what I had to do. Confronting him wouldn't be easy, but it was

gation, but first, I needed to face Marcus. I called him int

demeanor in place. "You w

a seat." I gestured to the

at me with concern. "

arcus, I need to ask you something, and I

lotte. You know

sturbing information. Emails that suggest you've been working wi

so it seemed. "What? That's ridiculous!

s, but the evidence is damning. These emails detail a plan to under

know anything about this. So

Who else would have access

but I promise you, it's not me. I've bee

emails. Explain why y

those emails, but I assure you, Charlotte,

ignore. "Marcus, if you're not involved, then help me

r it takes to pro

enial had been convincing, but the emails were real. Someone wa

n. We sat in a quiet corner of the same

cus?" she asked, her ey

nely shocked by the allegations, but

dden deeper than we expect

uzzed. She glanced at it and frowned. It's from my

u for your help, Isab

ver our conversation, trying to piece together the puzzle. I nee

of problems. Olivia Moore, his assistant, had been

," he c

Mr. Ste

r and sit down

s this

ently. "I need to know where your loyalties lie, Oli

course, I'm with you, Mr. Sterli

n acting differently. And I

t loyal to you. If there's something you're c

on. "I hope for your sake that's true. Because if I find out

er composure. "Understood

t will b

ed with suspicion. He couldn't afford any weak

ouring over more documents wh

e found something," he

t is

s. It's an email thread that didn't show up in the initial

emails. My blood ran cold as

ing over me. "She works for Alexander

ut it's clear she's been playing bo

eant that Alexander's plan was even more intricate than I had rea

dangerous, and if she knows we're on

gather more evidence b

higher than ever, and the lines between frie

ve the office, my phone buzzed wit

red something huge. Mee

on and dread. What more could th

re, looking more serious

t is

s been working with Marcus, but there's more. They're part

ormation. This was bigger than I had imagined. There were connections

t w

behind

's someone within your own famil

han I'd thought, and the im

ho

d with a mixture of pity and determin

eling with shock and disbelief. My own mother, involved i

ed that this battle was far from over. And the