~The most dangerous enemies are not outside the walls.They are the ones already inside.
And tonight—
Ares Valentino was about to discover a betrayal he never expected.
---
The security room remained silent after Volkov's message.
No one spoke.
The screens were back online, but the atmosphere had changed.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Luca leaned back in his chair.
"That wasn't just a threat."
Ares's eyes stayed on the dark monitor.
"No."
"He planned that."
"Yes."
Elara stood near the table, trying to steady her breathing.
"My father… protecting me."
She whispered the words again.
"I don't understand."
Ares turned to her.
"Volkov said something important."
"What?"
"He said this story started years ago."
Luca frowned.
"And that means someone helped him."
Elara looked between them.
"Helped him?"
Ares nodded slowly.
"Volkov didn't just find your father randomly."
"He had information."
"And information comes from someone."
Inside the room.
Inside the system.
Inside the empire.
Luca suddenly froze.
"Wait."
Ares looked at him.
"What."
Luca started typing quickly.
"I'm checking the server logs."
Elara frowned.
"What are you looking for?"
"Someone accessed the old investigation files."
Ares's eyes sharpened.
"When."
"Two hours ago."
The room went still.
Two hours ago.
That meant someone inside the estate knew about the files.
Luca continued scrolling through the system.
Then he stopped.
"No way."
Ares's voice lowered.
"Say it."
Luca turned the screen slowly.
Showing a name.
Ares stared at it.
For a moment—
He didn't react.
But when he spoke, his voice carried something darker than anger.
Disappointment.
"That's impossible."
Elara stepped closer.
"Who is it?"
Luca hesitated.
Because the name was someone they all trusted.
Someone who had been with Ares for years.
Someone who had access to everything.
The door suddenly opened behind them.
Footsteps entered the room.
And the man from the screen stood there.
Marcus Hale.
Head of internal security.
Ares's most trusted strategist.
Marcus looked around calmly.
"You called for me?"
Luca slowly stood.
His eyes filled with disbelief.
"Marcus…"
Marcus frowned slightly.
"What?"
Luca turned the laptop toward him.
Showing the server log.
The access record.
His name.
Marcus's expression didn't change.
But the room exploded with tension.
Elara felt her stomach drop.
"This… can't be real."
Marcus looked at Ares.
"You think I did this?"
Ares didn't answer immediately.
He studied Marcus carefully.
Looking for any sign.
Any lie.
Any hesitation.
Marcus sighed.
"I checked the file."
Luca snapped.
"Why?!"
Marcus's voice stayed calm.
"Because someone else tried to access it first."
That changed everything.
Ares's eyes narrowed.
"Explain."
Marcus crossed his arms.
"Thirty minutes before I opened the file…"
"Someone else tried to hack the server."
Luca quickly checked the log again.
And his eyes widened.
"He's telling the truth."
Elara felt the tension twist again.
"Then who tried to hack it?"
Marcus looked directly at Ares.
"That's the problem."
Ares's voice dropped.
"Why."
Marcus answered slowly.
"Because the hacker used your private authorization code."
Silence crashed into the room.
Even Luca stopped moving.
Elara looked at Ares.
"What does that mean?"
Marcus said the words no one wanted to hear.
"It means someone inside this estate…"
"Has access to the highest level of your system."
Ares's mind raced instantly.
Because only three people had that level of access.
Himself.
Luca.
And—
The system administrator who installed the network five years ago.
Luca whispered slowly.
"Oh no."
Ares turned toward him.
"What."
Luca's face had gone pale.
"The administrator…"
"What about him?"
Luca swallowed.
"He disappeared last week."
The realization hit like lightning.
Volkov didn't break into the system.
He already had someone inside it.
And that meant—
Everything in the Valentino empire was exposed.
Ares's eyes turned cold again.
War cold.
"Find him."
Luca nodded immediately.
"I'm already tracking it."
Marcus looked toward the window.
"If Volkov has someone inside our network…"
"He knows everything."
Ares stepped toward the door.
His voice calm.
But lethal.
"Then we move first."
Elara grabbed his arm.
"Ares…"
He looked down at her.
"If Volkov wants to start this war…"
His eyes darkened.
"We finish it."
---
~Someone inside the Valentino empire is helping Volkov.The system is compromised.The war has officially begun.