Rain drummed against the office windows that night, soft and relentless — like a heartbeat Cynthia couldn't silence. Everyone had gone home hours ago, but she was still there, pretending to organize files.
Her real purpose, though, lay in the silver cabinet marked "A. Blackwood – Private."
Her hand hovered over the handle. She shouldn't. She knew it. But curiosity had already bitten too deep — especially after what she'd heard him say that morning.
The lock was surprisingly easy. Alexander trusted no one, yet he'd left the file drawer almost careless.
Inside, she found neat folders — projects, partnerships, and one unmarked envelope.
She opened it.
A photo slipped out — Alexander, standing beside a man she'd never seen before… and behind them, a familiar logo: SableCorp, a company that had mysteriously gone bankrupt after a fraud scandal.
Her heart pounded. What did he have to do with that?
A noise behind her made her freeze.
"Couldn't sleep again, Miss brooks"
Alexander's voice — smooth, dark, too calm.
Cynthia spun around, clutching the folder to her chest.
"I—I was just looking for last quarter's—"
He stepped closer, his shoes silent on the marble floor. "Lying doesn't suit you."
He took the file from her trembling hands, his fingers brushing hers. Cold. Controlled. Dangerous.
For a moment, their eyes locked — fear and something else sparking between them.
Then his tone dropped, quiet but sharp.
"You're playing a game you don't understand, Cynthia. And in this game…"
He leaned closer, his breath grazing her ear.
"…people disappear."
He turned away, folder in hand, leaving her rooted in place — shaken, breathless, terrified.
The lights flickered once… and when they steadied again, she realized he had locked the file cabinet — and her heart — behind him.