Chapter 14 Trust no one

Leo slammed the war room door shut behind him. The entire executive floor was now locked down. No one entered. No one left.

"Show me the logs," he demanded.

Marcus brought up the security records on the main screen. Elena stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her face calm but her eyes sharp with disbelief.

Leo scanned the data. The message had been right. Elena Voss had authorized the visitor pass three days ago under a false name. The same visitor tied to the first explosion at Meridian Tower.

"Explain," Leo said, turning to face her directly. His voice stayed low and controlled but carried steel.

Elena met his gaze without flinching. "I did authorize a visitor. But it was for a legitimate consultant we brought in to review security weaknesses. I had no idea the ID was fake. Someone must have used my credentials."

Leo studied her face, searching for any crack. This was the woman who had stood by him since the first night, the only person who had not laughed at the dinner table. Now doubt poisoned everything.

Marcus cleared his throat. "The authorization came from her terminal. Timestamp matches. But someone could have accessed it remotely."

Leo felt the weight of every betrayal pressing down. Damien. Sophia. Now possibly Elena. The phantom blade felt closer than ever.

"Step away from all systems," Leo told her. "Marcus, restrict her access until we verify this. Elena, if you are clean, you will understand why I have to do this."

Elena nodded slowly, though hurt flashed in her eyes. "I understand. But while you are looking at me, Victor is still out there planning his next move. And Sophia is helping him."

Leo turned away before the doubt could weaken him. "Full audit on everyone with executive access. Cross reference every login with the times of leaks and attacks. I want a shortlist of suspects by morning."

The team worked through the night under heavy tension. Leo paced the room, issuing orders and reviewing reports. The flagship tower was now officially under Kane control, but the damage from the explosions would cost millions. Victor had escaped. Sophia had vanished with him.

At four in the morning, a new breakthrough came.

Marcus approached with fresh data. "We traced the anonymous warning messages. They came from an offshore server, but the origin point is inside this building. Executive level. And the IP matches a terminal in the legal department."

Leo narrowed his eyes. "Who has access there?"

"Clara," Marcus replied. "Your lead legal advisor."

Leo felt another twist hit hard. Clara had been with them since the beginning, quiet, efficient, always present during key meetings. He had trusted her with sensitive documents.

"Bring her in," Leo ordered.

Thirty minutes later, Clara sat in the side conference room, looking nervous but composed. Leo entered with Marcus.

"You sent the warnings," Leo said flatly. "Why?"

Clara exhaled slowly. "Because I discovered something bigger than all of us. Elena is not who she claims to be. Her family has quiet ties to Victor Hale through offshore investments. She approached you that first night on purpose."

Elena, watching through the glass from outside, stepped in. "That is a lie. My family cut all ties years ago."

The room crackled with suspicion. Leo felt the ground shifting again. Every person he turned to seemed to hide something.

"Enough," Leo said. "Both of you are restricted until this is cleared. Marcus, dig deeper. Financial records, family connections, everything."

As dawn broke, Leo stood alone by the window. The city looked the same, but everything beneath the surface had become a minefield. He had risen from delivery driver to this, only to find the empire riddled with knives aimed at his back.

His phone rang. An unknown number.

He answered.

"Leo Kane," a distorted voice said. "You are looking in the wrong places. The real traitor is the one closest to you. The one who never laughed at dinner because she was waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

The call ended.

Leo stared at the phone. The voice had been masked, but the words dug deep. Elena had been there from the first night. She knew every plan, every move.

He turned as Elena entered the room again, despite the restrictions.

"You should not be here," he said.

"I know how this looks," she replied, voice steady. "But I have never betrayed you. Not once. If you start doubting me now, Victor wins without firing another shot."

Leo studied her carefully. The woman who had become his anchor now carried the heaviest cloud of suspicion. Yet something in her eyes still felt real.

"Prove it," he said. "Help us find Clara's full records. Show me where your loyalties really lie."

Elena nodded and sat down at a restricted terminal under supervision. As she worked, Marcus brought more troubling news.

"Sir, we have movement. Victor has been spotted at a private airfield. He is preparing to leave the country with Sophia. But he left a message for you through back channels."

Leo read the printed note.

"Come alone to the old family estate if you want the full truth about your grandfather and Elena. Or watch your empire burn from afar."

Leo crumpled the paper. Another trap.