Emily's POVI slept in the office cafeteria, far-off rumblings of the noises which my ears were not capable of hearing. My own heart beating with conflicting thoughts; for weeks I had struggled with suspicion and rumor, and tonight, I had been compelled to put them in the forefront of my mind. I had set up a secret meeting with Austin, thinking if he had something to conceal from me, sooner or later, it would come out.I walked in and Austin was leaning by a window in the empty conference room. I breathed in and continued in. "Austin, I must have a word with you." I instructed him firmly but politely.He gazed at me, his lips stuffed with a forced smile which did not quite reach his eyes. "Whatever it is, Emily, all right, sure. What?"I closed the door behind me and invited him to sit. "I need to ask you something, Austin," I said, leaning forward. "I've noticed the way you've been behaving recently—skipping meetings, making long quiet calls on your phone, leaving early. Something is
James's POVI slumped over my desk in the operations room, eyes fixed on multiple screens of data flowing in from branches across Bhutan. For weeks, we had been tracking suspicious financial transactions and encrypted communications that suggested an external threat. Now, information was coming from within. I began cross-checking data from our legal department with reports from other branches."Look at this," I whispered to myself as I looked over a long list of transactions. Some of the codes and aliases did not match what we expected. There was a consistency in the internal emails and document transfers from our legal department. I started to segregate these records. My fingers flew over the keyboard as I filtered data, comparing timestamps and sender IDs.My encrypted phone rang. It was Kylie. "James, how are you?" she asked in her typical crisp, measured tone."Not good, Kylie," I replied. "I am reviewing our information obtained from our legal department and there were irregulari
Emily's POVI blew out my earrings and tugged my jacket straight as I climbed out of the Uber in front of the luxury hotel where the gala tonight was taking place. Tonight's gala was significant. I'd caught wind that one of the leading syndicate financiers was hosting an invitation-only gala, and my PR skills made me the perfect person to infiltrate it. I was forced to check their networks personally, especially since I was suspecting one of our inner circle, someone I never had doubts about.I caught snippets of conversation and murmurs in the lobby that led me to believe this was not your run-of-the-mill charity gala. I used charm and assertiveness to get the receptionist to talk to me. "Evening," I said with a smile. "I have a meeting with Mr. Laurent. I'm a guest at the gala."The receptionist smiled graciously and pointed me in the direction of the executive lounge. I rode the elevator upstairs and hastened to the lounge, where stylish patrons blended in relaxed groups. I smiled
Kylie's POVI had just settled into my office after a grueling morning of meetings when my secure line chimed with an encrypted message. I de-crypted it, not really expecting much to go down at this late hour. But my eyes went wide when I read the subject title: "You Thought You'd Seen the Last of Me." My heart pounding. It was from Rachel.I stared at the message for a long time. It was short and taunting: "Guess who's back? I hold shares now. Enjoy watching the fall of fools." My stomach churned. Rachel, my old trusted cousin and ally, was now making a bold statement. She wasn't just returning—she was clearly on the side of forces I had long suspected.I automatically called my assistant, Mia, "Mia, grab me all Rachel's messages at once. I require a full transcription and attachments, please." The soothing voice of Mia replied, "Right away, Kylie." Within a nervous couple of minutes, I could see that there were multiple attachments: shots of share data for one of our principal partn
Jackson’s POVI was working late in the operations room when I first noticed the pattern. My screen showed a series of transactions coming in from anonymous offshore shell companies. My heart started pounding. I knew something was wrong. I leaned forward, tapping rapidly on the keyboard.“Marcus, come on, I need an update now,” I said into my headset, urgency clear in my voice.Marcus’s calm voice responded, “I’m pulling the logs, Jackson. We’re seeing several transfers from these offshore accounts, each in the millions. They are linked to a series of shell companies. I’m still cross-checking the details.”I muttered, “I want every transaction traced. Check the numbers and let me know if any patterns emerge.” I began running advanced filters, my eyes glued to the data.Soon, I saw it—a recurring set of references in the intercepted messages: “Phase Two” and “OmegaShift.” I frowned and typed a quick note in my secure chat. “Kylie, hostile takeover plan detected. Anonymous transfers f
Austin's POVI couldn't get the feeling out of my head that I was on a ledge. My phone rang in my hand as I sat alone in my empty office, and I read the message on the screen. It had been from a number not in my address book. The message was brief, but the threat was clear: "Sabotage Kylie's next transaction or lose everything." I felt my heart pounding as I reread the words. This was syndicate's offer—direct.I grabbed the phone and dialed my syndicate contact, a man I had become somewhat accustomed to knowing as Victor. When he answered the phone, his voice was smooth and unflappable. "Austin, I think you received our message?"I swallowed hard and declared, "Yes, I did. This is serious business, Victor. You're saying that I have to sabotage Kylie's next deal?""Yes," Victor stated firmly. "We expect loyalty. Your involvement in this is not optional. Let us down, and you risk losing it all—your career, your reputation, and your future."I felt a knot of rage and betrayal churn in my
Kylie’s POVI sat at my desk in the dim light of the early morning, my fingers tapping steadily on the keyboard as I reviewed the latest reports on our enemy’s financial maneuvers. The weight of our situation pressed on me: the rival consortium was planning a hostile takeover, and their funds flowed from offshore channels we were now tracking. I knew that if we did nothing, our company—Bhutan—would soon be lost. It was time to fight back.I picked up my secure phone andl called Jackson. “Jackson, I need you to join me in the conference room in five minutes. We’re forming the strike team.”Within moments, Jackson appeared. His eyes were alert, and he greeted me crisply, “Kylie, what’s the situation?”I didn’t waste a moment. “We’ve gathered enough evidence to know that the syndicate’s financial arm is using a network of shell companies to fund a hostile takeover. I’m forming a covert strike team. I want you, James, Emily, and myself to plan a counterattack using a mix of legal and digi
Jackson’s POVI was hunched over my workstation late one night when the encrypted communication arrived. The screen glowed softly as the ciphered text scrolled across. My instincts told me that this was important…more than the usual noise from the enemy’s channels. I leaned forward and opened the decryption module."Come on, show me what you’ve got," I muttered under my breath as I fed the encrypted string into the system.The code slowly unraveled on the screen, and I caught sight of familiar keywords: names I had seen before, including an alias associated with one of our Bhutan insiders. My eyes widened when I read that the message linked this insider to Rachel’s new startup…company that had come up in several of our intelligence reports as part of the rival consortium’s latest moves.I grabbed my phone and messaged Mia, "Mia, I need you to run a full check on the encryption logs for this file. It mentions an insider at Bhutan and Rachel’s new startup. Confirm details ASAP." Her r
Kylie's POVI was at the podium in Bhutan's Grand Conference Hall of Annual General Meeting. The auditorium was electric, and everyone's eyes were fixed on me. I took a deep breath, for I knew that the time was now to speak out loud before our adversaries. I had to remind everybody why we established Bhutan – on trust, courage, and shared vision that no betrayal could break."Good morning," I began, my own voice steady in spite of the tremble of feeling under it. "Today we are at a crossroads. Our company has been betrayed, sabotaged from the inside out, and tear after tear assaulted by those who would love to destroy us. But I ask you each: what did we build here in Bhutan? We built something of infinitely more value than the sum of our losses.". We founded a heritage in trust, in innovation, and the unconquerable faith that together we are capable of any achievement. I broke pause, eyes on the audience, looking from board to staff to meeting every face. "I know some of you are anxi
Kylie's POVI sat in the quiet of my office, staring at the coded messages on my computer screen. The proof we had gathered in the past weeks was all too much, but now another turn of events had been revealed. Reports were emerging that Emily might be innocent—that everything that had been said against her was part of a larger scheme to frame her. My heart pounded with uncertainty as I tried to keep up with it all.I picked up the phone and called Jackson. "Jackson, is the latest news on Emily verified? There are whispers that she is not the leaker after all."The soothing voice of Jackson came back, "Kylie, I'm analyzing the logs. Preliminary results show inconsistencies that contradict the finding that Emily is a leaker. The intercepted information that we received could have been altered."My head reeled. "Manipulated? That would mean that someone is orchestrating a setup. Who would have a stake in that?"There was silence on the line before Jackson said, "We believe it may have so
Emily's POVI woke up to the persistent ringing of my phone. My secure channel glowed with urgent messages. My heart sank as I read the title of one of them: "Corporate Theft Allegations – Immediate Action Required." I couldn't believe it. The evidence that Austin had passed to me, the one that I had kept with so much precaution, had been leaked. I was accused of corporate theft.I sat up, my heart pounding, and called Kylie right away."Kylie, we have a problem," I tried to say matter-of-factly.Her voice was frosty on the phone. "What is it, Emily?"I hesitated for just a split second before continuing, "Some inside information has been leaked out. They say it's proof that I've stolen company money. I didn't do it, Kylie—I swear I would never."There was a terribly lengthy silence on the line before she finally spoke back with, "Emily, you are going to have to tell me what is happening. This testimony—if it incriminates you as an abettor to theft, then you know what that would be li
Austin's POVI walked back and forth beneath the harsh lights of the empty, frigid parking lot outside an old industrial facility, the weight of my choice bearing down on me. Tonight was my only chance to break up the syndicate operation—a chance that would finally redeem my choices. I glanced at my secure phone; the message from my informant confirmed the time. One of the offshore accounts of the syndicate was poised to send them a huge quantity. If I can capture that transaction, chances are high I can shut their business down.I took a deep breath and muttered to myself, "This is it, Austin. For Bhutan. For Kylie. For everything we built." I zipped my coat, mopped the sweat from my brow, and walked toward the building. My hands were shaking as I gripped the tool I had made. I had devised a specific tool to temporarily cut off the data stream of the account for a few seconds—five minutes should be enough to create havoc.Inside the building, I crept quietly down the corridors in low
James's POVI remained at my station long after the buzz that had developed since the latest internal strife. Austin was gone—removed from the inner echelons—and the betrayal seared me. Although he left a void, our mission did not shift: protect Bhutan at all costs. I needed to piece the fragments together and ensure our unit was intact. No time for regret; we had a job to do.I opened my encrypted email and scanned the messages that had poured in since the board meeting. Messages from Marcus, Ravi, and Elena painted a picture of a company fighting to keep up with external sabotage and internal betrayal. I breathed deeply and began composing my response to the crisis update.Team, we must increase immediately," I typed: "Austin's betrayal is confirmed. Our systems have recorded a number of intrusions. We must focus on beefing up our web and legal protection. I require full reports on all anomalies by 0800 GMT. Let's show them that Bhutan stands united.".I sent it and reclined, allowi
Kylie's POVI couldn't shake my mind of the nagging sense that something actually was amiss. For weeks there'd been a growing gnawing bad feeling about Austin's behavior. I'd relegated it to the back of my mind—Austin and I had worked together for years and created Bhutan into being, for Pete's sake.—but information seepped in gradually, as hairline cracks in concrete, until I found the fact: Austin lied to me.I was sitting in my office late one evening, dazed and trembling as I got my faithful men's report. It had within it suspicious actions and messages that indicated Austin's affair with the syndicate. Every piece of information was like a dagger to my heart. I had no time to lose.I grabbed my secure phone and called Austin. It rang twice or three times before he answered, his voice tense, "Austin here."I swallowed. "Austin, I need to tell you something. Now."There was a silence on the other end of the line. Then he spoke at last, "Okay, Kylie. We can talk."I've chosen all th
Austin's POVI stood outside the courthouse, my hands shaking as I read the deal for the umpteenth time on my encrypted tablet. Today was the day I signed with the syndicate. It was a risk, I knew that. I didn't have a second option, though, so it appeared. The syndicate stood over an ultimatum threat: sabotage Kylie's next negotiation or lose everything. I could feel the seriousness of this choice hanging over me as I looked at the paper. My mind was filled with questions and memories of our past together, of the trust we once had with Kylie. But I also knew that by signing on the dotted line, I had the power to silently retaliate.I took a deep breath and entered. The waiting room was cold and antiseptic. I approached the counter, and the woman behind it smiled politely at me. "Good morning. How can I help you?""Good morning," I whispered. "I'm here to sign. I'm Austin Price."The woman rummaged through the visitors' register. "Yes, Mr. Price. Please sit down. Your contact will att
Emily's POVI leaned back in my office chair, rubbing my temples. My mind reeled with worry over the heightened threat from the consortium and the surprising turns in our own internal infrastructure. I knew that I had to take a gambler's risk if we were ever going to regain control. Then I remembered a plan I had been working on for some time: trying to contact one of Rachel's large contributors. I had been informed he maintained a string of off-the-books deals for her. If I could get to know him, perhaps I might have inside knowledge at my fingertips.That night, I attended a business mixer at trendy downtown lounge. I dressed in my finest attire, trying to look confident and comfortable. I scanned the room for the financier, working my way through the tight crowd. I spotted him near the bar. He was in a discussion with some co-workers. I was nervous and breathed in deeply before approaching."Hi, I'm Emily," I extended with a friendly smile, offering my hand.The man smiled and took
Jackson’s POVI was hunched over my workstation late one night when the encrypted communication arrived. The screen glowed softly as the ciphered text scrolled across. My instincts told me that this was important…more than the usual noise from the enemy’s channels. I leaned forward and opened the decryption module."Come on, show me what you’ve got," I muttered under my breath as I fed the encrypted string into the system.The code slowly unraveled on the screen, and I caught sight of familiar keywords: names I had seen before, including an alias associated with one of our Bhutan insiders. My eyes widened when I read that the message linked this insider to Rachel’s new startup…company that had come up in several of our intelligence reports as part of the rival consortium’s latest moves.I grabbed my phone and messaged Mia, "Mia, I need you to run a full check on the encryption logs for this file. It mentions an insider at Bhutan and Rachel’s new startup. Confirm details ASAP." Her r