Page 41 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

“They’ve released information about Eva,” he says. “Her involvement in the investigation. Her connections to Kane Enterprises. It’s all out there.”

Eva’s face pales, but her eyes burn with defiance. “Let them try,” she says, her voice shaking only slightly. “I’m not going to back down.”

But I see the fear beneath her bravado, the way her hands curl into fists at her sides. She’s brave—recklessly so—but she’s not invincible. And whoever’s behind this knows exactly how to exploit that.

“They’re using you to get to me,” I say, my voice low but firm. “And I won’t let that happen.”

She scoffs, crossing her arms. “You can’t control what they do, Dominic. This isn’t your fault.”

“Maybe not,” I reply, stepping closer. “But it’s my responsibility to make sure you’re safe.”

Her eyes narrow, and I can see the fight brewing in her. “I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Yes, you do,” I say, my tone leaving no room for argument. “As long as they think you’re connected to me, you’re a target. And the only way to keep you safe is to keep you close.”

Her lips part like she’s about to argue, but the sound of my phone buzzing cuts her off. I glance at the screen, my stomach knotting as I read the message:

You’re both running out of time.

Eva steps closer, reading the text over my shoulder. Her breath catches, and I can feel the tension radiating off her.

“What does it mean?” she whispers.

“It means they’re ready to make their next move,” I say grimly. “And we need to be ready.”

Her voice steadies, her defiance unyielding. “Then we don’t wait for them to strike. We make the first move.”

Dominic’s jaw tightens as he stares at the message:

You’re both running out of time.

The words glare back at us like a challenge. I try to focus on the here and now, but the room seems smaller, the air heavier with each passing second.

“They’re escalating,” I say, breaking the tense silence. My voice feels steadier than I expected, even as my pulse races. “This isn’t just a warning. It’s a dare.”

Dominic glances at me, his blue eyes stormy with a mix of fury and determination. “And we don’t let them win.”

There’s no hesitation in his tone. His confidence would be reassuring if it didn’t also terrify me. Because whoever is behind this is playing for keeps, and I can’t shake the feeling we’re already a step behind.

Dominic turns to Adrian, who’s been uncharacteristically quiet. “What do we have? Anything actionable?”

Adrian shakes his head, his expression grim. “The latest message was routed through multiple proxies—Singapore, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires. They’re masking their location well, but I’m cross-referencing time stamps to narrow down where the original transmission came from.”

“It’s not enough,” Dominic snaps. His tone is sharp, but there’s no mistaking the underlying frustration. “We need more than breadcrumbs.”

Adrian hesitates, then steps forward, his tablet in hand. “There might be something.”

I move closer, scanning the screen over Adrian’s shoulder. It’s a series of logs—timestamps, IP addresses, encrypted files. I recognize the faint glimmer of a pattern immediately.

“What’s that?” I ask, pointing to a highlighted string of code.

Adrian glances at me, then at Dominic. “It’s a fragment from the metadata of the latest leak. I almost missed it, but it’s a unique signature. Whoever is sending these messages is using the same encryption key as the data breach files.”

Dominic stiffens. “So, the hacker left their digital fingerprint?”

“Not exactly,” Adrian replies. “This isn’t a direct identifier—it’s more like a calling card. It’s subtle, but it’s there. A signature left intentionally.”

“They’re taunting us,” I mutter, the realization settling uneasily in my chest. “They want us to find them—on their terms.”

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