Chapter Eight

Ethan stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of his sleek house, gazing out at the vibrant cityscape before him. He cradled a glass of champagne on his left hand as he unbuttoned his shirt.

Undone to the midpoint of his chest revealing a glimpse of his strong chest, adorned with a gleaming silver chain.

As he sipped the wine, his eyes never left the city. The door slides open breaking the silence as Bryan his Personal Assistant approaches him with a file in his hand, his footsteps quiet on the plush carpet.

With a discreet nod, he offered the file to Ethan, his eyes never leaving his boss's face. Ethan's gaze flickered up from his wine glass, his eyes narrowing slightly as he accepted the file.

With deliberate slowness, he opened the file, the papers rustling as they revealed their contents. A smile spread across his face as he gazed at the photographs of Elena. He leaned in, his lips brushing against the paper as he kissed her image.

"I guess you don't know about this?"

Ethan's gaze snapped up to meet Bryan, his eyes blazing with intensity."What kind of details?"

Bryan hesitated, "Personal ones, sir. It seems Elena has been keeping some secrets."

Ethan tightened his jaw, his eyes narrowing."Go on."

Bryan continued, "It appears she is the hidden heiress of the Celestial Empire."

Ethan's gaze returned to the photos."Elena, it seems you have a lot you are hiding. I wish your ex knew what he threw away. Keep me updated Bryan, I want to know everything about the Wellington family."

Bryan nodded, "Already on it, sir. I will have something for you within an hour."

Bryan turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Ethan.

Ethan sat down on the leather chair, as he leaned back, the chair made a soft creak.

His hand slipped into his trouser pocket, his fingers closing around the familiar shape of his lighter. He drew it out, the metal gleaming in the soft light, and flipped the lid open with a thumb. The flame danced to life, casting flickering shadows on his face.

He retrieved a slender cigarette from his pack. He raised it to his lips, the tip glowing orange as he inhaled. Exhaling a smoke, he gazed at Elena's image again.

"I asked you out on a date, and you ran away," he said his voice low and husky, the words curling around the smoke."Let's see if you'll run again, Elena."

**********

Ethan settled into the dimly lit room, the only sound the soft hum of the laptop. Bryan sat beside him, their faces illuminated only by the faint glow of the screen.

As Jeremy worked his magic, the screen flickered to life, casting an eerie light on their Ethan's gaze fixed on the images flashing across the screen, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Jeremy's voice was low and steady, guiding them through the digital trail he was uncovering."Okay, I'm in ....looks like Alan's hacker is using a proxy server...but I can trace it back to the source..."

Jeremy's fingers flew across the keyboard, his eyes scanning the code streaming across the screen."Ah got it! I'm on Alan's company's server...Oh man, this is not good."

Ethan leaned in closer, his voice low and urgent."What is it, Jeremy?"

Jeremy's eyes widened, his gaze fixed on the screen."It looks like Alan is planning to blackmail you with the project and some shady dealings are going on."

Bryan's eyes narrowed."What kind of shady dealings?"

Jeremy's fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up more files."Looks like they're embezzling funds using Elena's name. He is working with Victoria Lockwood his fiancée."

Ethan's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with anger."Find out everything about the Lockwood."

Jeremy nodded his fingers flying across the keyboard again."Already on it, boss."

Bryan leaned in, his eyes fixed on the screen."Can you show us what you are finding?"

Jeremy gave a swift nod, his eyes darted across the screen, his brow furrowed in concentration."Okay...looks like Alan has been having an affair with Victoria Lockwood before getting married to Elena. Mr Lockwood connected Alan to the 5G."

Ethan's gaze honed in, his eyes boring into the screen."Keep going, Jeremy. I want to know more about the 5G."

Jeremy's eyes widened, his voice barely a whisper."It seems that Elena Wellington was their scapegoat. It was a plan all along by the Lockwood."

Jeremy stood and stepped closer to the screen, his laptop still clutched in his hand.

"See Lockwood's been using their wealth and influence to fund a developer, one who's been secretly building a platform to manipulate the city's infrastructure. It's a clever plan, one that's been hidden in plain sight."

Jeremy's gaze became a piercing stare, as if boring into the digital information on the screen. He leaned in closer, his eyes darting back and forth.

"Check this out. Lockwood's been funnelling millions into an offshore account."

Jeremy gestured to the screen, his eyes darting between Ethan and Bryan as he explained."Following the money trail, and you'll see it leads straight to one person."Shadow."

Jeremy continued."Shadow is the web developer. He is building a platform named"Omnia", designed to integrate with the city's infrastructure.

Jeremy's voice dropped to a whisper, his eyes locked onto the screen."Omnia's not just a platform. The Luminaries are using it to get to the 5G and boss, paving the way for the Luminaries to take over."

The room fell silent. Jeremy and Bryan stared at their boss. Ethan's eyes were fixed on the screen, his jaw clenched in anger.

Ethan's chair scraped against the floor as he pushed it back. He strode across the room, his eyes fixed on the bar in the corner. The soft clink of glass echoed through the room as he poured himself alcohol. He lifted the glass to his lips, his expression a mask of calm detachment.

Ethan's eyelids drew together, his gaze compressing into a sharp, intense focus."How does Elena fit into this?"

Jeremy's gaze darted sideways, his eyes jerking towards Bryan with a swift involuntary movement, and then just as quickly his eyes snapped back to Ethan.

"Elena knew something,boss. She found out about it three months ago, before the divorce."

Ethan's glass paused halfway to his lips, his eyes locked onto Jeremy's."What did she know?"

Jeremy's expression turned grim."She had discovered Alan's involvement with Shadow. Alan decided to keep her mouth shut by blackmailing her, and sending her to prison, promising to bring her out as soon as possible."

Jeremy continued."Boss, Alan's been working with a nurse in the prison and it looks like they are planning..."

Ethan took a step closer, still holding his glass. Jeremy, what's going on? Tell me, Now.

The air seemed to vibrate with Ethan's intensity.

"I think Alan is planning to break her, mentally and emotionally. He wants to keep her mouth shut."

Bryan's eyes widened."Alan is a psychopath."How can he do that?"

Jeremy pulled up a video feed, showing Elena in the cell. "This was taken yesterday. Alan's got connections, boss."

Ethan's eyes flashed with anger, his fists clenched at his sides.

"We need to get her out, now."