Chapter 4

Emily’s POV

On Monday, the tension at Reed Group was suffocating.

At eight that morning, our biggest competitor, VisionTech, had unveiled a product ahead of Reed Group’s launch the following week. It was nearly identical to the flagship technology we had spent a full year developing: the Starsea intelligent system.

VisionTech’s core algorithms, interface design, and even marketing features were a ninety-five percent match for Starsea.

This was theft. Worse, it was a devastating leak of trade secrets.

Within ten minutes of the market opening, Reed Group’s stock plunged far enough to trigger a trading halt. Billions in market value vanished.

The atmosphere in the top-floor conference room was icy.

Bang!

Nathan slammed his tablet onto the conference table hard enough to shatter the screen. Every executive fell silent, barely daring to breathe.

“Can someone tell me how this happened?” His voice was like a poisoned blade as he swept his gaze around the room. “The source code and project plans were stored on our highest-security server. Other than me and the head of R&D, only people with special clearance could access them!”

The R&D director stood, wiping away cold sweat. “M-Mr. Reed, there’s no evidence of a breach on our servers. This was… an internal leak.”

An internal leak.

The words froze the room.

Nathan closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. When he opened them, his gaze was murderous. “Investigate. Get IT and Legal on it immediately. Check everyone’s access records, emails, and bank statements. Tear this company apart if you have to. Find the traitor.”

Standing behind him, I quickly took minutes and coordinated the investigation across departments. I knew how serious this was. Starsea was the centerpiece of Reed Group’s strategy for the next three years. If it failed, the company could face a catastrophic cash-flow crisis.

The investigation moved unusually fast. Three hours later, the IT director knocked on Nathan’s door with a thick report.

Nathan sat behind his desk, his expression grim. I stood nearby, sorting the emergency response documents that had just arrived.

“Find anything?” Nathan asked coldly.

The IT director glanced at me and hesitated. Cold sweat covered his forehead.

“Why are you looking at her? Speak!” Nathan snapped.

The director stepped forward and handed him the report. “Mr. Reed, we found it. At two yesterday morning, someone used a top-level account to log in to the secure server and download all of Starsea’s source code and project plans. Then… they used the internal network to send the files to an anonymous overseas email address.”

Nathan flipped through the report. “Whose account?”

“It was…” The director swallowed, his voice shaking. “Ms. Carter’s account. The IP address belongs to the desktop computer in her office.”

A deathly silence fell.

The documents slipped from my hands and hit the floor. I looked up at the IT director in disbelief. “What did you say? That’s impossible! I wasn’t even at the office yesterday morning!”

Nathan stopped turning the pages. He raised his head and stared at me. There was none of his old trust in his eyes. Only scrutiny, suspicion, and a deep chill.

“It’s all in the report. Not just the IP address, but the one-time authentication records.” The director pointed to the data. “The system logs show that whoever did it knew exactly what they were doing. Not a single incorrect password. Ms. Carter, no one else has access to your authentication token.”

“I didn’t do it!” I met Nathan’s eyes, my voice urgent. “Mr. Reed, you know me. I’ve been at Reed Group for five years. I would never do something like this! I was at the hospital with my mother. The security footage can prove it!”

Nathan said nothing. He flung the report down at my feet.

“The hospital footage can prove you weren’t here. It can’t prove you didn’t give someone your login credentials.” His voice held no warmth. “You were involved in Starsea from start to finish, Emily. What did VisionTech offer you to betray me?”

Betray.

The word slammed into my chest like a hammer. I tasted blood in my throat.

Five years. I had drunk on his behalf until my stomach bled. I had worked through so many nights that my health fell apart. I had protected Reed Group as though it were my own life. And in the end, he believed I would sell him out for money.

“I didn’t betray you.” I straightened my back. My eyes burned, but I refused to let the tears fall. “If I’d done it, I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to use my own account and the company’s IP address. Someone is obviously framing me!”

“Framing you?” Nathan gave a cold laugh. “Your computer has multiple layers of biometric security. Your authentication card never leaves your side. Who could frame you? Who would even be capable of it?”

Just then, the door opened. Vivian walked in carrying a cup of tea.

As though she hadn’t noticed the tension, she went to Nathan and set down the cup. Then she looked in surprise at the report on the floor and my reddened eyes.

“What happened? Why are you so angry?” she asked gently.

Nathan rubbed his brow, his voice thick with exhaustion and barely contained fury. “She leaked Starsea’s confidential files.”

“What?” Vivian covered her mouth and stared at me in shock. Then she quickly took Nathan’s arm. “Could there be a mistake? Ms. Carter has been with you for so many years. Why would she do that? There must be some misunderstanding.”

She came over and took my hand with feigned concern. “Ms. Carter, explain it to him. Were you desperate for money because of your mother’s illness? Did someone take advantage of you? Just apologize to Nathan. I know he won’t punish you.”

It was beautifully done. She sounded as though she were defending me, while declaring me guilty and even supplying a motive.