The morning headlines struck like a lightning bolt.
"Logan Hale Under Federal Investigation: Insider Trading Scandal Unveiled"
Aria's phone buzzed incessantly as she scrolled through the news articles, the accusations against Logan plastered across every major outlet. Confidential reports, bank statements, and internal communications had been leaked—enough evidence to warrant a full-scale investigation. It wasn't just a blow to his reputation; it threatened to dismantle Hale Enterprises.
Julie's voice broke through the haze.
"This wasn't you, right?"
Aria's jaw tightened.
"No. Even if I wanted to, I didn't have this level of information."
The leak was too meticulous, too perfectly timed. Someone had gone straight for Logan's throat, and while Aria had every reason to want him exposed, this wasn't her doing. Whoever was behind it had resources and insider knowledge—the kind of information even she had struggled to uncover.
"This is bad," Julie muttered. "Logan's scrambling. He's called for an emergency board meeting."
"Good. Let him squirm," Aria said, though the hollow feeling in her chest remained.
But the unsettling truth gnawed at her. The sniper attack, the ominous note, and now the scandal. They weren't isolated incidents. Someone wanted Logan and Aria both in turmoil. And that someone was succeeding.
---
Logan leaned back in his chair, the usual control in his expression absent. His assistant, visibly pale, stood before him, clutching a stack of newspapers. The front pages were plastered with damning headlines.
"CEO Logan Hale Under Federal Investigation for Insider Trading."
The words burned into his mind as he snatched one of the papers, skimming through the accusations. Every dirty deal, every manipulation — all laid bare. Logan's fists clenched. He had been meticulous. There were no loose ends.
"Who the hell leaked this?" he growled.
"We… we don't know, sir." His assistant's voice shook. "The report was sent anonymously to major outlets. It's everywhere."
The phone rang. Logan grabbed it without hesitation.
"Who is this?"
A low, distorted voice answered.
"Your secrets are not just yours anymore. The past you buried is clawing its way back."
Logan's grip tightened.
"What do you want?"
"To watch." The voice was laced with amusement. "To see how long you last."
The line went dead.
Logan slammed the phone down, his fury boiling. He wanted to scream, but instead, he forced his emotions into a cold, calculated resolve. His mind raced. Aria. She had motive, but even she wouldn't have had access to the depths of his crimes. No, this was someone else. Someone who knew everything.
Without wasting a moment, he summoned his inner circle for an emergency meeting. Executives shuffled into the boardroom, their faces twisted with fear and confusion. Each one had played a role in his schemes, but the fear in their eyes confirmed it—none of them had leaked the information.
"Someone in this room betrayed me," Logan's voice was cold, calculated. "Every move I made was covered, locked away. Yet, this leak was too precise. So tell me — who talked?"
The employees exchanged nervous glances, but no one spoke.
"I will find the traitor," Logan growled. "And when I do, there will be consequences."
But even as he spoke, one name lingered in his mind. The shadowy figure. The one who had offered him support in dismantling Aria. Logan pulled out his phone, dialing a number he rarely used.
The figure answered almost instantly.
"Logan."
"You knew." Logan's voice was low, threatening. "The scandal. The leak. Did you do this?"
The figure chuckled softly. "If I wanted to destroy you, Logan, I wouldn't leave you standing."
"Then who?"
"That's for you to figure out." The voice was cold. "But remember, the storm has only begun."
The call ended, leaving Logan seething.
---
The figure leaned back in the leather chair, the dim light casting elongated shadows across the room. The bodyguard, ever vigilant, stood nearby, watching his master's unreadable expression.
"A master move," the bodyguard said with a trace of admiration. "They'll both crumble."
The figure's smile deepened, but it was void of warmth.
"And we'll be there to watch," they replied, fingers steepled. "One by one, their carefully constructed worlds will collapse. This is only the beginning."
A low chuckle echoed through the room. The game was far from over.
The bodyguard shifted slightly, his curiosity barely concealed. "What's next? You have them both on edge. But if they start digging, they might trace the leaks."
The figure's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Let them dig. Every clue will lead to another dead end, another whisper of paranoia. They'll question their own shadows before they ever reach me."
The bodyguard nodded, but his brows furrowed. "And Aria? She's stubborn. She won't back down. Neither will Logan."
The figure's fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk. "Which is precisely why we give them something else to worry about. Logan will waste his resources chasing ghosts, and Aria… she will learn that the people closest to her aren't as loyal as they seem."
A flash of intrigue crossed the bodyguard's face. "You're planning to turn her own allies against her."
"Not just her allies. Her own mind," the figure said with a chilling certainty. "The threats will become more personal. Her doubts will grow. She'll be too consumed by fear to see what's right in front of her."
The bodyguard hesitated, sensing the unrelenting nature of the plan. "And Logan?"
"He will lose control. He believes power makes him untouchable, but desperation is a dangerous thing. He will lash out, making enemies of those who once stood by him. And when the time is right…" The figure's smile returned, dark and triumphant. "We'll deliver the final blow."
The bodyguard gave a curt nod. "Consider it done."
"Good," the figure replied, voice low. "The stage is set. Let the next act begin."
---
"Still nothing?" Aria asked, pacing as her hired detective, Miles, shook his head.
"No evidence. The shooter left no trace. No fingerprints, no camera footage, not even a discarded casing. Whoever this is, they're a ghost."
Aria bit her lip.
"And the note?"
"No identifiable prints. Just like the hit. The person you're dealing with knows how to cover their tracks."
Frustration gnawed at her. Aria had built her resilience through years of corporate warfare, but this opponent was different—calculating, untouchable.
"Keep digging," she ordered.
But even as the detective left, Aria's thoughts twisted. The figure in the shadows had now come for both her and Logan.
"A common enemy," she whispered to herself.
And whoever they were, they weren't done yet.