The message stayed on the screen like a warning.
Project Helix has been breached
Amara felt her chest tighten.
"What does that mean?" She asked quietly.
Ethan's expression had gone completely cold.
"It means someone got into a system they shouldn't have access to."
Her stomach dropped.
"Like hacking?"
"Not just hacking."
He grabbed his jacket from the chair.
"Helix isn't a regular system. It's protected at multiple levels."
"Then how did someone get in?"
Ethan looked at her.
"That's exactly what I'm going to find out."
The drive to the company headquarters was silent.
This time, Amara insisted on coming with him.
And surprisingly…
Ethan didn't argue.
"You shouldn't be there," he said once.
"I'm already involved," she replied.
He didn't disagree after that.
The building loomed ahead, tall and imposing.
Security was tighter than before.
More guards.
More checkpoints.
More tension.
As they stepped inside, employees moved quickly, whispering amongst themselves.
Something was definitely wrong.
A man in a suit approached them immediately.
"Mr. Blackwood."
"Report," Ethan said without stopping.
"There was unauthorized access to a restricted server."
"When?"
"About an hour ago."
Ethan's pace didn't slow.
"What was taken?"
The man hesitated.
"We're still accessing, but…"
"But what?"
"There are signs that files related to Helix were copied."
Amara felt her pulse quicken.
"Copied?" She repeated.
Ethan's expression darkened.
"Not deleted?"
"No sir."
"That means they didn't want to destroy it," Ethan said.
"They wanted it."
Silence.
That sounded worse.
They entered a secure room filled with screens and computers.
Several IT staff were already working.
One of them turned.
"Sir."
"Talk to me."
"We traced the breach," the man said.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"And?"
"It didn't come from outside."
Amara felt her stomach drop.
"What does that mean?"
The man hesitated.
"It came from within the company network."
Silence filled the room.
Ethan's voice lowered.
"An internal access point."
"Yes."
Amara looked at Ethan slowly.
"You have someone on the inside."
Hours passed.
Tension filled every corner of the room.
Files were checked.
Access logs reviewed.
Employees questioned.
But no clear answer came.
Finally, Ethan stepped away from the screens.
Frustration flickered across his face.
"They covered their tracks well."
Amara crossed her arms.
"So what now?"
Ethan turned toward her.
"Now we find out who had access."
Later that evening, they returned to the estate.
The atmosphere felt heavier than before.
Amara kicked off her shoes and walked straight into the living room.
"I don't like this," she said.
Ethan loosened his tie.
"Neither do I."
"This isn't just about you anymore."
"I know."
"They followed me today."
"And broke into your company."
Ethan nodded.
Amara looked at him.
"This is getting worse."
"Yes.
Silence.
Then she said something that surprised even herself.
"You should tell me everything."
Ethan paused.
"What?"
"About Helix."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You don't need to know everything."
"I think I do."
She stepped closer.
"People are getting hurt, Ethan."
He didn't respond.
"You said it yourself," she continued. "People are willing to kill for this project."
"Yes."
"Then I deserve to know why."
Their eyes locked.
Then tension between them shifted again.
Less anger.
More intensity.
After a long pause, Ethan spoke.
"Helix isn't just a project."
Amara held her breath.
"It's a system designed to predict high level business risks."
She frowned.
"That doesn't sound dangerous enough for all this."
"It goes beyond business."
Her heart skipped.
"How?"
Ethan's voice lowered.
"It can predict human behavior."
Amara froze.
"What?"
"Decisions. Patterns. Reactions."
"That's…" she shook her head. "That's insane."
"It's powerful."
"And dangerous." She added.
"Yes."
Silence filled the room.
Now it made sense.
Why someone would kill for it.
Why someone would steal it.
Why someone was watching them.
Amara exhaled slowly.
"So whoever stole those files…"
"Now has access to something extremely valuable," Ethan finished.
Later that night, Amara stood in the hallway outside her room.
Something felt off.
That same feeling from earlier.
Like someone was watching her.
She turned slowly.
Nothing.
Just silence.
She shook her head slightly.
"You're imagining things." She muttered.
But as she stepped into her room,
She stopped.
Her heart skipped.
Something was wrong.
The window.
It was slightly open.
She was sure she closed it earlier.
A cold breeze drifted into her room.
Slowly, carefully, she stepped inside.
Her eyes scanned the space.
Then her gaze shifted to the bed.
And she froze.
For a moment, her brain refused to process what she was seeing.
Then reality hit.
A dark shape lay at the center of her bed.
Something…wrong.
Something that didn't belong.
Her breath caught sharply.
"No…"
She took a slow step closer.
And then she saw it clearly.
A severed goat's head.
Blood stained the white sheets beneath it.
Amara stumbled back, a gasp escaping her lips as her hand flew to her mouth.
Her entire body went cold.
"What,"
Her voice broke.
Her eyes darted around the room in panic.
That's when she saw it.
On the wall.
Written in dark, uneven strokes.
At first, she didn't understand what she was looking at.
Then the words became clear.
Her stomach dropped.
STAY OUT OF THIS…OR YOU'RE NEXT.