a Avi

y life had taken its toll, but the burning of the past had clear

hurned with a familiar wave of nausea and disgust. I almost deleted it unread, but a perverse curi

r old projects. There's just one tiny handover issue with the core schematics. They're locked behind a legacy system, and I can't acce

children. I had poured years into developing them, ensuring their security. The thought of them being compromised, especially due to my departure, was a fresh stab of pai

te with a link. "Just to confirm everything is transferred correctly. Otherwise, I' m afraid

y reputation. I knew it was a trap. Every instinct screamed at me to delete the message, block her number, and disappear. But the thought

d credentials, confirmed the transfer protocols, and clicked 'submit'. The page refreshed, displaying a generic "tra

fury, his eyes blazing red. He wasn't alone. Several of our former senior executives, their faces contorte

k I was reading. "Gabe? What's goin

. Their faces were twisted with a venomou

a question. He simply raised his hand and struck me across the face, a brutal, open-hande

left, and now you want to destroy everything I built?! You leake

ock. Then, my eyes snapped to Cortney, who was now standing behind Gabe, her face streaked with carefully applied tears. She looked distraught, clutc

feigned anguish. "She' s always been jealous of your succes

The "secure portal." It was a phishing scam. Co

ht have held for him, fixed on me. He lunged forward, his hands closing around my throat

eath hot and venomous. "I shared my life with you! I gave you everythi

I had loved, only a monster consumed by rage and delusion. I couldn't breathe. I couldn'

eet tangling beneath me, and crashed to the floor. The impact rattled my t