Page 33

Leonard

M y fingers hesitate over the keyboard as I type in the final IP address from our employee logs. I didn’t think I’d ever have to check this one. My stomach clenches when the line lights up, confirming the match with the pings that have been triggering the recent breaches.

I lean back in my chair, feeling like the ground beneath me has disappeared. The name staring back at me doesn’t feel real. Oliver. My best friend. My partner since day one. He’s the one stealing from us. From me. It’s a betrayal so deep that, for a moment, I can’t breathe.

“Leonard…” Roxanne’s voice cuts into the silence.

It’s soft and cautious, like she’s as shocked as I am, but she doesn’t want to rub it in.

Her eyes stay glued to the screen, processing the same information I am.

She looks at me, incredulous, as if trying to figure out what to say, but the sympathy behind her eyes only makes this ache deeper, rawer.

I want to push her sympathy away. I don’t need it, I don’t want it. The only thing I need is answers.

“What the hell is he thinking?” The words come out raspy and pained. “Oliver’s been with me since the beginning. We built this together. And now he—” My voice chokes in my throat. I can’t finish the sentence. I don’t want to because it feels too real.

Roxanne lets out a breath, her fingers brushing her lips as if she’s not sure what to say. “Leonard, I… I’m sorry. I know how close you two are.”

I nod, barely hearing her. Memories of late nights working in our first office, taking calls, drinking coffee, strategizing, and trusting him with everything flash through my mind like a cruel movie.

Oliver had been distant lately, tense since the divorce, irritable, and snapping at everyone.

But I never thought—I never imagined he would do something so hideous.

“He was the one who wanted more security,” I say, bitterness coating every word. “He was the one pushing for tighter systems, more firewalls. And now he’s using those exact protocols against us.”

“Maybe that’s why he wanted them in place,” Roxanne murmurs, her voice dark with understanding. “So he could know exactly how to get around them.”

I grimace, gripping the edge of the desk until my knuckles go white.

The humiliation of missing the signs, of trusting him completely, burns in my chest. “Oliver’s been a jerk for months, and I just assumed it was stress.

But he’s been planning this the whole time, hasn’t he?

And I didn’t see it. I trusted him. One year.

The first transaction is one year old.” I don’t even dare to look her in the eyes. How was I so blind?

Roxanne’s hand hovers near my shoulder, and for a second, I feel like she might reach out to comfort me. But she doesn’t. “Leonard, you trusted him because you believed in him. That’s not your fault.”

“ Believed ,” I repeat the word. It tastes bitter on my tongue. A laugh escapes before I can stop it. “He was my friend, Roxanne. We built this from nothing. You don’t doubt that kind of loyalty.”

She nods slowly, looking away. There’s something in her expression like she is measuring her words to not make my situation worse. But I saw it in her eyes, and it hurt more than her speaking. “I get it. But as much as you want to confront him now, we must consider the bigger picture.”

The reality of that stings. Confronting Oliver now would feel good. It would release the fury boiling inside of me. But she’s right—the stakes are too high for impulsive moves. For this company, for her. I can’t risk Oliver turning against us and going to the FBI now.

“I know.” I try to sound more controlled than I feel. “But right now, it’ll feel like I’m letting him get away with it.”

“We need to gather proof, Leonard,” Roxanne says firmly. “If we go to the FBI now without solid evidence, they could investigate everyone in the company, including us. And with what’s already hanging over me…” She trails off, but I hear the tension in her voice.

Of course. This isn’t just about the company’s integrity—Roxanne’s life is tied up in this too.

Her whole career, but most importantly, her freedom.

The FBI could decide to do two things with her: put her in prison or not press charges and force her to work for them.

I don’t know which is worse. I shake my head, trying to dissipate the fog of anger.

I don’t want to make this worse for her.

But the need to do something claws at my chest to get free.

I know Roxanne can see my struggle, and there’s a flash of something like frustration in her eyes. She is quick to hide it. “Look, I understand how much this betrayal hurts you. But we can’t rush this. If Oliver is covering his tracks, we need everything on record, or we could end up with nothing.”

My jaw tightens, and I nod, understanding even if I hate it. “You’re right. Doesn’t make it any easier, though.”

“No, it doesn’t,” she agrees, crossing her arms and glancing at the floor. “But we can’t let him see that we’re onto him. Not yet. We have to keep gathering data, tracking his every move until we can go to the authorities with solid evidence.”

The thought of pretending, of working beside him as if I don’t know the truth, makes me sick. I don’t know how long I can keep up the charade. But she’s right. If we blow our cover too soon, we’ll be back at square one, and he’ll have a chance to bury whatever he’s hiding.

Roxanne takes a deep breath, clearly thinking through every implication. “If it helps, I’ll be with you every step of the way. We’re in this together.”

I nod, grateful even as I try to mask the pain and frustration in my chest. “Thanks.”

But she doesn’t stop there. Her brow furrows, and there’s a spark of urgency in her eyes. “We should take the time we need for this. I know you need time to process the entire situation but remember, my life is on the line too. Every day we wait without a plan is a day I could be implicated.”

“I know,” I say it as steadily as I can manage. “I’m not letting anything happen to you, Roxanne. But I need to clear my mind before doing something stupid. My feelings are all over the place, and I don’t trust my reasoning right now.”

She studies me, her eyes filled with that same frustration from before. After a long pause, she finally lets out a sigh. “You’re right. I just…I needed to hear that you’re considering my situation too.”

The room is silent, filled with tension. Slowly, she gives a nod as if assessing our options and agreeing with me. I can tell it’s hard for her—she’s as restless as I am. We don’t have time to waste, but at the same time, we can’t rush our steps. It’s a frustrating situation, to say the least.

“We’ll do it your way, Leonard,” she says quietly. “Just promise me, when the time comes, we won’t hold back. We’ll make sure Oliver gets exactly what he deserves.”

I nod, tightening my jaw, while the determination solidifies in my gut. “He’ll answer for this. I promise.”

But when I say it out loud, the ache in my chest sharpens. This isn’t just about justice. This is personal. The betrayal has shattered something deep, something I’ll never fully get back together. And I’m not sure what’s worse—the fact that Oliver did this or that I didn’t see it coming.