Chapter 7: Shadow of doubt

The soft hum of the city outside was barely audible through the thick glass of Kerrigan Lokir’s office windows. The sleek, modern design of her office, with its clean lines and minimalistic decor, reflected the power and authority she wielded as President of Dragon Corporation.

Yet today, there was a tension in the air that had nothing to do with the previous day’s board meeting or corporate strategies.

Kerrigan sat behind her large, polished desk, her fingers drumming a soft, steady rhythm on the dark wood. Conor had a similar desk back in Jinstain, and she distracted herself thinking about those months using his office.

In truth, her mind was racing, trying to piece together the puzzle that had been forming since her departure from Dragon Corporation months ago. Breanna, her loyal head of security, had been missing for months, and now, other trusted security guards—Stevic and Lear—had been quietly reassigned without a word. It was as if someone was systematically removing her allies, leaving her increasingly isolated within her own company.

Across the room, Conor Brantley stood by the window, his sharp blue eyes scanning the city skyline. He was deep in thought, clearly troubled by the same concerns that weighed on Kerrigan.

She hated that this meeting was the first time he had gotten to see her office, clouded by worry and doubt.

 Reilynn, who had taken up the duties as Kerrigan’s head of security in Breanna’s absence, now leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in contemplation.

Kerrigan finally broke the silence, her voice soft but filled with resolve. “We need to find Breanna. I can’t shake the feeling that something’s terribly wrong. It’s not like her to disappear without a trace, and with Stevic and Lear also gone… It feels like a coordinated effort.”

Conor turned from the window, his expression serious. “I agree. This isn’t a coincidence. Someone is targeting your inner circle, and we need to find out who and why before they make another move.”

Reilynn nodded, her usually dry humor absent. “Breanna was always careful. If she’s missing, it’s because someone wanted her out of the picture. And Stevic and Lear… They would never abandon their posts without a good reason. They were not Dragoons, but they were loyal.”

Kerrigan sighed, running a hand through her long, auburn hair. “I’ve been so focused on dealing with the board and setting up Kelan’s fall that I didn’t even think Kelan would mess with them. But they were part of the reason I escaped. Maybe he found out and delt with them personally.”

Reilynn nodded, “They did take pleasure in removing him from your office and keeping him away while you were in Jinstain. We know Kelan holds grudges.”

“We can’t afford to ignore it any longer. If Breanna has been captured, we need to find her—and we need to do it quietly. The last thing we need is to tip off whoever’s behind this that we’re onto them.”

Conor nodded, already thinking several steps ahead. “We can use Kelan’s restructuring as cover. He’s going to be busy tearing the company apart, which gives us the perfect opportunity to investigate without drawing too much attention. We can frame our inquiries as part of the restructuring process—checking in on departments, reassessing personnel, that sort of thing.”

Reilynn straightened, her eyes narrowing with determination. “I can start asking around. I’ll be discreet, but I’ll make it clear that I’m looking for answers. If anyone knows what happened to Breanna, they’ll be more likely to talk to me or Natalie.”

Kerrigan nodded, appreciating Reilynn’s willingness to take on the task. “Do it. But be careful. We don’t know who we’re dealing with yet, and I don’t want you or anyone else getting caught in the crossfire. Remember, you no longer serve Zadok. If the temple is involved…”

Reilynn gave a sharp nod, her expression grim. “Understood. I’ll start with the lower-level staff—people who might have seen or heard something but aren’t directly involved in Kelan’s plans. If Breanna’s been taken, there might be whispers. People like Stevic and Lear don’t just vanish without leaving some kind of trail. I will talk to their families as well. Hopefully they have just been reassigned to another part of the province.”

Conor moved to stand beside Kerrigan’s desk, his presence a steadying force. “While Reilynn is digging for information, we should also leverage the restructuring. We can subtly shift personnel around, bring in loyalists to replace anyone we suspect might be compromised. And we can use the opportunity to review security protocols—ostensibly to ‘streamline operations,’ but really to plug any holes that might have been exploited.”

Kerrigan appreciated the way Conor’s mind worked, always thinking two steps ahead, always finding ways to protect her and the company. She nodded, her resolve hardening. “We’ll need to be smart about this. Kelan’s already started making his cuts—he’s targeting R&D and Marketing just as we expected. He’s also moving to sell off several subsidiaries, including some of our smaller businesses and charities.”

Conor frowned. “He’s trying to gut the heart of the company. Those subsidiaries are what tie Dragon Corporation to the community. Selling them off will alienate a lot of people.”

“Exactly,” Kerrigan agreed. “But we can use that to our advantage. We’ll let him go ahead with the sales—at least on paper. But we’ll make sure those subsidiaries end up in the hands of allies, people we can trust to keep them running as they always have. Mr. Nuri should be able to help with that. It’ll look like Kelan’s making progress, but in reality, we’ll be keeping everything that matters intact.”

Conor’s eyes gleamed with approval. “Smart. And while Kelan’s distracted by his supposed success, we can keep digging into Breanna’s disappearance. Don’t worry, Kerrigan. We will get her back.”

Kerrigan leaned back in her chair, a plan beginning to form in her mind. “I’ll start making inquiries about Stevic and Lear. If they’ve been reassigned, there should be a paper trail—something that shows where they were sent and who gave the order. I’ll have Natalie look into it discreetly.”

At the mention of her assistant, Kerrigan’s expression softened slightly. Natalie had been with her for years, and the younger woman had become not just an invaluable assistant, but a trusted friend. Kerrigan knew that Natalie was deeply worried about Breanna as well—she had asked about her several times since their return to Dragon Corporation, and the worry in her voice had been unmistakable.

“Natalie’s worried,” Kerrigan said quietly. “She hasn’t seen Breanna in months, and she’s been asking questions. I don’t want her to get caught up in this, but I also know she won’t stop until she gets answers.”

Conor reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Kerrigan’s shoulder. “Natalie’s smart and resourceful. She can help us, but we’ll make sure she stays safe. We’ll bring her in on this. The less she knows, the more danger she will be in.”

“I thought the saying was the less she knows. the better?” Kerrigan asked.

Conor chuckled, “In most cases, yes. But I think Natalie is a smart one, and she deserves to know what we are doing. It will help her do her job better if she knows the moving parts.”

Kerrigan nodded, comforted by Conor’s presence and support. “You’re right. I’ll talk to her.”

Reilynn pushed off from the wall, her stance determined. “I’ll start making my rounds. If anyone knows where Breanna is—or what happened to her—I’ll find out. If you need anything, Evelynn is right outside.”

Kerrigan stood, her decision made. “We’ll meet back here at the end of the day. If we find anything, we’ll regroup and figure out our next steps.”

Conor gave a nod of agreement. “And in the meantime, I’ll talk to Mr. Nuri. If Kelan starts laying people off or selling subsidiaries, I’ll intervene where I can and be sure we are the first to snatch them up.”

With their course of action decided, each left to fulfill their respective roles in the plan. Kerrigan watched them go, a mixture of anxiety and determination churning in her gut. She couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out, that whoever was behind Breanna’s disappearance was already several steps ahead of them.

But she refused to let fear control her. She had survived too much, fought too hard, to let herself be intimidated by an unseen enemy. She would find Breanna, and she would protect the company her parents had built. No matter what it took.