The atmosphere at Lincoln Willow Legal had reached a fever pitch. The "Deep Dive" audit wasn't just a review; it was an excavation. The third-floor accounting wing, usually a place of quiet calculations, now felt like a crime scene. Blue-ribboned boxes were stacked to the ceiling, and the air was thick with the scent of ozone from the overworked photocopiers.
Tiana felt the weight of it in her bones. Beside her, Chloe was a whirlwind of caffeinated energy, her fingers flying across a keyboard as she cross-referenced vendor IDs. But even Chloe's usual chatter had died down. The partners were pacing the halls, their faces drawn and sallow, looking like men waiting for a guillotine to drop.
It happened at 6:45 PM. The senior partners had retreated to a closed-door meeting in the boardroom, and most of the staff had been sent home to "rest" before another grueling day. Only Tiana and Chloe remained with some other members of staff in the upper floor, finishing the last of the sorting in the sub-basement archive, a room that felt more like a tomb than an office.
"I'm going to run upstairs and grab us some waters," Chloe said, wiping a smudge of ink from her forehead. "And maybe a stale granola bar if the vending machine is feeling charitable. You okay for five minutes?"
"Go," Tiana said with a tired smile. "I'm just going to finish this 2018 box."
The atmosphere in the sub-basement changed the moment Tiana's fingers brushed the cold, blue plastic of the hidden binder. This wasn't a standard ledger. It was tucked behind a false backing in a crate labeled "Lincoln Willow (General Maintenance.)"
Lincoln Willow was the massive property management firm that handled the day-to-day operations for all Lahman-owned buildings. On the surface, they were the Lahman Group's most loyal subordinates. But as Tiana flipped through the pages while Chloe was upstairs, she realized she was holding a record of systematic sabotage.
The file contained private audits conducted by Lincoln Willow's executives. They had been intentionally inflating repair costs, faking building code violations, and skimming millions from the Lahman Group's construction funds for years.
Even more shocking was the "Phase Two" section. It detailed a plan to intentionally devalue several Lahman landmark properties—including the very building Tiana stood in—to force a fire-sale.
Lincoln Willow wasn't just a partner; they were a parasite, slowly hollowing out the Lahman empire from the inside, waiting for the moment to strike and seize the ruins.
The elevator chimed. Tiana's heart leaped into her throat. She didn't have time to think. She shoved the thin folder into the secret inner pocket of her messenger bag just as Chloe returned.
The walk home was a blur. Chloe was chatting about her weekend plans, but Tiana could barely hear her. The weight of the file in her bag felt like a ticking bomb.
"You're shivering," Chloe said, stopping in front of her apartment. "Tiana, seriously, you're white as a sheet. Let me come up? I'll make that herbal tea my grandmother swears by."
"No!" Tiana blurted out, then softened her voice. "I mean... I think I'm just coming down with something. I need to just crash, Chloe. I'll see you tomorrow?"
Chloe looked at her with concern, the bond they had built over the last few weeks making her intuition sharp. "Okay. But call me if you need anything. I'm literally right there." She pointed to her window three blocks away.
Tiana scrambled into her apartment, locking the three deadbolts. She didn't turn on the lights. She sat on the floor of her kitchen, the linoleum cold beneath her, and spread the documents out by the light of her phone.
The documents were devastating. They didn't just show theft; they showed that Lincoln Willow had orchestrated "accidents" to lower property values. One entry, dated ten years ago, mentioned a "distraction" created near a construction site—a date that aligned perfectly with the month of Amir's accident.
> Note in the Margin: L.W. ensured the perimeter was breached. The asset was compromised. Lahman remains unaware of the internal leak.
Tiana gasped. If Amir's father found out his "Biggest Partner" was the reason his son was broken, the city would burn. And if Lincoln Willow knew she had this file, she wouldn't make it to the office tomorrow.
She was terrified. She looked at Maya, who was watching her with tilted ears. This wasn't just about her father's legacy anymore. This was a war between giants, and she was a girl in an affordable apartment holding the only weapon that mattered.
A sudden, sharp knock at the door made Tiana jump so hard she knocked over her water glass. She scrambled to cover the papers with a dish towel.
"Who is it?" she called out, her voice trembling.
"It's me."
The voice was unmistakable. It wasn't Chloe. It was deep, authoritative, and carried a trace of the "Rogue" edge she had heard in the parking garage.
Amir.
Tiana looked at the hidden documents, then at the door. Her apartment felt smaller than ever, a fragile sanctuary about to be invaded by the very man the documents could either save or destroy.