Page 34

Roxanne

L eonard’s home office is dimly lit, filled with the faint scent of cedar and leather and the quiet hum of electronics buzzing.

I’m curled up over his laptop, scrolling through screens of data, each line of code and bank statement leaving me more baffled than the last. I can feel Leonard pacing behind me with heavy steps that no doubt mirror the weight in his chest. He is like a raging storm.

He’s not saying much. Since we discovered what Oliver did, he’s become more distant and a far cry from the confident, decisive man I’ve known.

It’s not like him to be this quiet. Normally, he would be making plans, delegating, and taking charge.

But now he just watches silently as I sift through the wreckage his friend left behind.

This is why we are working from home. I’m not confident he would handle Oliver well if they met in the office.

I type a few commands, pulling up some logs from the server.

Each new line of information adds a weight to my chest. I know this is tearing him up inside, but he won’t let me in.

He’s bottling everything, locking it all away behind that blank face.

I wonder how much more he can take before he breaks.

“Leonard,” I say, glancing up at him, hoping to coax even a hint of the old him back. “We’re going to figure this out. It’s just going to take time.”

He doesn’t respond immediately. His jaw tightens, and he crosses his arms, looking out the window with a distant stare. “Time,” he says finally with a low rumble. “I don’t know if we have time.”

I want to reach out, to reassure him, but there’s something in his expression that tells me to keep my distance. This betrayal has wounded him in a way I can’t fix. All I can do is keep going, keep piecing the puzzle together. Help him find the truth and hope for the best.

I return to the screen; my fingers move quickly across the keyboard.

Pulling up another log, I see more encrypted files buried deep in the server—Oliver’s files.

I recognize the encryption, something only Oliver would use, hidden so well it’s almost as if he dared anyone to find it.

My stomach churns as I enter the decryption keys Leonard found earlier.

I have a feeling I’m not going to like what I will discover.

“What’s that?” Leonard asks, moving closer, his voice raspy.

“It looks like he’s been hiding entire batches of sensitive data,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “Data we didn’t even know was at risk. Stock market reports, upcoming mergers… It’s not just sensitive information. It’s crucial for the future of each one of your companies.”

I glance back at Leonard, gauging his reaction. He nods slowly, his lips pressed into a thin line, but there’s a darkness in his eyes I haven’t seen before. “Inside information,” he murmurs. “It’s worse than I thought.”

I click through more files, and the picture becomes increasingly clear and devastating.

There’s a pattern to the data he’s been pulling, all focused on upcoming mergers and financial moves, the kind of information that could make someone millions if used the right way, like in the stock market, for example.

Oliver knew exactly what he was doing. And then I see it, a record of offshore transactions, small at first, then escalating in size, all tied to accounts in the Cayman Islands.

My heart sinks. “Leonard, these funds… They’re all heading to an offshore account.”

He moves closer, leaning in to see the screen. His face pales. “What are you saying? He’s stashing money overseas?”

I nod, swallowing hard. “This isn’t just a breach.

This is inside trading, Leonard. And the amounts are enormous.

We’re talking about an entire fortune. Millions, if not billions.

” I click through the records, my fingers moving faster as more files open up.

Each one confirms the same thing—Oliver’s been using the company’s secrets to trade on insider knowledge, and he’s accumulated a fortune for himself.

Leonard lets out a long breath, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “The entire time I thought he was struggling after the divorce. Instead, he was…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, but he doesn’t have to.

I can see the hurt in his eyes, the betrayal that runs deeper than any business deal gone wrong.

This isn’t just about money for Leonard.

It’s about trust and loyalty—things he values more than anything else.

And now, everything is shattering before his eyes.

“And there’s more.” I take a shaky breath, scrolling through the latest transactions.

I hate to be the one to give him this information.

“He’s been selling this information. It’s not just for him.

” The words come out heavy with implications.

My stomach churns, I hate to kick him when he’s down, to be the one that dismantles, piece by piece, years of friendship and trust.

He freezes, his gaze darkening as the words sink in. “He’s been selling our secrets?” His voice is so deep and raspy I barely recognize it.

I nod, nauseated that I have to confirm it.

“The records show he’s been in contact with multiple parties.

It looks like he’s shopping your proprietary information around to anyone who can pay.

Competitors, brokers…you name it.” How could someone betray everything they worked for?

Did Oliver ever care for this company, for what they built? It’s his company too, for Pete’s sake!

Leonard’s face goes pale, and for a moment, I worry he might be sick. He sits down heavily in the chair beside me, his head in his hands, and I can feel the weight of his pain filling the room.

“I trusted him with everything,” he whispers, more to himself than to me. “He was my friend. One of my best friends. We built this company together. How could he do this?”

I don’t have an answer. My mind and heart can’t comprehend it.

Betrayal is the worst thing you can do to a person.

I don’t know what to say. I can feel his pain, raw and exposed, and it aches to see him like this.

Leonard has always been the strongest person I know, unbreakable and confident.

But right now, he looks shattered, like the pieces of him are barely holding together.

I reach out, my hand hovering over his shoulder, and for a second, I hesitate. But then I press it down gently, offering what little comfort I can. “Leonard… This isn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.”

He lets out a bitter laugh, lifting his head to look at me.

His eyes are red-rimmed, a mix of anger and devastation.

“I should have seen it. I ignored the signs. I knew he was acting strange, but I kept giving him the benefit of the doubt. And now—” He stops, taking a shaky breath.

“Now everything we’ve worked for could be destroyed. ”

“No,” I say firmly, meeting his gaze. “We’re not going to let that happen. We’re going to stop him. We’re going to make sure he answers for this.”

He stares at me, the pain in his eyes softening just a little. “How, Roxanne? We have no proof of his intentions, just traces of transactions and encrypted files. If we go to the authorities now, they could tear the company apart while they investigate.”

I pause, biting my lip. He’s right. This is delicate.

We’re standing on a razor’s edge, and one wrong move could ruin everything.

“We need to keep gathering evidence,” I say finally.

“We can’t make a move until we have everything in place.

If we’re careful, we can track every transaction, every piece of data he’s sold.

Once we have that, we can take it to the authorities without risking the company. ”

He nods slowly, his expression hardening as he regains some of his composure. “You’re right. We have to be patient. As much as I want to confront him now…” He clenches his fists, the anger in his eyes sparking again. “He’s not getting away with this.”

The resolve in his voice makes me feel a spark of hope.

Leonard may be down, but he’s not defeated.

He’s a fighter, and I know he won’t let Oliver’s betrayal break him so badly as to admit defeat.

Still, I can’t shake the worry rising in my chest. My life is on the line here too, and every day we wait feels like a risk.

“Leonard,” I say quietly, looking him in the eyes. “I’m with you in this. But promise me you will consider my position here. If we fuck up, I am implicated. The FBI doesn’t care about feelings—they’ll throw anyone under the bus to get a conviction.”

He nods, understanding. “I know. I won’t let that happen to you. As cold as my heart has gotten in the last few days, it’s not that cold. Somehow, you manage to sneak in there and make sure it’s warm, no matter what.”

I couldn’t believe it was possible, but the tender side of Leonard suits him almost as much as the mogul side.

His words give me a momentary relief. We have to be methodical and patient.

But as I look at Leonard, seeing the strain on his face, the tension in his shoulders, I can’t help but feel a surge of determination.

I’m not going to let Oliver ruin his life, not after everything we shared.

This became personal the moment I confessed my feelings for him.

It’s time to admit to myself that this thing between us is not just temporary.

I stand, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. “I’m making some sandwiches, and then we’ll tackle every single file on that server.”

A spark of something fierce lights up in his eyes, and he gives me a nod, a hint of the old Leonard returning. “Thank you. For everything.”

I nod back, feeling a sense of purpose settle over me. I don’t know how long it will take, or what else we’ll uncover, but one thing is clear: we’re in this together, and we won’t stop until justice is served.