Page 88 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

I push myself to my feet, brushing glass shards off my jacket. “We’re not done yet. He left something behind—information, a clue, anything. If we dig deep enough, we’ll find it.”

Dominic gives me a hard look, his expression torn between admiration and frustration. “You should sit this one out, Eva. It’s not safe.”

I step closer, my voice firm. “It hasn’t been safe since the day Reyes targeted me. I’m not sitting anything out.”

Before Dominic can argue, Adrian reappears, holding a small, battered laptop. “This was hidden in the study,” he announces, handing it over to Dominic. “Password-protected and encrypted, but it’s connected to the estate’s network. If Conrad was running his operation here, this might hold the key.”

Dominic stares at the device, his expression unreadable. “Get it to the tech team. Have them crack it open.”

“Already on it,” Adrian replies, disappearing again with the laptop.

Once the estate is secure, Dominic leads me outside. The cool night air hits my skin like a balm, soothing the raw edges of my nerves. The SUVs are parked in a tight formation near the tree line, their headlights slicing through the darkness. I lean against one of them, my breath fogging in the cold.

“You shouldn’t have been in there,” Dominic says, his voice breaking the silence. He stands a few feet away, his broad frame silhouetted against the glow of the headlights.

I meet his gaze, refusing to back down. “And you shouldn’t have gone in alone. But here we are.”

He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t get it, Eva. This isn’t just about Conrad or Reyes. It’s about you. They’ve made you a target because of me.”

“That’s exactly why I’m not backing down,” I counter, stepping closer. “If I let them scare me into hiding, they win. And I refuse to let that happen.”

For a moment, we’re locked in a silent standoff. His eyes burn with frustration, but beneath it, I catch a flicker of something else—fear. It’s fleeting, but it’s there, and it softens the hard edges of his expression.

“You’re reckless,” he mutters, almost to himself.

“And you’re overprotective,” I shoot back, though my tone is gentler now. “We make quite a pair.”

He huffs a humorless laugh, shaking his head. “You drive meinsane, you know that?”

“Good,” I say with a small smile. “Keeps you on your toes.”

Adrian returns an hour later, his expression grim but determined. “We’ve cracked part of the encryption,” he announces, holding out his tablet. “The laptop contains financial transactions linked to Reyes’s offshore accounts. But there’s something else—emails.”

Dominic takes the tablet, his eyes scanning the screen. I move to his side, reading over his shoulder. The emails are brief but incriminating, each one a thread connecting Conrad to Reyes. One subject line catches my eye:“Phase Two.”

“What’s Phase Two?” I ask, my stomach twisting.

Adrian taps the screen, opening the email. It’s short, just a single sentence:“Ensure the Kane merger collapses by any means necessary.”

Dominic’s grip tightens on the tablet. “They’re not just after me—they’re targeting the entire company.”

“Conrad’s been funneling funds to disrupt your operations,” Adrian explains. “And Reyes is coordinating the attack from the shadows. This isn’t just sabotage—it’s a dismantling.”

My chest tightens as I glance at Dominic. His expression is stone-cold, his jaw clenched. “We have to go public,” I say quietly. “Expose what they’re doing. If we control the narrative, they lose their leverage.”

Dominic’s eyes flick to mine, conflicted. “Going public risks everything. If the board loses confidence in me, it’s over.”

“And if we do nothing, they’ll destroy you anyway,” I argue. “You’ve built this company on transparency and integrity. Use that to your advantage.”

His silence is heavy, but I can see the gears turning in his mind. Finally, he nods, though his expression remains grim. “Adrian, prepare a statement. We’re going public.”

The next morning dawns cold and gray, the kind of weather that seems to sap the energy from the world. Kane Enterprises’ boardroom is a hive of activity, reporters bustling in with cameras and microphones as Adrian’s team sets up the live feed.

Dominic stands near the window, adjusting his tie. He looks every bit the powerful CEO—calm, composed, untouchable. But I see the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers linger on the knot of his tie a beat too long.

“You’re ready for this,” I say, stepping beside him.

He glances at me, his blue eyes searching mine. “You’re too good at this motivational stuff.”

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