"Are you sure you want me to run the background check personally?" Jake's voice was low, edged with concern as he leaned against the glass wall of his office. "You know this will make noise if it's traced back."
"Noise doesn't scare me," Samantha replied coolly through the speaker. "Kate Carter has cracks in her armor. I want to see what's hiding beneath them."
Jake sighed on the other end. "Alright. I'll dig through her company's offshore records, phone logs, and personal transactions. If she's been laundering money or bribing anyone, I'll find it."
"Good," Samantha said. Her voice softened slightly, almost thoughtful. "Jake, she's not just hiding something — she's protecting it. And when people start protecting secrets that desperately…"
"They get dangerous," he finished.
"Exactly."
The line went dead.
Unbeknownst to either of them, Lynn had paused just outside the door, a tray of reports in her hands. Her heart hammered in her chest. She hadn't meant to overhear — but the words Kate Carter, digging, dangerous echoed in her head long after Jake's voice went silent.
She took a shaky breath and continued down the hall, pretending not to have heard a thing.
---
That evening, Elevate's penthouse office was quiet — the kind of stillness that only came after long hours and silent wars. City lights flickered through the windows, washing the marble floors in shades of gold and silver.
Lynn sat at her desk outside Samantha's office, organizing files. She tried to focus, but her phone kept buzzing against the tabletop.
She finally checked it — Evan (Brother) flashing across the screen.
Her chest tightened.
Evan: Lynn, please, it's bad. The investors are pulling out. We're drowning. I don't know what to do.
Evan: You're the only one I can ask. Please.
Her throat went dry. Evan's small logistics company had been struggling for months, but this… this sounded like the end.
Lynn: How much?
Evan: $10 million dollars. I can't lose everything, Lynn. Not after what Dad left.
She swallowed hard. $10 million dollars? That was more than she could ever afford, even with her savings. She looked up toward Samantha's office door — the door to a woman who trusted her implicitly, who had pulled her out of obscurity and given her a place among power.
She couldn't ask Samantha. Not for something like this.
Her hands trembled as she locked her phone screen.
---
Inside, Samantha was standing by the window, one hand cradling a glass of red wine, the other scrolling through a digital report on her tablet. Her reflection in the glass was composed — sharp eyes, smooth posture, lips pressed in quiet determination.
When she heard the soft knock, she turned slightly. "Come in."
Lynn entered, clutching a folder to her chest. "The reports from Jake. He asked me to deliver them personally."
"Good." Samantha set the tablet down, taking the folder. She flipped through it briefly, her brow arching. "So he's already found something. Impressive."
"Yes, ma'am," Lynn murmured. Her voice sounded softer than usual.
Samantha's gaze lifted — sharp, intuitive. She caught the faint tremor in Lynn's fingers, the distracted look in her eyes.
"You're not sleeping well," Samantha observed, setting the folder aside. "Why?"
Lynn blinked rapidly. "Oh, I— I'm fine. Just… long hours."
Samantha's lips curved slightly — not a smile, but the kind of knowing expression that saw straight through a person's excuses. "You're lying."
Lynn froze.
Samantha took a slow step closer, her heels clicking softly against the floor. "I don't tolerate dishonesty in my circle, Lynn. If something's wrong, say it. Secrets rot faster than betrayal."
Lynn's eyes dropped. Her throat felt tight, but she forced a small nod. "It's nothing serious. Just… family matters."
Samantha's tone softened, though her gaze didn't waver. "Family matters have a way of becoming serious when money or loyalty is involved."
Lynn's heart skipped. She opened her mouth, then shut it again.
Samantha tilted her head slightly, her voice quiet but edged with weight. "Don't lose your balance, Lynn. Loyalty is expensive in my world. Once it's broken, there's no refund."
The words hit Lynn harder than she expected. They weren't a threat — not exactly. More like a warning from someone who had paid that price herself.
Lynn nodded quickly. "Of course, ma'am. You can trust me."
"I know I can," Samantha said, turning away. "Just make sure you can trust yourself."
Lynn lingered a moment longer, her chest tight. "Goodnight, Ms. Bradley."
"Goodnight."
The door shut quietly behind her.
---
That night, back in her room , Lynn sat at on her bed thinking of what she can do to help Evan. Her laptop screen glowed faintly, displaying her brother's desperate messages.
She rubbed her temples, whispering to herself. "$10 million dollars … how am I supposed to get that?"
Her email chimed.
Unknown sender. No subject.
She hesitated before clicking it.
I know about your brother's company.
I can help.
But I'll need something in return.
Her blood ran cold.
Lynn: Who is this?
Unknown: Someone who knows you work for Samantha Bradley. Someone who knows she's not the woman she pretends to be.
Her breath caught.
Unknown: Don't worry. I'm not asking for money. Just information. Little things. Files, emails. You give me what I want, and I'll make your brother's debt disappear.
Lynn's pulse pounded in her ears.
She stared at the message, hands trembling, her thoughts spinning between fear, guilt, and desperation.
She thought of Samantha — calm, elegant, untouchable — the woman who had just told her that loyalty was expensive.
She thought of Evan, her brother's voice cracking on the phone, begging her for help.
Her screen flickered as another message came through.
Unknown: You have 48 hours. Decide.
Lynn closed the laptop, pressing her palms to her face.
"God… what do I do?" she whispered.
Meanwhile, across the city, Samantha sat alone in her penthouse study, rereading Jake's preliminary report on Kate Carter. A faint smile played on her lips as she highlighted a single line.
Offshore transactions recorded under shell company: Rydell Holdings.
Kate's secret was starting to surface.
But Samantha didn't know that in another corner of her empire, someone she trusted was already being tested — and the first crack in her circle of loyalty had quietly begun to form.