The morning light hadn't fully settled when Ben and Ella walked into the office wing of the house. The atmosphere carried that corporate tension, the kind that feels like a boardroom just before a crisis meeting. Every step echoed like a countdown.
Ben dropped a stack of files onto the long table. "We need this place locked down before Jasper tries anything else."
Ella nodded, rolling her shoulders like she was shaking anxiety off her skin. "We secure ourselves first. Then we deal with him."
She moved around the room, checking windows, drawers, even the corners where shadows gathered too comfortably. The night had left her wired, alert. If Jasper could drop messages at their door, he wasn't sending warnings for fun. He was signaling proximity.
And that was the real threat.
Ben reached for his laptop. "I'm pulling records from the security feeds."
Ella leaned over him. "Check last night. Between the confrontation with Rita and the envelope being dropped."
He clicked through footage rapidly, eyes narrowing at every detail. Cameras, hallways, driveways, everything was quiet. Too quiet.
"Pause," Ella said suddenly.
Ben froze the screen.
A shadow slipped across the far gate. Human. Tall. Hooded. Quick.
Ella whispered, "That's not a guard."
Ben exhaled sharply. "He was inside the perimeter."
And that wasn't supposed to be possible.
Ella lifted her chin, heartbeat picking up. "He's getting bold."
"Or," Ben said bitterly, "he thinks we're slow."
Ella turned toward him, face tightening. "He's underestimating us. That's his mistake."
Ben stared at the screen a moment longer, jaw grinding. "We need to upgrade the surveillance. I'll call the tech team."
"No," Ella said quickly. "They can't know. Jasper could have someone on the inside. We don't risk third-party involvement."
Ben hesitated. "Then what do you suggest?"
"We do it ourselves," Ella replied. "Today. No outsiders. No leaks."
Ben gave a slow nod. "Alright. DIY crisis management."
Ella smirked slightly. "Welcome to my world."
They began scanning the house manually. Room by room, corridor by corridor. Ella checked vents and corners, while Ben handled electronic routes; routers, plugs, lines, devices. It felt like two executives doing a midnight audit, making sure no hostile takeover slipped through the cracks.
Halfway through searching the upstairs hallway, Ella froze.
"Ben," she called softly.
He rushed over. "What's wrong?"
Ella pointed to the floor near her bedroom door.
A thin, folded paper, identical to the one delivered downstairs lay neatly on the carpet.
Her stomach dropped.
Ben knelt and picked it up with two fingers. "This wasn't here earlier."
Ella's voice was barely steady. "Open it."
Ben unfolded the paper.
"You're looking in the wrong places."
Ella's breath snapped. "He was upstairs."
Ben stood, shoulders tightening like steel cables. "He's inside the house."
Ella stepped back, scanning the hallway. "We need to check every room."
"No—" Ben grabbed her wrist gently but firmly. "We stick together. Jasper wants us split. That's how people get cornered."
Ella nodded, swallowing the rising panic. "Then let's move."
They went room by room, opening doors, checking behind curtains, inside closets. Every space was untouched. Too neat. Like someone had walked through carefully, brushing nothing, leaving no trace except the notes.
This wasn't a breach.
This was a message.
Ben let out a frustrated exhale. "This house is supposed to be secured."
"That's the point," Ella murmured. "He's showing us he can slip past every barrier."
Ben leaned against the wall, running a hand over his face. "Why? What's his angle?"
Ella stared at the stairs, thinking. "Control. Pressure. He wants us to react."
"And we are," Ben admitted.
Ella looked at him. "Doesn't mean he'll win."
Ben lifted his gaze. The determination he'd been suppressing sharpened instantly. "Ella… we're not victims here."
"Good," she said. "Because I'm tired of this chess nonsense."
Ben straightened. "Then we flip the board."
Ella smirked. "Corporate chaos. My specialty."
They returned to the living room and sat across from each other.
Ella leaned forward. "We need to predict him. What does Jasper really want?"
Ben thought a moment. "Not Rita. She's a pawn."
"Not you," Ella added. "If he wanted to ruin you, he'd strike publicly."
Ben nodded. "Not me."
Ella inhaled slowly. "So… it's me."
Ben's head snapped up. "No. Don't go there."
"Ben." Her voice was firm. "Think. The threats. The notes. The shadows. Every move he's made has been about getting us reactive. Getting me off balance. Making me doubt myself."
Ben clenched his jaw. "Then he picked the wrong target."
Ella smiled, tired but fierce. "Exactly."
Ben leaned closer. "So what do we do?"
Ella drummed her fingers against the table rhythmically, an executive thinking through strategy.
"We make him think," she said slowly, "that we're scared. That we're divided. That his pressure is working."
Ben raised a brow. "Play weak?"
"Not weak," Ella corrected. "Strategic vulnerability."
Ben gave a dry laugh. "That sounds manipulative."
Ella shrugged. "Welcome to survival."
Ben smirked. "Alright. What's step one?"
Ella's expression shifted; calm, steady, controlled. "We let him watch."
Ben blinked. "Ella—"
"We let him think we're spiraling," she continued. "We stage arguments. Tension. Disagreement. He'll relax. Drop his guard. Reveal more."
Ben stared at her for a moment, admiration flickering. "Damn. Okay. That's smart."
Ella cocked her head. "You ready?"
Ben gave a small nod. "With you? Always."
Their plan took shape quickly.
Measured.
Calculated.
Human enough to seem real.
Strategic enough to trap Jasper in his own overconfidence.
But as they stood up to begin phase one, something shifted, a faint creak upstairs, a subtle vibration in the air, too soft for anyone else to notice.
Ella and Ben froze.
They exchanged a look.
Someone was still in the house.
Ella whispered, "The game just escalated."
Ben whispered back, "Let him escalate."
Ella nodded once. "Then let's give him a show."