Chapter 46
Sleep never came.
Not for her.
The mansion was quiet in that deep, late-night way—when even the air felt still, like it was holding its breath.
Zara stood in her study, barefoot against the cold marble, a glass of untouched wine sitting beside her.
Her laptop screen glowed in the dim light.
Emails.
Reports.
Internal logs.
Everything she could access—
She was already going through it.
If Vivienne Laurent was inside the system…
Then there would be traces.
There were always traces.
Zara didn't rush.
She never rushed.
But her focus tonight was sharper than usual.
More precise.
More… personal.
A soft knock broke the silence.
She didn't look up.
"It's open."
The door pushed in slowly.
Then closed just as quietly.
"You've been here for hours."
Zara's fingers paused briefly over the keyboard.
Then resumed.
"I'm working."
A small exhale came from behind her.
Lucien stepped further into the room, his gaze moving over the scattered documents, the glowing screens, the untouched drink.
"You call this working," he said, "I call it overloading."
Zara didn't turn.
"I call it necessary."
Lucien walked closer, stopping just behind her chair.
Close enough to see the screen.
Close enough to notice the details.
"You're tracking internal access logs," he said.
Zara nodded once.
"She didn't just get information," she replied. "She got access."
Lucien's jaw tightened.
"And you think she still has it."
"I know she does."
A pause.
Zara finally leaned back slightly, rubbing her temple once before focusing again.
"She's not guessing anymore," she added. "She's anticipating moves before they happen."
Lucien crossed his arms.
"That means someone's feeding her information."
Zara's eyes flicked up to him briefly.
"Or she built a system that does it for her."
Lucien frowned.
"That would take time."
Zara nodded slowly.
"Which means this didn't start recently."
Silence.
That realization settled in differently.
Heavier.
Lucien moved around the desk, standing in front of her now.
"And you didn't see it."
Zara met his gaze.
Calm.
But honest.
"No," she said.
That wasn't easy for her to admit.
Lucien noticed.
But he didn't push it.
Instead, he said—
"Then we fix it."
Zara studied him for a second.
"We don't fix it," she corrected quietly.
A pause.
"We use it."
Lucien's brows drew together slightly.
"You want to leave the breach open."
Zara's lips curved faintly.
"I want her to think it's still working."
A beat.
Lucien exhaled slowly.
"You're building a controlled leak."
Zara nodded.
"Yes."
He stared at her for a moment longer.
"You've done this before."
Zara didn't answer.
Which was answer enough.
Lucien ran a hand through his hair, then looked back at the screen.
"What do you need?"
That question—
simple as it was—
shifted something.
Zara paused.
Then closed the laptop halfway.
"Access to your side of the board," she said.
Lucien didn't hesitate.
"You have it."
Zara's gaze held his.
"Full access," she clarified.
A pause.
Lucien didn't even blink.
"You already did," he said.
That…
was unexpected.
Zara tilted her head slightly.
"You gave it to me without telling me?"
Lucien's expression remained steady.
"I don't give partial trust," he replied.
Silence.
For a second—
Zara didn't respond.
Because that wasn't strategy.
That wasn't negotiation.
That was… something else.
She looked away first, reopening the laptop.
"Good," she said, her voice quieter now. "Then this moves faster."
Lucien watched her for a moment.
Then—
"What's the plan?"
Zara's focus returned instantly.
Sharp.
Precise.
"We feed her controlled information," she said. "Slightly altered. Slightly delayed."
Lucien nodded slowly.
"So when she uses it—"
"She exposes her source," Zara finished.
A pause.
"And her timing," she added.
Lucien leaned against the desk slightly.
"You're turning her advantage into a weakness."
Zara's lips curved.
"I'm giving her enough rope."
Silence again.
Then—
Lucien's voice dropped slightly.
"And if she's smarter than that?"
Zara didn't look up this time.
"Then she'll hesitate."
A beat.
"And hesitation," she said quietly, "is the first sign of losing control."
Lucien studied her.
"You really believe that."
Zara's fingers paused briefly over the keyboard.
"I know it," she replied.
Another notification popped up on her screen.
She clicked it open.
Paused.
Lucien noticed immediately.
"What now?"
Zara didn't answer right away.
Then she turned the screen slightly toward him.
An internal memo.
Meeting scheduled.
Emergency.
Board members only.
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
"They're moving already."
Zara's expression sharpened instantly.
"Of course they are."
A pause.
Lucien looked at her.
"This is happening faster than expected."
Zara nodded once.
"Yes."
Her gaze didn't leave the screen.
"Which means she's pushing harder."
Lucien straightened slightly.
"Then we move first."
Zara finally looked up at him.
And this time—
there was no hesitation.
"No," she said.
A beat.
"We move smarter."
Silence.
Then—
a slow, deliberate breath.
Zara closed the laptop fully.
Stood.
And stepped closer to him.
"Tomorrow," she said quietly,
"we give them exactly what they want to see."
Lucien held her gaze.
"And what is that?"
Zara's lips curved slowly.
"A version of me they think they can replace."
A pause.
Then, softer—
"But can't."
And this time—
the plan wasn't just set.
It was in motion.