Jade leaned back in the chair, crossing her arms, a faint smirk on her lips.
"So," she said lightly,
"when do I get my detective badge?"
Daniel looked at her.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about helping you find the traitor," she replied casually.
"You really think I'll just sit at home drinking tea while someone tries to destroy my husband's empire?"
He frowned.
"This is not your world, Jade."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Too late. I just hacked into your sacred system and found what your whole tech army missed."
She leaned forward, her green eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Admit it, you need me."
Daniel stared at her for a second, his expression unreadable.
She continued, her tone playful but firm.
"And don't worry, Mr. CEO. I'm not going to get kidnapped by hackers or poisoned by your investors. I'm harder to kill than your servers."
He clicked his tongue.
"You're reckless."
She smiled sweetly.
"And you're paranoid. Perfect team."
For a brief second, the corner of his lips twitched.
Then his gaze hardened again.
"This is dangerous."
Jade shrugged.
"So is marrying you."
Daniel looked at her, realizing something terrifying:
She wasn't afraid of his world.
She was walking into it willingly.
And whoever was behind the sabotage had no idea
they had just awakened a very annoying, very intelligent, very determined Jade Lee.
.
.
.
A black tinted car was parked in a deserted alley, far from the city lights.
Inside, the atmosphere was suffocating.
"I've seen you did the job," a man said calmly from the back seat.
The Ooman employee nodded.
A badge was still clipped to his jacket.
"Good job," the man continued, tossing a thick envelope onto the seat.
"This is your money."
The employee grabbed it quickly, his smile wide and greedy.
"Perfect. My boss will never find out," he said with satisfaction.
The man's face was hidden in the shadows.
Only his cold voice was visible.
"My boss has a message for you."
The employee chuckled.
"Oh? Does he want me to do another job?"
He sounded almost excited.
"Yes," the man replied quietly.
The employee leaned forward, interested.
"Go and greet the demons for him."
Before he could react, the man pulled out a gun fitted with a silencer.
Pshhht.
A dull sound echoed inside the car.
The employee's smile froze.
His body went limp.
He collapsed against the seat, lifeless.
The man wiped the gun calmly and looked at the corpse.
"No witnesses," he murmured.
The driver started the engine.
The black car disappeared into the night.
.
.
.
Two days passed.
The chaos outside Ooman Tower and the penthouse still hadn't calmed down.
Paparazzi camped day and night, waiting for any sign of Daniel Ooman.
Inside the penthouse, the atmosphere was tense.
Jade was sitting on the couch, scrolling through the news when the elevator opened.
Luccianho walked in, his expression darker than usual.
Daniel was standing near the window, his hands in his pockets.
Luccianho bowed slightly.
"We identified the employee who sabotaged the system."
Jade immediately stood up.
"Who is he?" she asked.
"A senior engineer. Access level A3. He worked on the Helix project for three years," Luccianho replied.
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
"Where is he?"
Luccianho hesitated for a second.
"We couldn't find him."
Jade frowned. "What do you mean, you couldn't find him?"
"He disappeared two days ago. No phone activity, no bank activity, no home presence."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Then how do you know it was him?"
"We traced the unauthorized access key to his personal device. He was paid through an offshore account."
Luccianho paused.
"And this morning… we found him."
Jade's heart skipped.
"Found him where?"
"Dead."
The word hit the room like a gunshot.
Jade froze.
Daniel didn't move.
"He was shot in a black car. Professional execution. No witnesses. No fingerprints," Luccianho continued.
Jade whispered, "So someone silenced him…"
Daniel turned to the window, watching the flashing cameras outside.
"Of course."
Luccianho clenched his fists.
"This means someone powerful is behind this. Someone who doesn't want to be traced."
Jade crossed her arms, trying to stay calm.
"Great. So now we're fighting ghosts and assassins."
Daniel looked at her.
"This is not a joke."
She met his gaze.
"I know. That's why it's scary."
Luccianho added quietly, "And the paparazzi are still outside. If this leaks, it will become a criminal scandal, not just a corporate one."
Daniel's eyes darkened.
"Let them talk."
He turned to Jade.
"This just became dangerous."
She smiled faintly.
"Too late to back out, husband."
But inside, her heart was racing.
Because now, this wasn't just about business.
Someone had died. This was definitely more than just business stuff.
Daniel picked up his phone and dialed his assistant.
"Make a statement to the press by tomorrow," he said firmly.
His attaché of press, Remi, stood by his office door, taking notes. "I'll prepare a draft, sir. We'll control the narrative."
"Good," Daniel replied, hanging up.
"Luccianho, continue to investigate," he added.
"Okay, chefe," Luccianho nodded and left without another word.
Daniel's phone rang . He glanced at it and answered.
"Camilla. How are you?"
Jade rolled her eyes.
"I just wanted you to know you have my support. I know your competency, and this is clearly someone trying to destroy your company," she said.
"Thank you," Daniel replied quietly, feeling the weight of the night.
After ending the call, he set the phone down and glanced at Jade.
"You have a fan club," she said sarcastically.
"Jealous?" Daniel asked, smirking just enough to hide the tension.