Miranda
She walked through the office like she owned it.
Eva Sinclair. Fresh-faced, so quiet, yet every man's eyes seemed to drift when she passed. And Damien Wolfe? He didn't even try to hide it.
I leaned against the front desk, watching as he stepped out of the elevator and slowed—just a second too long—his gaze brushing over her like something he was trying not to feel.
She didn't even notice.
Or maybe she pretended not to.
Either way, it was working.
"She's good," I muttered under my breath.
"Katherine said the board already has the leaks," Nico whispered beside me as he passed, carrying reports to the exec wing.
"Good," I said. "Now let's see how our little intern handles fire."
My heels clicked as I turned and headed for Katherine's office.
Katherine sat at her desk, sipping black coffee and scrolling through something on her tablet. She didn't look up when I entered.
"She's here. Damien saw her."
"I know," she replied coolly. "His eyes are always louder than his words."
I smirked. "Men are predictable. So… Operation Snakebite is in motion?"
Katherine looked up, her lips curling. "The files were delivered to the board anonymously last night. I made sure Arthur Lowell was the first to open them. He hasn't stopped calling since seven a.m."
"Do we still have that emergency boardroom reserved?"
She nodded. "Eleven o'clock sharp. And this time, we don't just whisper scandal. We deliver it face-first."
I liked the sound of that.
But still… I couldn't get the image of Damien watching Eva out of my head.
"Do you think he'd really choose her over everything he's built?" I asked, not hiding the bitterness in my voice.
Katherine arched an eyebrow. "If he finds out she's his daughter, yes. If he thinks she's a threat to his company? He'll bury her himself."
I took a deep breath.
"And what if he doesn't believe the emails?"
Katherine's smile didn't waver.
"He doesn't have to believe them right away. He just has to doubt her."
11:02 AM – Emergency Board Meeting, Wolfe Tower
The boardroom was cold. Designed that way—stiff chairs, gray walls, and polished steel that made everything feel urgent. Katherine sat at the head, I by her side, and Damien across the table with his unreadable face and tighter-than-usual tie.
The board murmured in quiet shock as Arthur handed out printed copies of the "leaked" emails.
"I can't believe this," muttered one of the junior board members. "An intern?"
"It's always the ones you don't expect," I said, sipping my water, watching Damien from the corner of my eye.
He didn't say a word. Just kept reading.
Good. Let it simmer.
Katherine finally stood.
"These documents were discovered late last night through an anonymous source and cross-referenced this morning by Mr. Lowell and our security team," she began. "Eva Sinclair—an intern—has been communicating with an external competitor and leaking sensitive financial insights. You'll see mentions of internal accounts and future offshore access, indicating premeditated espionage."
A few heads turned toward Damien. He still hadn't looked up.
Katherine added smoothly, "We believe it's in the company's best interest to suspend her immediately and turn this over to legal."
Silence followed.
Perfect.
Then Damien closed the file with a soft snap.
"I'm not convinced," he said.
Heads swiveled.
Katherine blinked. "Excuse me?"
He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. "I've read the emails. They're convenient. Too convenient. The timing. The phrasing. It all feels… curated."
"You think someone's framing her?" I asked, a little too sharply.
"I think it's worth looking into," Damien replied calmly. "I'm not suspending anyone based on an anonymous tip and a set of unverified files."
"But you've seen the evidence," Katherine said, voice still smooth but strained. "It was in her draft folder. She deleted it this morning."
"Anyone with minimal IT knowledge could've planted that," Damien said, meeting her gaze.
I leaned forward, voice soft. "Damien… she's clever. I've watched her. Quiet doesn't mean harmless. She could be playing you."
He finally looked at me.
And for a moment, something flickered in his eyes—exhaustion? Regret?
I hated that I cared.
"I'll open an internal investigation," he said firmly. "Discreet. Effective. If she's guilty, we'll act. But I won't be manipulated into a witch hunt."
The room fell still.
Katherine sat down slowly.
I smiled tightly and turned to Damien.
"You've changed," I said under my breath.
He looked at me for a long moment. "So have you."
Ouch.
Later – Wolfe Tower Corridor
I followed Damien out of the room a few minutes later, pretending to bump into him near the elevator.
"You handled that well," I said lightly, falling into step beside him.
He didn't slow. "This isn't a game to me, Miranda."
"No, but it used to be fun, didn't it?" I smiled, tilting my head. "Remember when we'd sneak out of these meetings just to—"
He stopped walking.
"I'm not in the mood."
The words cut sharper than they should have.
I laughed it off, stepping back. "Of course not. You're too busy watching interns like they're your whole world."
He didn't answer. Just stepped into the elevator and let the doors shut without inviting me in.
I stood there alone.
Humiliated.
But not defeated.
Because we had a plan.
And Eva Sinclair?
She was still playing with fire.
Next time, she'd burn.