Chapter 10 - THE ANONYMOUS THREAT AND THE CORPORATE LEAK
Monday morning brought no gentle transition back into corporate life.
The tenth floor was buzzing with tense,
suppressed panic.
When I stepped out of the private elevator,
my direct supervisor intercepted me before I even reached my desk.
“Eve,
thank God you're here,
” she said urgently,
clutching a printed email report in her shaking hands.
“What’s wrong?
” I asked,
dropping my briefcase on my desk.
“Someone leaked our confidential acquisition strategy for the European tech portfolio to our primary competitor,
Vanguard Holdings.
”
My stomach plummeted like an elevator with snapped cables.
“Leaked?
How is that possible?
”
“We don't know,
” she whispered frantically.
“Only three people had full access to the encrypted decryption keys—you,
the CFO,
and Alexander.
”
The air in my office felt suddenly sucked out.
Accusations in high finance could destroy a career before it even truly began.
Before I could formulate a response,
the connecting door to the executive suite swung open violently.
Alexander stood in the doorway.
His face was an absolute mask of cold,
unyielding granite.
His eyes swept past my supervisor and locked directly onto mine.
“Eve,
” he commanded sharply.
“My office.
Now.
”
My supervisor backed away slowly,
terrified,
leaving me alone in the crosshairs.
I swallowed the lump in my throat,
stood up straight,
and walked past him into the massive corner office.
Alexander closed the heavy oak door behind us with a resounding thud.
The blinds were drawn shut,
cutting off the city view.
He walked behind his large mahogany desk,
leaning his weight against the edge,
crossing his arms over his broad chest.
“Vanguard just made a preemptive hostile buyout offer on the exact German tech firm we’ve spent six months quietly targeting,
” Alexander stated,
his voice dangerously quiet.
“I know,
” I replied steadily,
refusing to shrink under his intense gaze.
“They used our exact valuation figures.
”
“Which means,
” Alexander continued,
his gray eyes narrowing,
“either our encryption was breached by an external hacker,
or someone inside this very office sold the data.
”
“Are you suggesting I leaked it?
” I asked,
my voice sharpening with sudden defensive anger.
“I’ve been here for less than two weeks,
Alexander.
Why on earth would I sabotage my own career?
”
“I am not suggesting you leaked it,
Eve,
” Alexander cut across me smoothly,
pushing off the desk and walking straight toward me.
He stopped mere inches away,
towering over me.
May you like
“I am asking you to help me find out who did.
”
