative' on your secure terminal. Do not disturb him until he buzzes you."
The Argos Initiative was Rhys's pet project, a massive, high-tech expansion into South Asia. It was the clean, legitimate façade behind which Mel suspected the rot of Project Chimera was being hidden.
An hour later, the private line buzzed. Mel entered Rhys's spacious office. He was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, bathed in light, focused on a complex digital display of stock fluctuations.
"Close the door, Mel," he instructed, not turning around. "The Argos Initiative is the future. It's also the immediate threat. Leila Vaughn is on the Board of Directors, and she wants to delay the first phase. She claims there are 'unvetted security risks' in the proposed supply chain, using the information you just provided her."
He finally turned, his expression cold and focused.
"You gave her the key to the trap. Now, you're going to help me reset the trap. You will find a single, undeniable ethical flaw in Leila's personal financial history. Something small, discreet, and perfectly legal, but embarrassing enough to discredit her public objections."
"Sir, that's a political attack," Mel stated, her voice tight.
Rhys walked toward her, stopping only inches away. The magnetic, dangerous tension that had charged the air the night before was back, stronger than ever.
"This is not an internship, Mel. This is war," he said, his voice a low, commanding rumble. "You are my weapon. Your job is no longer to find corporate corruption; your job is to secure my position so I can eventually clean up the corruption without destroying the company. You chose the top floor. You play by the rules up here, which means there are no rules."
He reached out, his thumb brushing the line of tension above her jaw, a surprisingly gentle, possessive gesture that made her heart skip a beat. "You have until tomorrow morning to deliver the leverage, Analyst. Fail, and you're not just fired.
You're my enemy."
Mel returned to her desk, the task of digging up dirt on her ally making her sick. She needed perspective. Ignoring the "no personal devices" rule on the 70th floor, she opened her phone to her group chat: The Survivalists.
Mel: Emergency. I'm trapped. He knows I worked with Leila. He promoted me so I have to attack her. He wants me to find something to shut her down. I can't do this, guys. He's making me a part of the dirt.
Sam: Mel, don't compromise your values. Tell him you won't. You can't start by betraying the one person trying to help you.
Jenna: Stop. Listen to me. You are not a part of the dirt. You are a spy. You are in the belly of the beast. If you fail his test, you are out, and you lose your chance to fix Chimera. Find the dirt on Leila. Give it to him. And then, when he trusts you, you use his position to take him down. Don't quit now.
Jenna's cold, calculated advice cut through the noise. To save the company, she first had to play the villain. To find the source of the leak, she had to act as Rhys's most trusted confidant. Mel opened the secure financial databases, her finger hovering over the access portal to Leila Vaughn's private life.
To save Kallen, she first had to commit the ultimate betrayal.