Page 47 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

“You should have acted sooner, Dominic.” She steps closer, her eyes flashing with anger. “Instead, you let this fester. Now it’s not just your company on the line—it’s our lives.”

Her words hit their mark, but I refuse to let her see the impact. “You think I don’t know that?” My voice rises, sharp as steel. “Every decision I’ve made has been to protect what I’ve built. But you—” I pause, raking a hand through my hair. The frustration bubbles up, threatening to spill over. “You’ve made this personal. You’ve dragged yourself into something you don’t fully understand.”

Her eyes narrow, her anger matching mine. “Don’t you dare act like this is my fault. I wouldn’t even be here if you’d been honest from the start. But you’ve been so consumed with holding your cards close that even you don’t know who to trust anymore.”

Her words land, and for a split second, I feel the truth of them sinking in. I’ve built walls so high, so fortified, that no one—least of all Eva—can breach them. But those same walls are cracking, and I don’t have the luxury of ignoring it anymore.

Before I can respond, a shrill alarm pierces the air. The sound jolts me into action. I grab my phone, moving to the security console as Eva’s voice follows me.

“What’s happening?” There’s fear beneath her steady tone.

“Someone’s trying to breach the server,” I reply, my voice clipped. “The penthouse system is isolated, but if they get through, they could access everything.”

“Here?” she asks, her face pale. “They’re attacking us here?”

“Yes,” I mutter, my focus on the flashing alerts on the screen. Red blips signal intrusion attempts, each escalating in complexity. “They’re probing for weaknesses.”

Her presence beside me is a steadying force I don’t want to acknowledge. “What do we do?”

I work quickly, my fingers flying across the touchpad. A final command locks them out—for now. The alarms stop, the screen stabilizing to a steady green. “They won’t get in,” I say, my tone sharper than intended. “But this was only a test.”

Her face tightens. “And when they try again?”

“They won’t,” I snap, though the conviction feels thinner than it should. “I’ll make sure of it.”

She doesn’t look convinced, and I can’t blame her. Whoever is orchestrating this isn’t just one step ahead—they’re playing on an entirely different level.

The rest of the night is a blur of tension. I work on fortifying the penthouse systems, creating redundancies, layering firewalls, and closing potential vulnerabilities. It’s methodical work, a welcome distraction from the larger problem clawing at my focus. Eva stays nearby, watching but not pressing.

Dawn filters through the windows by the time I set my phone down. Exhaustion pulls at me, but there’s no relief. Only the gnawing certainty that this isn’t over.

“You should get some sleep,” Eva says, her voice softer now.

“So should you.” I offer a faint smile, though it doesn’t reach my eyes.

She nods, but her lingering hesitation tells me she’s as restless as I am. The thought of her unease only adds to my frustration. I want to shield her from this storm, but she refuses to step back. Part of me admires her stubbornness; the other part curses it.

I’m halfway to my room when I hear Eva’s phone buzz. The faint sound carries through the quiet, and I glance back to see her frowning at the screen. Her face pales, her fingers tightening around the device. My gut tightens.

“Everything okay?” I ask, stepping into the doorway.

She looks up, startled, and for a moment, I see something flicker in her expression—hesitation, maybe guilt. “Yeah,” she says, her tone too even. “Just tired.”

The lie is thin, but I let it pass. “Get some rest,” I say, my voice softer. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

“Right,” she replies, managing a small smile.

As I turn away, a prickle of unease settles in my chest. Something isn’t right, but I can’t press her now. Not when the weight of everything else looms over us.

When Adrian calls later, his report confirms my worst fears. “The breach wasn’t just a probe,” he says, his tone grim. “They planted a worm. If it had activated, it would’ve given them access to your entire network.”

“Who’s behind it?” I demand, my voice colder than I intend.

“Conrad’s signature is there, but it’s too clean. Too deliberate. Someone wants us to think it’s him.”

“Any leads?” I press.

“Not yet. But whoever’s behind this isn’t finished.”

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