that, IT locks the server, and you're just a g

than my entire college tuition, his profile as sharp and unyielding as a blade. The air in the small space felt

in my ribs, but my mind had never been clearer. "Clara thinks she's a genius, but she's lazy. She used my r

e penthouse a world of plush white carpets and a silence

n noted, his tone conversational, as if we were discussing the weathe

o the carpet. "I don't need the CEO

look at the receptionist; he walked straight toward the double oak boardroom doors wher

aw the board members jump. Clara was mid-sentence, her

standing up. "We weren't exp

nd mocking. "And I find that when I'm bored, I tend to low

ng scrambled to appease the man about to buy their souls,

I pulled up the login screen. I didn't have a senior partner's thumbprint, but I had something better: I had Et

ckm

rned green. A

igated through the directories until I

dified at 11:45 PM-from Clara's terminal, using my login. She hadn't just changed the

ive minutes, when the board reached the 'final comments' section

asped, spinning around, expectin

the doorframe, watching me with an

s about to call you in to watch you

old, calculating hunger. I looked at him, really looked at him. "Why are you helping me,

hrough my thin blouse. He reached out, his thumb grazing the line of my jaw-exactly w

lping you destroy the people who think they can control you. I don't buy companies for their stability.

ath hitched. For a second, I forgot about Clara. I forgot about the betr

board meeting?" I aske

, or do you want a throne? Because if you walk back into that room and do what I think you

an unknown number. Security i

me," I said, stepping past him toward the door. I paused, looking b

ark chuckle. "Spoken

er. As we approached the doors, I saw Clara standing just outside, whispering urg

phone shut. "I told you to leave. Security is on their way

down. As I reached her, I leaned in, mimic

whispered, my voice dripping with

nched.

he one who wrote the c

looked like he wanted to crawl under the table and die. And Keon? He took a seat at the head of the

on my termination, I believe there's one final projection you need to see

enter' key

arterly projections. It showed a time-stamped log of Clara Bennet

llowed wasn't just

e rush of true power. But as the room erupted into chaos, I felt Keon's gaze on me. He wasn't looking at