Morning came too quickly.
Anna barely slept. The message from last night kept replaying in her mind, mixing with everything Ethan had said and everything Oliver hadn't. It felt like pieces of a puzzle were being thrown at her—none of them fitting yet, but all pointing toward something dangerous.
By the time she reached the office, she had already decided one thing.
She wouldn't stay in the dark anymore.
As soon as she entered, she felt it.
The atmosphere.
Whispers.
Eyes turning away too quickly.
Her steps slowed.
Something was wrong.
Her assistant rushed toward her, face pale. "Ma'am… there's a serious issue."
Anna's heart sank. "What happened?"
"Your name is all over the news."
For a second, Anna didn't react.
Then she walked straight into her office and turned on the screen.
The headlines hit instantly.
"Illegal Deal Linked to CEO Anna Anderson "
"Confidential Company Documents Leaked"
"Financial Misconduct Under Investigation"
Her breath caught.
"This… isn't possible," she whispered.
But the documents displayed on the screen were real.
Her documents.
Her signatures.
Her projects.
Only—
They had been twisted.
Manipulated.
Framed.
Her fingers tightened on the edge of the desk.
"Who released this?" she asked, her voice calm but dangerously quiet.
"We're trying to find out," her assistant replied. "But the media already has everything."
Anna closed her eyes for a brief moment.
This wasn't just a leak.
This was an attack.
Across the building, Oliver watched the same headlines on his screen.
His expression turned cold.
"Who approved this release?" he asked sharply into the phone.
"No one, sir. It was leaked anonymously."
Oliver's grip tightened. "Track the source. I want answers now."
He ended the call and grabbed his jacket without another word.
Anna was still standing in front of the screen when the door opened.
Oliver walked in.
She didn't turn.
"You've seen it," she said quietly.
"Yes."
Silence filled the room.
Then Anna spoke again.
"They're saying I made illegal deals."
"I know."
"They're using my own documents."
"I know."
She finally turned to face him.
"Then tell me what's going on, Oliver."
His eyes met hers—dark, intense, calculating.
"This isn't random," he said. "Someone planned this."
"Ethan," Anna said immediately.
Oliver didn't respond.
That was enough.
"You think it's him too," she added.
"I think he's involved," Oliver corrected. "But this… this is bigger."
Anna frowned. "What do you mean?"
Oliver stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"These documents weren't just leaked. They were accessed from inside the system."
Anna's heartbeat quickened.
"Inside?" she repeated.
"Yes."
A pause.
Then the realization hit.
"Someone from my company?" she asked.
Oliver nodded once.
"A traitor."
The word felt heavy in the air.
Anna's mind started racing.
Who?
Who would do this?
Why?
Her thoughts were interrupted by another notification.
Her phone.
Another message.
Her hands felt cold as she opened it.
Now you see how easy it is to break you.
Anna's breath hitched.
Oliver took the phone from her, his eyes scanning the message.
His expression hardened instantly.
"They're watching everything," he said quietly.
Anna looked at him. "This isn't just business anymore."
"No," he agreed.
"This is personal."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Anna straightened slightly, her fear slowly turning into something else.
Determination.
"They want to destroy me," she said.
Oliver's gaze sharpened.
"They'll have to go through me first."
Anna met his eyes, something unspoken passing between them.
For the first time since this began—
They weren't standing apart.
They were standing together.
Against something far more dangerous than either of them expected.
And somewhere in the shadows—
Someone was watching the chaos unfold…
smiling as everything started to fall into place.