Chapter 2

Martina froze, her heart pounding as she turned to face the source of the voice. Standing at the bottom of the steps was one of Ares’s men, Antonio Conti, a tall, intimidating figure with a suspicious glint in his eyes.

Antonio was Ares’s childhood friend and second in command. Martina had met him once at an event she had attended in the past to gather information. She had not spoken to him but they had met eye to eye and now she feared Antonio would recognize her.

"I—uh, yes. I have an early morning tomorrow," Martina stammered, trying to sound casual.

Antonio's eyes narrowed. "Do I know you from somewhere? Feels like we have met before."

Martina forced a smile. "I don't think so. I'm just a friend of the family."

He looked her up and down, clearly not convinced. "What's your name?"

"Alice," she lied, praying he wouldn't ask for more details.

Antonio seemed to consider this for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright, Alice. Have a good night."

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and quickly made her way to her car. She slipped into the driver's seat, her hands trembling as she started the engine. As she drove away from the mansion, the adrenaline slowly began to fade, replaced by a sense of accomplishment.

She had done it. She had infiltrated the Saviano mansion and gathered the evidence she needed. But she knew this was only the beginning. The documents she had found were just a small piece of the puzzle. There was still so much more to uncover, and the danger was far from over.

Martina arrived home and immediately uploaded the photos to her secure cloud storage. She couldn’t risk losing the evidence. Once the upload was complete, she sat back in her chair, exhaustion washing over her.

Martina knew she couldn’t wait. She had to act fast. With this kind of explosive information, handing it over to her company would only earn her a pat on the back. But if she published it on her own page, she could bargain with them to release more information for a price. It was going to be a win-win for her.

She opened her laptop and began typing furiously, her fingers flying over the keyboard. She wrote a brief introduction, outlining the significance of the documents and what they revealed about the Saviano empire. She included some of the key photos she had taken, making sure to blur out any sensitive information that could be traced back to her.

Martina hesitated for a moment before hitting "publish." She knew this was a risky move. Ares Saviano was not someone to be trifled with, and she was putting herself directly in his crosshairs. But she also knew that the truth had to come out. People needed to know what was happening behind the scenes.

With a deep breath, she clicked the button. The post went live. She waited a few minutes, and only a few views trickled in. No comments or shares. Martina sighed, frustration bubbling up. Maybe her timing was off, or perhaps people were skeptical of her claims without more context. Either way, the reaction was underwhelming.

"Great," she muttered to herself. "All that work for nothing."

Martina decided she would bargain directly with her company tomorrow. They had the reach and resources to make a bigger impact. Even if it meant she wouldn’t get all the credit, it was better than letting the story die.

She closed her laptop, the exhaustion from the night's events finally catching up with her. She needed rest. Tomorrow was another day, and she needed to be sharp to navigate the next steps. The fight against the Saviano empire was far from over, and Martina knew she had to be at her best.

Martina climbed into bed, her mind racing with thoughts of what lay ahead. Despite the setbacks, she felt a renewed sense of purpose. She had taken a big step tonight, and she wasn’t going to let a slow start discourage her. With that thought, she allowed herself to drift into sleep, ready to face whatever challenges the next day would bring.

THE NEXT MORNING, Martina was jolted awake by a loud knock on her door. Still groggy, she stumbled out of bed and made her way to the door, peering through the peephole. It was her friend, Camila, looking frantic.

Barely had Martina unlocked and opened the door when Camila barged in, her eyes wide with alarm.

"Babes, What the hell have you been doing?" Camila demanded, her voice a mix of panic and anger. "I have been knocking for hours?"

Martina rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep. "I am sorry, I slept in late. I just woke up. What's going on?"

Camila thrust her phone towards Martina, the screen displaying a news article. Martina's heart sank as she saw the headline: "Explosive Evidence Against Saviano Empire Goes Viral—Journalist Martina Romano Identified as Source."

Martina's eyes widened in shock. "Wait! What?"

Camila shook her head, her expression a mix of concern and frustration. "Your article has two hundred thousand shares and is blowing up! People are going crazy over it. Why did you think it was a great idea to have your picture and name attached to it, Martina? Do you know what this means for you?"

The sleep in Martina's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by sheer panic. "What do you mean? I didn't attach my picture to the article, I made sure to use my fake account."

Camila paced the room, her agitation clear. "Fake account or real account. It is all over the internet. Your name, your picture—everything. I have my phone blowing up, everyone is asking me if it's real and if I know anything about this."

Martina's mind raced. She had taken every precaution to remain anonymous. But now, with her identity exposed, she was in serious danger. "I can’t believe this. Someone must have hacked my account or had access to my information. This...This is a mess," she rushed inside to check her laptop to confirm that she had used her fake account.

Martina's hands trembled as she opened her laptop and logged into her fake account. Everything seemed normal; there was no trace of her real identity anywhere. "I don't understand," she muttered. "I was so careful. How could this happen?"

Camila hovered over her, worry etched on her face. "Maybe it was someone from inside the company. Someone who knew what you were planning and had access to your real information. Did you tell anyone about the article?"

Martina shook her head, "No, I didn't tell anyone," Martina said, her voice trembling. "I was so careful."

Her phone buzzed on the table, startling both women. Martina glanced at the screen and saw five missed calls from her editor. She couldn't believe she slept that deep and missed five calls. She picked up the phone and answered the latest call.

"Martina, where are you?" her editor's voice came through, urgent and strained. "You need to come to the office immediately. There's a board meeting about to start, and your presence is required."

Martina hesitated, glancing at Camila. "Okay, I'll be there soon," she replied, ending the call.

Camila grabbed her arm. "Are you sure that's a good idea? If your face is all over the news, going to the company might not be safe right now."

Martina took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "I’m not the bad person here, Camila. Why should I be the one to be terrified? I did what I had to do to expose Ares Saviano. If my face is out there, so be it. Ares is the one who should be worried. He is going to jail."