Page 38 of Fated to the Enemy Alpha

As I stepped down the corridor, the shadows seemed to beckon me, leading me into an office illuminated by soft white lighting. Two modest desks, one with a laptop and one without, sat alongside a more elaborate setup with six screens lining the back wall, each displaying streams of code that danced across the screen.

Emily had said she was a software developer, but this was an elaborate setup for your average engineer.

The laptop on the desk at the back was open, running a program. I strode to it, looking down at the screen. Curiosity and suspicion made my fingers itch, and in a moment, I was clicking through files.

Distrust flared through me as I discovered the files were encrypted. Your average developer didn’t encrypt their files. My disbelief thickened the more I investigated, clicking through the files, unsure exactly what I was looking for, but as I clicked into one of them, familiar names flashed before me.

Indent, Boden Ltd—companies I knew had plunged Blackthorn Corporation into turmoil. These were the culprits behind the sabotage and poaching that had plagued Magnus’s company.

Each click tore apart the carefully curated image I had of the simple family I’d spent time with earlier. I cycled through more names, and shock surged through me; names of companies I knew had flooded Blackthorn Corporation with troubles and sabotage over the years. Each revelation made the blood pound in my ears with disbelief.

The network of carefully hidden companies led back to Luna Remedies, registered under the name Betty White. As far as I knew, neither Emily nor Matthew had motivation to provoke this mess. Clarity morphed into a chilling realization: Lina was behind this vast business network.

I leaned against the desk, grappling with the reality of everything I had once thought I understood. How deeply had she become entrenched in the shadowy dealings of our world? The woman I loved wasn’t a mere bystander; she wielded power as a player in this dangerous game of deception, her efforts quietly undermining Magnus from the shadows.

Awe mingled with my protective instincts, simmering just below the surface. I needed to confront her. I needed her to explain everything.

Chapter 15

Lina

Adrenaline spiked through my veins. The bookcase door to our secret office was wide open. I hurried down the corridor, fervently hoping I wasn’t too late. Maybe Stephen hadn’t discovered anything substantial. Maybe he’d simply come across locked computers.

Emily was quirky. She and Matt had more money than sense. There was nothing incriminating about a hidden office. Emily had just watched too many superhero movies and was eccentric.

My heart plummeted as I rounded the corner to see the six screens displaying text: doorways into my hidden world.

Stephen turned at the sound of my footsteps, and my two worlds collided.

I froze, feeling the weight of the truth throbbing between us. His expression went rigid. “Lina.” His voice was tight. “So, this is what you’ve been hiding.”

“What are you talking about?” My voice sounded tense even to my own ears.

“You’ve been sabotaging Blackthorn Corporation,” he accused.

I frowned, trying to present a calm that my hurried heartbeat didn’t help with. “Sabotaging?” I echoed, playing for time and trying to garner how much he’d discovered.

He continued, his green stare merciless. “You’ve been here, sabotaging Blackthorn Corporation for the last five years.” His gaze swept over our secret office, setting alarm bells blaring through me.

He knows.

How long would it be before a team of Magnus’s men descended on this place?

God, how have I let this happen?

But every fiber in my being shrieked at me to find out exactly what he knew. So, once again, I feigned confusion.

“Stephen, this is Emily’s office. She works for all sorts of companies. She’s a contractor. If she’s working for Blackthorn competitors, that’s hardly anything to get upset about.”

Stephen’s nostrils flared, and his voice dropped low. “Cut the act, Lina. I know you weren’t abducted and held prisoner. You’ve been here instead, picking away at Magnus’s empire. The network of umbrella companies in these encrypted files all track to Luna Remedies, registered under the name Betty White.”

As he exposed my secret identity, I knew my charade was up.

“That’s the alias you disappeared with and registered your new company under—through it, you’ve made it your mission to destroy Magnus and Blackthorn Corporation.”

He’d moved toward me, towering over me where I stood beside my desk.

Fuck.

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