“Starting today, no one is allowed to leave the building without my permission.”
Ethan’s firm voice still echoed in my ears.
The conference room was filled with whispers.
Everyone looked at one another with tense expressions.
No one had expected the missing documents to turn into a major investigation.
Ethan turned toward Surya.
“Contact the security team. Shut down all entrances and exits to the building.”
“Yes, sir.”
Several department heads began to protest.
“Mr. Ethan, isn’t this a little excessive?”
“If this news gets out, the company’s image could be ruined.”
Ethan looked at them one by one.
“What will damage the company’s image even more is if the traitor is still free to roam around.”
No one dared argue anymore.
After the meeting ended, Ethan summoned me to his office.
I sat down nervously.
“Sir...”
Ethan held out a cup of warm tea.
“Drink it.”
I was a little surprised.
Even in the middle of a situation like this, he was still thinking about something as small as that.
“Do you still trust me?”
Ethan didn’t answer right away.
He opened a file and placed it in front of me.
“That’s your work evaluation for the past week.”
I read it slowly.
All the tasks I’d been given had received good marks.
I raised my head in confusion.
“What does this mean?”
“I never judge someone based on a single incident.”
“But all the evidence...”
“Evidence can be fabricated.”
He cut me off.
“But someone’s work habits can’t be faked in such a short time.”
My chest felt warm.
Once again...
That man had chosen to trust me.
“I want you to help me.”
“Help you with what?”
“Find the person who framed you.”
My eyes widened.
“Me?”
Ethan nodded.
“Because you aren’t their only target.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re attacking AURELIA GROUP.”
I swallowed hard.
That meant all of this was far bigger than I’d imagined.
That afternoon...
I returned to my desk.
When I opened the drawer, I found a plain white envelope with no name on it.
I frowned.
Who had put it there?
I slowly opened the envelope.
There was only a single sheet of paper inside.
My hands began to tremble as soon as I read its contents.
“If you still want your mother to stay alive, stop digging.”
My face instantly went pale.
How did they know about Mom?
Who were these people, really?
“Maya?”
Clara’s voice startled me.
“What’s wrong? You look so pale.”
I hurriedly folded the paper.
“It’s nothing.”
But my thoughts were already in chaos.
They weren’t just targeting me.
They also knew my weakness.
Mom.
Without thinking twice, I immediately left the office.
I had to make sure Mom was all right.
When I arrived at the clinic, I ran toward her room.
“Mom!”
I opened the door, breathing hard.
Mom looked at me in confusion.
“Maya? Why are you sweating so much?”
I immediately hugged her.
Thank goodness.
Mom was fine.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
I shook my head with a smile.
“Nothing.”
I didn’t want to worry her.
But from behind the room’s door...
Someone was secretly watching us.
The man was wearing a black hat and a mask.
After making sure I had arrived, he turned and left.
That night...
I left the clinic after Mom fell asleep.
The streets were beginning to empty.
The streetlights glowed dimly.
I walked toward the bus stop.
Suddenly, the roar of a car engine echoed from the distance.
I turned around.
A black car was speeding straight toward me.
At first, I thought it would simply drive past.
But...
The car suddenly swerved sharply onto the sidewalk.
Straight toward me.
My eyes widened.
My body froze.
I didn’t have time to get out of the way.
“Crash!”
Someone suddenly yanked me away with all his strength.
We both fell onto the side of the road.
The car sped away before disappearing around the corner.
I was still trembling.
My breathing felt constricted.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
Ethan was right in front of me.
His arm was still wrapped around my shoulders, shielding me.
“You...”
Ethan stood up and helped me to my feet.
“Are you all right?”
I nodded slowly.
“That car...”
“That wasn’t an accident.”
Ethan’s voice was cold.
“It was an attempted murder.”
I stared at him, my face pale.
“Murder?”
Surya, who had just arrived, came running toward us.
“Sir! The car’s license plate was fake.”
Ethan clenched his fist.
“Damn it.”
I still couldn’t process everything that had happened.
Who wanted to kill me?
Was it because of the company documents?
Or...
Because I was getting too close to Ethan?
In an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
The man in the black hat slammed his phone onto the floor.
“Failed again!”
A man around fifty years old sat in front of him.
His face was hidden by the darkness of the room.
“You were too careless.”
“Who could’ve guessed Ethan would show up at exactly the right moment?”
The older man smiled faintly.
“Then...”
“We’ll use the next plan.”
“What?”
The older man picked up a photograph from the table.
It showed Maya smiling with her mother in front of the clinic.
He placed his finger directly over her mother’s face.
“If we can’t destroy Maya...”
“Destroy the person she loves most.”
His smile made my skin crawl.
Meanwhile, I had no idea...
That the danger targeting me was no longer about my job.
It was about my family.