… Evening
Madeline found Elara hunched over her laptop, eyes bright with that look Madeline had learned to recognize. She dropped her handbag on the sofa and hugged her friend.
"Still holding on to what you did with that stranger?" Madeline teased.
"Not holding on," Elara said, but her voice was steady. "I needed it to clear my head. Listen, I know going after Daniel Storm is risky, but I can't let it go."
Madeline's face hardened, her hazel eyes rolling on Elara with resolute. "I want to strangle him for what he did to my brother. The system is broken. He bribed his way out of accountability and no one cared. So, what are you thinking?"
Elara set the laptop between them. "We remove Helios from the equation. If Helios wins this contract, Daniel becomes untouchable. We can't let that happen."
Madeline leaned in. "Tell me your plan."
Elara laid it out. "We get the bid files. We make them look bad. Orion gets the contract. Daniel loses everything."
"That easy?"
"Not… that easy. Maddie, we need to get the bargaining chip first. We can't go on without information!" Elara sighed.
Madeline's grin turned dangerous in a way that used to frighten the two of them as teenagers. Outside, they were ordinary secretaries, but both were clever where it mattered. "You still have access to his accounts?" she asked.
"Yeah. I kept a back channel open. Just in case." Elara answered.
"Then let's get to the basement," Madeline said. "We'll do it tonight."
They headed down to the small, cluttered basement that served as their private workspace. A single lamp threw a warm pool of light over two battered monitors, a stack of takeout containers, and a tangle of cables. The old server in the corner purred like a living thing.
Madeline opened a secure, temporary environment on the main screen while Elara inserted a slim drive into the laptop. They worked in a practiced rhythm, one watching, one typing, every movement purposeful.
"We are not burning bridges," Madeline said, voice low. "We pull what's necessary and make sure it tells a story. Not everything. Just the pieces that force scrutiny."
Elara nodded. They sifted through archived documents, flagged memos, and found what they sought, a set of internal notes.
When they finished, Elara drafted a careful email from a fabricated subordinate and attached a single, quietly damning file. Madeline queued a slow-release distribution plan, small, credible leaks that would make officials look twice. Their goal was leverage, not annihilation.
Elara sat back. Her hands trembled. "If this works," she whispered, "we change everything."
Madeline smiled, tired and fierce. "If this works, one man loses his advantage." She closed the laptop. The screen went dark like the final cut of a scene.
Morning
The next day, Elara walked into Edward Monroe's office while he finished a business call. When he hung up, she announced herself.
"Good morning, sir."
Edward, already on edge from the three-day countdown, gave a curt nod. "Make it quick. We are racing the clock."
"It is business related," Elara said, placing a small drive on his desk. "Sir, I found a way to get us ahead of Helios."
Edward's posture changed. "Explain."
"In this drive are documents that outline Helios's internal plans for the Energy Revolution project," Elara said. "Use them responsibly."
"And where did you get this?" he asked, guarded.
"I promised to protect my source," she replied.
He made a quick call to Joe. "Have IT run a full check. If the files are clean, bring me the IT director." He looked at Elara with a study of curiosity and caution. "You may wait in your office."
Thirty minutes later, the staff were gathered in the meeting hall. Edward climbed the stage with a measured smile.
"Listen up. We've received an anonymous tip that puts us a step ahead of our competitors. I'll meet with IT to make a few adjustments. Win this and it's like hitting a jackpot. Return to your positions."
He walked over to Elara when the room thinned. Once they were out of earshot, he asked, "What does the source want in return?"
"Nothing. Just the contract," she answered.
Edward considered her a long moment. "I have never seen a tip without a price. I owe you one." He offered a rare, small smile.
Elara texted Madeline one word: it worked.
Edward made his call to Maxwell Ranveer. Maxwell's voice on the other end was cool. "I'll see what I can do."
"We are partners," Edward said with a laugh.
"Not yet," Maxwell replied. "No project has tied us together substantively. If Orion controls national energy, that changes." His tone was controlled, as if weighing chess moves.
"And Max," Edward added, softer this time, "Bianca is eager to set a date. Don't disappoint the Monroe family."
Maxwell stared out the window. "That is my decision."
Edward did not press. Business waited. He rolled in his chair for a while, his pen playing in his hand as he stared outside.
At Helios Group
Sam handed Daniel the final draft of the project plan. The office was taut with the same countdown tension as at Orion. Daniel, tall and composed, ran a hand through his hair before answering a call. It was Sandy, calm, confident, a mirror of public charm.
"You called at a bad time," Daniel teased as he picked up.
"I just wanted to check. Are you finished with the project?" she asked.
"Final touches. This contract is mine. When I land it I'll take you around the world. I might even make your sister jealous." He laughed, that effortless sound that betrayed nothing.
Sandy laughed back. "I like that. The contract is definitely yours."
Outside, the city rolled on, unaware of the currents beneath its surface. Two corporations, fighting for the most prestigious contract, and with Elara determined to use this chance to play her first card, one that starts the first step to her revenge, and one that creates chaos around everyone.
Her smile surfaced…