Page 122 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

"We have the files," Adrian announces, his tone clipped as he taps rapidly on the keyboard. "It’s a goldmine—names, locations, financial trails—but Reyes won’t stay idle for long. The moment he realizes we have this, he’ll move to shut down anything we can trace."

“He’ll escalate,” Eva says softly, her voice steady but laced with an edge of apprehension.

I glance at her. The low light from the dashboard casts shadows over her features, but I can still see the determination in her eyes. She’s right. Reyes is a predator, and we’ve backed him into a corner. He’ll lash out before we can strike the killing blow.

"Then we don’t give him the chance," I say firmly. "We need to act before he can regroup."

Adrian looks back at me, his expression serious. "I can run decryption on the files, but Reyes has layered his data with firewalls and redundancies. It’ll take hours to uncover actionable intel."

"We don’t have hours," I growl, the frustration rising. "Find the key nodes—the most vulnerable points in his network—and prioritize those. He’s expecting us to hesitate, to waste timeanalyzing. We hit him where it hurts before he knows what’s coming."

Adrian nods, already typing again. “I’ll do what I can. But we’ll need to keep moving—Reyes’s reach in Europe is stronger than anywhere else. If he tracks us, we’re sitting ducks.”

Eva shifts beside me, her voice cutting through the tense silence. “Then we don’t stop. We use this momentum to take him down piece by piece. Reyes thrives on fear and control. Let’s take that away from him.”

I meet her gaze, the fierceness in her tone igniting something in me. Eva has been through hell—dragged into this fight against her will—and yet, she refuses to back down.

"Agreed," I say. "But we’ll do it smart. No reckless moves."

The safe house is a nondescript building on the outskirts of the city, its interior stripped of anything that might offer comfort or familiarity. The walls are bare, the furniture utilitarian. Adrian’s team works quickly to set up equipment in the central room, the glow of monitors casting eerie light across the space.

Eva stands near one of the windows, her arms crossed as she looks out at the quiet street. I approach her cautiously, the tension between us palpable.

"You should rest," I say, my voice low.

She turns to me, her eyes narrowing. "I’m not resting while Reyes is out there planning his next move."

"I’m not asking," I reply firmly. "You’ve been pushing yourself nonstop. If you burn out now, you’ll be no good to anyone."

Her lips press into a thin line, but she doesn’t argue. Instead, she exhales slowly, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. "Fine. But only if you promise to do the same."

I nod, knowing full well I won’t keep that promise.

As she walks past me toward one of the makeshift beds in the corner, I feel the weight of her trust pressing down on me. Eva has put her life in my hands time and again, and I can’t afford to fail her.

Hours pass in a blur of tense silence and relentless focus. Adrian’s team deciphers chunks of Reyes’s data, each new revelation adding another layer to the web of corruption and deceit.

"Here," Adrian says suddenly, pointing to his screen. "This is it—his primary node. If we hit this, it’ll sever his access to every server in his network."

I lean over his shoulder, my eyes narrowing as I take in the details. The node is located in a high-security facility in Berlin, hidden behind layers of encryption and physical defenses.

"It’s a fortress," Adrian admits, his tone grim. "But it’s his Achilles’ heel. If we take this out, he loses everything."

"Then we go to Berlin," I say without hesitation.

Adrian hesitates, glancing at me. "Dominic, this isn’t just another infiltration. Reyes will be prepared for this. His men will be armed to the teeth, and the facility is rigged with contingencies. This is a one-way mission if we’re not careful."

"I’m aware," I reply evenly. "That’s why we don’t fail."

The flight to Berlin is a tense, quiet affair. Adrian’s team reviews schematics and plans, their voices low but urgent. Eva sits beside me, her gaze fixed on the window as the lights of the city below blur into streaks of gold and white.

"Dominic," she says suddenly, breaking the silence.

I turn to her, my brow furrowing. "What is it?"

Her voice is steady, but there’s a vulnerability in her eyes that catches me off guard. "If this goes wrong… If Reyes wins…" She trails off, her throat working as she swallows hard.

I reach for her hand, my fingers brushing against hers. "He won’t win," I say firmly.

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