CHAPTER 23

The air in the car was thick with unspoken words. Fiona stared out the window, her mind replaying every detail of their meeting with Elena. She could still hear the faint tremor in Elena's voice, the way her eyes darted around the café as if she were expecting William to appear at any moment.

Darwin’s grip on the steering wheel was tight, his knuckles white. The flash drive in his pocket seemed to burn with the weight of its secrets. For a man used to control, the uncertainty of their situation gnawed at him. Every decision carried the potential for disaster.

“Do you think she’s really trying to help us?” Fiona asked, breaking the silence.

Darwin’s jaw tightened, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. “People don’t usually help others without expecting something in return. But her intel lines up with what we already know about William. We’ll need to verify it before we act.”

Fiona nodded, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. “If this information is real, it could be our chance to stop him.”

“Or it could be a trap,” Darwin said, his voice grim. “William might have sent her to feed us false information, to lure us into making a mistake.”

Fiona swallowed hard. The thought of being caught in another one of William’s schemes sent a shiver down her spine. She glanced out the window again, her unease growing. “Darwin… I think someone was watching us at the café.”

Darwin’s gaze flicked to her in the rearview mirror. “What do you mean?”

“When we left,” Fiona said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I saw a figure in the shadows. They disappeared before I could get a good look.”

Darwin’s expression darkened. He quickly scanned the rearview mirror, checking for any signs of a tail. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“I wasn’t sure,” Fiona admitted. “And I didn’t want to sound paranoid.”

Darwin’s tone was sharp. “In this situation, paranoia might save your life. If you see something, you tell me immediately.”

Fiona nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. “I’ll be more careful.”

As they approached the Solomon estate, the tension in the car only grew. The gates opened smoothly, and Darwin drove up the long, winding driveway. The mansion loomed ahead, its grand façade illuminated by the soft glow of security lights.

The moment they stepped inside, Darwin handed the flash drive to his trusted IT specialist, Marcus. A sharp, analytical man with a knack for uncovering hidden truths, Marcus was one of the few people Darwin trusted implicitly.

“Decrypt this and cross-check everything,” Darwin instructed. “I want a full report by morning.”

Marcus nodded, taking the drive without a word.

As he disappeared into the study, Fiona leaned against the wall, exhaustion creeping over her. The day had been an emotional rollercoaster, and the weight of their circumstances felt suffocating.

Darwin’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “You should rest.”

Fiona shook her head. “I can’t. Not until we know what’s on that drive.”

“You’re not going to help anyone by running yourself into the ground,” Darwin said, his tone softer now. “Get some sleep. I’ll handle things from here.”

Reluctantly, Fiona nodded and made her way upstairs. But as she lay in the oversized bed, staring at the ceiling, sleep refused to come. Her mind raced with possibilities, her thoughts circling back to the figure in the shadows.

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Downstairs, Darwin paced the study, his mind churning. Marcus sat at the desk, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he worked to unlock the secrets of the flash drive.

“You’re sure Elena can’t be trusted?” Marcus asked without looking up.

“I’m not sure of anything,” Darwin admitted. “But if she’s telling the truth, this could be the edge we need. If she’s lying…” He let the sentence hang, the implications clear.

Minutes turned into hours as the tension in the room grew. Finally, Marcus leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face. “Got it.”

Darwin stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the screen. The files were extensive—emails, bank statements, audio recordings. Each piece of evidence painted a damning picture of William Newton’s operations.

“This is it,” Marcus said. “Enough to raise serious questions, maybe even launch an investigation.”

Darwin’s gaze lingered on one particular email chain. It detailed a payment from one of William’s shell companies to Bella Robbins. The subject line read: Atlas Intel Exchange.

“She’s been feeding him information,” Darwin muttered, his tone venomous.

“It gets worse,” Marcus said, clicking on an audio file. The recording crackled to life, and Darwin recognized William’s voice immediately.

“…The Solomon name won’t mean a thing when I’m done with him. Bella’s in place, and the board is already starting to doubt his leadership. Once the pregnancy scandal breaks, the press will tear him apart. He’ll be too busy putting out fires to see the final blow coming.”

Darwin’s blood ran cold. The level of calculation and malice in William’s words was staggering.

“Pregnancy scandal?” Marcus asked, frowning.

Darwin’s jaw clenched. “He’s planning to use Fiona against me.”

Marcus hesitated. “What’s the move, boss?”

Darwin’s mind raced. William’s plan was already in motion, but the flash drive gave them a chance to fight back. They needed to act swiftly and decisively.

“Leak this to the press,” Darwin said. “But do it anonymously. We need to control the narrative without tipping our hand.”

Marcus nodded. “Understood.”

Darwin glanced at the clock. It was well past midnight, but the night was far from over. He grabbed his phone and dialed Thalassa’s number.

“Darwin?” Thalassa’s groggy voice came through the line.

“I need your help,” he said without preamble. “William’s targeting Fiona, and I need you to stay with her tomorrow. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

Thalassa’s tone shifted, becoming sharper. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain later. Just make sure she’s safe.”

“Consider it done,” Thalassa said firmly.

As Darwin ended the call, a sense of urgency settled over him. William had underestimated Fiona’s resilience and Darwin’s determination. But the battle ahead would require more than strength—it would demand cunning, strategy, and unshakable resolve.

For the first time in years, Darwin felt the stirrings of something he hadn’t allowed himself to feel: hope.