Page 34 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

Dominic

The rhythmic hum of the car’s engine fills the tense silence between us as we wind through the quiet city streets. Eva sits rigidly beside me, staring out the window, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She hasn’t said much since we left the parking garage, and I can’t decide if that’s a blessing or a curse.

For someone so fiery, she has a way of making silence feel louder than words.

“This isn’t what you signed up for, is it?” I ask finally, breaking the quiet.

She turns to me, her green eyes sharp in the dim light of the dashboard. “Are you asking because you care, or because you’re worried I’ll back out?”

“Can’t it be both?”

Her lips twitch, almost like she’s suppressing a smile, but the moment passes quickly. “I knew this wouldn’t be easy,” she says, her tone softening, “but I didn’t expect it to get this… personal.”

Personal.The word feels like an accusation, but I don’t blame her for feeling that way. Whoever’s behind this isn’t just targeting Kane Enterprises anymore—they’ve dragged her into it, and that’s on me.

“You’re handling it better than most,” I admit, keeping my eyes on the road. “Most people would’ve run by now.”

“Most people don’t have as much to prove,” she replies.

Her words linger in the air like a challenge, and I glance at her briefly. She’s not just talking about the story, and we both know it. Eva Stone is carrying her own set of scars, just like me.

The secure location Adrian flagged is a data facility on the outskirts of the city, tucked behind a nondescript warehouse. It’s not flashy, but that’s the point. Discretion is critical in my line of work, and this facility has served as a contingency hub for Kane Enterprises for years.

When we pull into the parking lot, the place looks deserted. The single security light overhead casts long, eerie shadows, and the faint buzz of electricity is the only sound.

“Not exactly welcoming,” Eva mutters as she steps out of the car.

“It’s not supposed to be,” I reply, leading her toward the entrance. The metal door creaks as I push it open, revealing a sterile hallway lined with steel panels.

Adrian is waiting for us just inside, his ever-present tablet in hand. “The breach originated here,” he says, getting straight to the point. “We’ve isolated the server, but there’s something you need to see.”

We follow him to the server room, where rows of blinking machines hum in unison, the only sign of life in the cold, controlled environment. Adrian stops in front of one of the racks and gestures to a screen displaying a series of code strings.

“This is the access point they used,” he explains. “It’s an old code—one that should’ve been deactivated months ago.”

Eva leans in, her brow furrowing as she studies the screen. “If it was deactivated, how did they use it?”

“They reactivated it,” Adrian says grimly. “Which means they had internal access.”

My jaw tightens. “Conrad.”

“It’s possible,” Adrian admits. “But there’s something else.” He taps the screen, pulling up another file. “They left a message.”

The words flash across the screen, stark and taunting:

Every empire falls. Yours is next.

Eva exhales sharply beside me, her fingers curling into fists. I glance at her, the fire in her eyes unmistakable.

“Do you know who left this?” she asks Adrian.

He shakes his head. “Not yet. But the language is consistent with the other messages. They want you to know they’re watching.”

“More than watching,” I mutter. “They’re testing us. Pushing to see how far we’ll go.”

Eva turns to me, her gaze piercing. “And how far are you willing to go?”

The question hangs between us, heavy with implication. I don’t answer right away because the truth is, I don’t know. I’ve spent my entire career building this empire, brick by brick, and I’m not about to let it crumble.

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