Chapter 5: Dangerous Connections

I barely slept. The image of Ethan shaking hands with Julian haunted my thoughts, keeping me restless and agitated.

By the time I arrived at the office the next morning, I was fueled by a potent mix of anger and betrayal. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

The office was still waking up as I made my way to Ethan's desk, my footsteps heavy and purposeful. He looked up as I approached, a casual smile spreading across his face, but I could see the tension in his eyes.

"Hey, Isobel," he greeted, but his tone was wary. "You look like you didn’t get much sleep."

I crossed my arms, not bothering to return his smile. "We need to talk. Now."

Ethan's smile faltered, and he glanced around the office, clearly uneasy. "Sure. Let's go to my office."

I followed him in silence, my mind spinning with all the things I wanted to say. As soon as the door closed behind us, I rounded on him, unable to contain my anger any longer.

"Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been meeting with Julian?" I demanded, my voice low but sharp.

Ethan’s eyes widened, his face paling. "Isobel, I—"

I cut him off. "I saw you, Ethan. Last night. I followed you to that building and saw you talking to him. What the hell is going on?"

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, his expression conflicted. "It’s not what you think, Isobel. I can explain."

"Then start explaining," I snapped. "Because right now, it looks like you’re working with Julian behind my back."

Ethan sighed heavily, leaning against his desk as he rubbed his temples. "I didn’t want you to find out like this. I was trying to protect you."

I scoffed. "Protect me? From what? Julian?"

He shook his head, his eyes meeting mine with a seriousness that made my stomach twist. "From something bigger than Julian.

There’s more going on here than you realize, Isobel. I was meeting with Julian because I needed information—about a threat to Hartfield Technologies, something that could destroy everything we’ve built."

I frowned, crossing my arms tighter over my chest. "What kind of threat?"

Ethan hesitated, clearly wrestling with himself over how much to tell me. "There’s a group—a powerful organization that’s been trying to take control of the tech industry from the shadows.

They’re ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. Julian came to me a few weeks ago and warned me that they were targeting us."

I stared at him, my anger shifting to confusion. "And you believed him? Julian’s the last person I’d trust with something like this."

Ethan nodded, his expression grim. "I know. But he showed me evidence, things that were hard to ignore. Financial documents, records of meetings.

He said that if we didn’t work together, Hartfield Technologies would be swallowed up by this organization, just like so many others before us."

I felt a chill run down my spine as Ethan spoke. It sounded far-fetched, but the fear in his voice was genuine. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"I wanted to," Ethan said softly, his eyes pleading with me to understand. "But Julian made me swear to keep it quiet. He said the fewer people who knew, the better. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t see any other choice."

I bit my lip, my mind racing with questions. "Why would Julian help us? What does he gain from this?"

Ethan sighed again, looking down at the floor. "I don’t know. Maybe he’s trying to make amends for the past, or maybe he’s just trying to protect his own interests.

Whatever his reasons, I believe he’s telling the truth about the threat. And I thought that if I could get more information, we’d have a better chance of fighting back."

I felt torn. On one hand, Ethan’s explanation made a twisted kind of sense. On the other, it was hard to ignore the possibility that he might still be hiding something. "And you think Julian can be trusted?"

Ethan hesitated. "I don’t trust him, not completely. But right now, he’s the only lead we have. We need to be careful, Isobel. One wrong move, and this organization could come crashing down on us."

I leaned back against the wall, trying to process everything Ethan had told me. It was a lot to take in, and I wasn’t sure what to believe. But one thing was clear—I needed to talk to Julian again, and I needed to do it soon.

"Ethan," I said finally, my voice steady. "I appreciate you trying to protect the company, but I need you to be honest with me from now on. No more secrets. Agreed?"

Ethan nodded, relief washing over his face. "Agreed. I’m sorry, Isobel. I should have told you sooner."

I took a deep breath, nodding. "Alright. But if Julian’s playing us, I won’t hesitate to take him down. And if I find out you’re hiding anything else from me, I’ll hold you accountable, too."

Ethan swallowed, his expression serious. "Understood."

With that, I turned and left his office, my mind still reeling from everything he’d told me. I wasn’t sure if I could trust Ethan or Julian, but I knew one thing for sure—I wasn’t going to sit back and let someone else control my fate.

That night, after everyone else had left the office, I stayed behind, wanting some time alone to think. I stared out the window, watching the city lights twinkle against the darkening sky, my mind a jumble of thoughts and emotions.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched, a creeping sensation that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I turned around, scanning the empty office, but everything seemed normal. Still, the feeling persisted, gnawing at me like a dark cloud hanging overhead.

I shook my head, trying to brush it off as paranoia. But as I turned back to the window, something caught my eye. A shadowy figure standing across the street, partially hidden behind a parked car.

My breath hitched, and I squinted, trying to make out any details. The figure was too far away to see clearly, but they were definitely watching the office—watching me.

My heart raced, and I quickly ducked down, my mind racing with possibilities. Was this someone from the organization Ethan had mentioned? Or was it someone else, someone I hadn’t even considered?

I peered over the windowsill, but the figure was gone, vanished into the night like a ghost. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine, and I knew that whatever was going on, it was far from over.

As I stood there, staring into the darkness where the figure had been, my phone buzzed in my pocket again. I pulled it out and saw another message from Julian: “Be careful, Isobel. They’re closer than you think.”