The room felt colder after Helena's words.
Your company.
They echoed in Marcus's mind like a warning he couldn't ignore.
Someone inside his empire.
Someone close enough to manipulate evidence… to threaten Helena's family… to orchestrate everything without being seen.
His jaw tightened.
That wasn't just betrayal.
That was war.
"Names," Marcus said, his voice sharp, controlled—but beneath it, there was something darker now.
Not anger.
Focus.
Helena shook her head slightly. "I don't have one."
His gaze snapped to hers. "You just said—"
"I said he's connected," she cut in, stepping closer. "I never saw his face clearly. That night was dark, and he made sure of it."
Marcus studied her carefully, searching for hesitation, for doubt.
There was none.
Only tension.
Only truth.
"What do you remember?" he asked.
Helena exhaled slowly, forcing herself to think past the fear, past the memories she had tried so hard to bury.
"His voice," she said. "Calm. Controlled. Like he knew exactly what he was doing."
Marcus's expression didn't change—but something shifted behind his eyes.
"And?"
"He knew things," she continued. "About you. About your company. About… everything."
That narrowed it down.
Too much.
Marcus turned away slightly, running a hand through his hair as his mind worked rapidly.
Executives. Board members. Partners.
Too many people had access.
Too many possibilities.
"This wasn't random," he muttered. "It was planned."
"Of course it was," Helena said quietly. "You don't destroy someone like you by accident."
Her words lingered.
Marcus looked back at her.
"And yet," he said, his voice lower now, "you were the one who delivered the final blow."
Helena flinched—but didn't deny it.
"I know."
The honesty caught him off guard again.
"And I'll spend the rest of my life fixing it if I have to," she added.
Something about the way she said it—Not desperate.
Not pleading.
Certain.
It made something tighten in his chest.
Marcus exhaled slowly. "Then we start now."
Helena blinked. "What?"
"We find him," he said simply.
Her heart skipped.
"You believe me?"
A pause.
Then—
"I believe the video," he corrected. "What I believe about you…"
His gaze held hers.
"…is still undecided."
Fair.
Painful.
But fair.
Helena nodded slowly. "Then we work with that."
Marcus stepped closer to the desk, pulling up files on his laptop, his movements sharp and precise.
"If someone inside my company did this," he said, "they had access to sensitive information—and enough power to cover their tracks."
Helena moved beside him instinctively.
Close.
Too close.
But neither of them stepped away.
"Which means they're still there," she said.
Marcus's expression darkened. "Exactly."
A beat passed.
Then—The lights flickered.
Both of them froze.
Not again.
The room dimmed for a second—Then came back.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Wrong.
Helena's pulse spiked. "Marcus…"
"I know," he said quietly.
His gaze shifted toward the hallway.
Listening.
Waiting.
Then—A sound.
Not glass this time.
Not footsteps.
Something softer.
Closer.
Behind them.
Helena turned—And gasped.
The laptop screen had changed.
The files Marcus had opened were gone.
Replaced.
With a single message.
White text.
Black background.
Simple.
Terrifying.
"You should have stopped digging."
Helena's breath caught.
"They're watching us," she whispered.
Marcus didn't respond immediately.
His entire body had gone still.
Controlled.
But deadly.
Then—slowly—he reached forward and closed the laptop.
"They're not just watching," he said quietly.
His eyes lifted to meet hers.
"They're inside."
A chill ran through her.
"Inside… the system?"
"Yes."
The implication hit instantly.
If they could access his private files—If they could send messages directly—Then this wasn't just someone powerful.
This was someone with deep control.
Dangerous control.
Helena stepped back slightly, her heart racing. "Marcus… this is bigger than we thought."
His gaze hardened.
"No," he said.
"This is exactly as big as I expected."
She stared at him. "You knew?"
"I suspected," he corrected. "Now I'm sure."
A pause.
Then—Marcus stepped closer to her again.
Not threatening.
Not controlling.
But intentional.
"We don't trust anyone," he said.
Helena nodded slowly. "Agreed."
"Not my staff."
"Not your partners."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"Not even each other."
The words landed heavily.
Because they were true.
But despite that—Despite everything—They were still standing here.
Together.
Facing the same enemy.
Helena took a slow breath.
"Then we do this carefully," she said.
Marcus's lips curved slightly—not a smile, but something close.
"Careful doesn't win wars," he replied.
Her heart skipped.
"What does?"
His gaze darkened.
"Strategy."
A beat.
"And trust… when it matters."
Helena held his gaze.
"And does it matter now?" she asked softly.
Marcus didn't answer right away.
But he didn't look away either.
Because the truth was—They were already in too deep.
And whatever came next… Would either destroy them both—Or bring them closer than ever before.