Chapter 80
“What could he possibly want?” Axel asked, leaning against the kitchen counter, still in his gala attire.
“Only one way to find out,” I sighed. “But it’s Daniel. He’s been too quiet since the funeral. Maybe Cass got to him or something, I don’t know, but we need to know what he’s playing at p>
Axel nodded, loosening his tie. “Set it up, but you aren’t going alone. I’m coming with you. And we keep security close p>
I typed a quick response to Daniel, arranging a meeting at a public café the next afternoon. As I hit send, I rechecked the listening app, but there was nothing. The silence I was getting from the bugging devices in Erica’s safe house was making me uneasy.
“I think she found the bug,” I told Axel, pacing. “It’s too quiet. She’s too smart to go radio silent unless she knows we’re listening p>
“Either that or she’s laying low,” Axel suggested.
I shook my head. “I don’t buy it. She’s planning something, and we’re blind p>
“Have you heard from the guard since the date p>
“Not yet, but I dropped a text already. He’s probably waiting for the right time p>
“When you hear from him, have him check the safe house discreetly. Make sure the bug’s still in place p>
“Good idea p>
The next morning arrived with a flurry of activity. We focused on Eclipse Beauty’s pre-launch event, which was now just ten days away.
I met with the marketing team to finalise the invitations for influencers and industry leaders. We booked a sleek rooftop venue with great city views, and the samples are all set for display.
“Sarah, how are we looking with the guest list?” I asked during our morning meeting.
“Good. We’ve got confirmations from most of the major beauty bloggers and three magazine editors. Still waiting on a few stragglers p>
“Keep pushing. We need everyone there p>
Axel joined us mid-meeting with good news. “I just secured a last-minute celebrity endorsement from Maya Cullen, you know, that eco-conscious actress? She’s huge with the sustainability crowd p>
“That’s perfect for our brand positioning,” Sarah said, already making notes. “I’ll draft a press release p>
Despite the rumours of contamination fading, I felt the pressure mounting. Every step forward seemed to invite a new threat, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were walking into something bigger than we realised.
By early afternoon, Axel and I reached the busy café downtown. The lunchtime crowd gave us the cover we needed. Daniel was already at a corner booth, looking nervous as we walked over. He seemed thinner than usual, with dark circles under his eyes and a wrinkled shirt.
I sat down in the seat opposite him, with Axel right next to me.
Daniel’s face tightened immediately. “What’s he doing here? I said I wanted to talk to you, Layla. Alone p>
“Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of us both,” I replied firmly, my voice leaving no room for negotiation. “We’re in this together p>
Daniel shook his head, leaning forward with a frustrated sigh. “This is personal. It’s about us; I don’t need an audience p>
Axel crossed his arms. “If it concerns my wife, it’s my business too. Spill it, or we’re leaving p>
“Layla, come on. This is between you and me p>
“Nothing is between you and me anymore, Daniel. You made your choice when you married Cassandra p>
“I made a mistake p>
“And that’s not my problem to fix p>
The argument stretched for a tense minute, Daniel insisting on privacy while I held my ground. I could see how desperate he was, and it made me even more suspicious of whatever he wanted to say.
Finally, Axel stood with a curt nod. “Fine. I’ll be a few tables away. But if anything feels off, we’re out.” He moved to a nearby booth, close enough to watch but out of earshot.
Daniel exhaled, sliding a small USB drive across the table. “Here. This has emails, and financials tying Cassandra to those contamination rumours. She paid off a lab tech to fake the results and leak them p>
I picked it up, turning it over in my hand. It felt too easy. “Just like that? Why are you doing this? Betraying your wife? The mother of your child p>
He rubbed his temples, avoiding my gaze. “I told you before. I’m just waiting for her to give birth. Then I’m leaving her. She’s toxic, Layla. Always has been. This is my way out. Help me expose her, and maybe we can start over. You and me p>
My stomach turned at the thought, but I kept my face neutral. “We’ll check this out. If it’s real, it could help. But don’t think this changes anything between us p>
“Layla, please p>
“I mean it, Daniel. Whatever we had is dead and buried. This doesn’t change that p>
Daniel nodded, a flicker of hope dying in his eyes. “Just be careful. She’s not done fighting.” He stood and left, weaving through the crowd without a backward glance.
Axel returned as soon as Daniel was gone. “What was that about p>
I handed him the USB. “Proof against Cassandra, supposedly. But it feels off. Let’s verify it back at the office p>
“Agreed. This could be another trap p>
We headed straight to his office as soon as we arrived back at the office. I watched as Axel pulled out his spare laptop and plugged the drive while I looked over his shoulder.
Files popped up almost immediately—emails, transaction records, all incriminating Cassandra. I leaned in closer, scanning them.
“This looks legit,” I said, reading through an email chain between Cassandra and someone named J. Downson. “Payments to the lab, timestamps matching the leak p>
Axel nodded, already copying the files to a secure folder. “We’ll send this to the authorities. This could bury her p>
“Finally, something goes our way p>
But as Axel ejected the drive, the screen flickered, and a warning popped up in bright red: UNAUTHORISED ACCESS DETECTED!
“What the hell?” I muttered.
The laptop froze, icons vanishing one by one. My heart was racing as a dialogue box appeared with the message: Downloading System Content p>
My eyes widened. “We’re being hacked p>
Fuck!