CHAPTER 18

The estate had begun to feel like a sanctuary, its serene surroundings offering Fiona and Darwin a fragile sense of peace. But beneath the surface of that calm lay an undercurrent of tension. Every passing hour was a reminder that their enemies were out there, plotting their next move.

Darwin had spent the morning locked in his study, pouring over documents and strategizing with his team. Fiona, meanwhile, tried to busy herself around the house, but her mind was a storm of thoughts. She couldn’t shake the feeling that their safe haven was only temporary, that danger was just around the corner.

By mid-afternoon, she decided to confront Darwin.

Knocking lightly on the study door, she stepped inside to find him standing by the window, his phone pressed to his ear. He ended the call quickly when he saw her, his expression softening.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

Fiona crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. “I was about to ask you the same thing. You’ve been in here all day.”

Darwin gestured to the papers spread out across his desk. “I’m working on a plan. If we want to take William down, we need to act fast.”

“And Bella?” Fiona asked.

“She’s the key,” Darwin said, his voice low. “The evidence we have on her is solid. If we release it at the right time, it’ll force her to turn on William. She’s loyal to herself, not him. If we can exploit that, we can dismantle their alliance.”

Fiona frowned, the weight of his words sinking in. “And what happens to her after that?”

Darwin’s gaze hardened. “She’ll get what she deserves.”

---

Later that evening, Darwin gathered Fiona and his closest confidants in the estate’s spacious living room. The group included his trusted lawyer, Nathan, and a former intelligence operative named Claire. Both had been instrumental in gathering the evidence against William and Bella.

Darwin spread a series of documents and photos across the coffee table, his voice steady as he outlined the plan.

“We’ll release the evidence on Bella first,” he began. “Emails, financial transactions, surveillance footage—it’s all here. Once it’s out, the fallout will be immediate. The Atlas Group board will demand an internal investigation, and Bella will be their first target.”

Nathan nodded. “That should be enough to isolate her. If she feels cornered, she’ll try to cut a deal.”

“Exactly,” Darwin said. “And when she does, we’ll be ready to catch her in the act. She’s greedy and impulsive; she’ll reveal more than she intends.”

“What about William?” Claire asked.

Darwin’s expression darkened. “William won’t go down easily. He’s been playing this game for years, and he knows how to cover his tracks. But without Bella feeding him information, he’ll be vulnerable. That’s when we strike.”

Fiona listened intently, her stomach twisting with unease. The plan was bold, but it was also risky. One misstep, and they could lose everything.

---

The first phase of the plan unfolded the following morning. Nathan and Claire worked tirelessly to leak the evidence against Bella to a trusted journalist, someone with a reputation for exposing corruption. By noon, the story was live, splashed across every major news outlet.

Fiona watched the chaos unfold from the safety of the estate, her nerves fraying as she read the headlines:

"Atlas Group Secretary Exposed in Embezzlement Scandal"

"Leaked Emails Reveal Internal Sabotage"

Bella’s face was everywhere, her carefully crafted image of professionalism shattered in an instant.

“Do you think she’ll crack?” Fiona asked Darwin as they watched the news together.

“She won’t have a choice,” Darwin replied. “Her career is over, and she knows it. She’ll try to save herself any way she can.”

---

By evening, their prediction proved correct. Bella was spotted meeting with one of William’s associates in a dimly lit restaurant. Claire, disguised as a patron, managed to capture the entire conversation on tape.

“She’s panicking,” Claire reported when she returned to the estate. “She’s trying to shift the blame onto William, but it’s clear she’s scared. She knows the walls are closing in.”

Darwin nodded, his expression grim. “Good. The more desperate she gets, the more mistakes she’ll make.”

---

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity. Bella’s scandal dominated the headlines, and the Atlas Group board announced an internal investigation. William, meanwhile, kept a low profile, likely biding his time as he tried to contain the damage.

But Darwin wasn’t about to let him regroup.

“We need to keep the pressure on,” he said during another strategy meeting. “William thrives in the shadows. If we drag him into the light, he’ll have nowhere to hide.”

“And how do we do that?” Fiona asked.

Darwin met her gaze, his eyes sharp. “We go after his empire. William’s been laundering money through a series of shell companies. If we expose those, it’ll cripple his operations and destroy his credibility.”

Fiona felt a surge of admiration for Darwin’s determination, but she couldn’t ignore the risks. “What if he retaliates?”

“He will,” Darwin admitted. “But we’ll be ready.”

---

The second phase of the plan began with a coordinated effort to expose William’s financial dealings. Claire and Nathan worked tirelessly, digging through records and compiling evidence. Darwin’s network of contacts proved invaluable, providing leads that led to the unraveling of William’s empire.

The media frenzy that followed was even more intense than Bella’s scandal. Headlines screamed accusations of fraud, corruption, and money laundering.

Fiona watched the news with a mix of satisfaction and dread. They were winning the battle, but the war was far from over.

---

One night, as Fiona lay awake in bed, she heard the faint sound of footsteps in the hallway. Her heart raced as she sat up, straining to listen.

“Darwin?” she called out softly.

There was no answer.

Her pulse quickened as she slipped out of bed and crept toward the door. The estate was usually quiet at night, the only sounds the rustling of the trees and the occasional hoot of an owl. But tonight, the silence felt oppressive, like a storm waiting to break.

As she stepped into the hallway, she saw a shadow move at the far end.

“Who’s there?” she demanded, her voice trembling.

The shadow froze for a moment before disappearing around the corner.

Fiona’s instincts screamed at her to retreat, but she couldn’t ignore the nagging sense of danger. Summoning her courage, she followed the shadow, her bare feet silent against the polished floor.

When she rounded the corner, the hallway was empty.

But as she turned to head back to her room, a hand clamped over her mouth, and a voice whispered in her ear:

“Don’t scream.”