The Heir’s Secret Agenda

Chapter 8: Cracks in the Facade

Emma stared at the glowing skyline from the balcony of her apartment, her hands trembling as she clutched the USB drive Adrian had given her. The weight of their earlier conversation pressed heavily on her chest. Adrian’s deal echoed in her mind: Help me expose Victor, and I’ll protect you. It sounded noble, almost heroic. But this wasn’t a fairy tale.

She couldn’t shake the memory of Victor’s menacing whisper at the gala. The threat still lingered, clawing at her resolve. If Victor found out she was working with Adrian, there would be no escape.

A knock at her door startled her. She quickly stuffed the USB into her pocket and smoothed her dress. “Who is it?” she called out, her voice steadier than she felt.

“It’s me,” Adrian replied from the other side.

Emma hesitated before opening the door. Adrian stepped inside, his presence commanding as always, but his expression was softer than usual.

“Did you find anything?” he asked, his voice low.

Emma nodded, closing the door behind him. She handed him the USB drive. “This has everything I could gather on Victor’s recent transactions. But... I didn’t have time to dig deeper. Someone’s always watching me.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened. “You’re taking a risk just by talking to me. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Her eyes flickered with a mix of determination and fear. “If it means getting away from Victor, I don’t have a choice.”

Adrian studied her for a moment, then moved to her small dining table and pulled out his laptop. “Let’s see what he’s hiding.”

As the files loaded, Emma hovered nervously behind him. The room was silent except for the soft hum of the laptop.

“There,” Adrian said, pointing at a folder labeled Dixon Holdings. He clicked it open, revealing a series of contracts and emails. Emma leaned closer, her heart racing as she recognized some of the names.

“These are shell companies,” she whispered. “Victor’s been funneling money through them for years. He told me they were just investments.”

Adrian’s eyes darkened as he scanned the documents. “They’re not just investments. Look at this.” He opened another file, revealing a ledger with large sums of money flowing in and out. “He’s laundering money through Vale Industries.”

Emma’s hand flew to her mouth. “If this gets out, the company’s reputation will be destroyed.”

“That’s exactly what he wants,” Adrian said, his voice sharp. “He’s selling off parts of the company to a shadowy investor. Once it collapses, he’ll walk away with millions, leaving everyone else to deal with the fallout.”

Emma sank into a chair, her head spinning. “I knew he was ruthless, but this…” She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

Adrian closed the laptop and turned to her. “This is why I need your help. Victor won’t stop until he’s taken everything—Vale Industries, your life, and mine. But together, we can stop him.”

Emma looked at him, her fear battling with the flicker of hope his words sparked. “What do you need me to do?”

“Keep doing what you’re doing,” Adrian said. “Find out everything you can, but be careful. If Victor catches on…”

“I know,” she interrupted, her voice trembling. “He won’t need to make another threat.”

Adrian crouched in front of her, his gaze unwavering. “I won’t let that happen.”

Her breath hitched at the intensity in his eyes. For a moment, the cold, calculating man she had seen at the gala was gone, replaced by someone who seemed genuinely concerned for her safety.

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I’ll do what I can.”

---

The following week was a blur of stolen moments and secret exchanges. Emma used her position as Victor’s fiancée to access files and gather information, while Adrian worked behind the scenes to piece together the bigger picture.

But the closer they got to uncovering the truth, the more dangerous their situation became.

One evening, Emma slipped into Adrian’s office at Vale Industries, her pulse racing. She handed him a manila folder. “I found this in Victor’s study,” she whispered.

Adrian opened it, his brows furrowing as he scanned the contents. “These are the agreements for the sale of Vale Industries,” he said. “But look at the buyer’s name—Dixon Holdings. That’s one of the shell companies we found.”

Emma clenched her fists. “He’s selling the company to himself?”

“Not exactly,” Adrian said, his tone grim. “Dixon Holdings is just a front. The real buyer is hidden behind layers of false identities. But I’ll find them.”

Before Emma could respond, the office door creaked open. She froze, her heart leaping into her throat as Victor stepped inside.

“Emma,” he said smoothly, his gaze flickering between her and Adrian. “What are you doing here?”

Emma forced a smile, her mind racing. “I was just... catching up with Adrian. He wanted to show me some of the changes he’s making to the company.”

Victor raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Is that so?”

Adrian leaned back in his chair, his expression calm and unreadable. “Just trying to keep things transparent, Victor. You’ve always been big on that, haven’t you?”

Victor’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t take the bait. Instead, he turned to Emma. “I need to speak with you. Alone.”

Emma hesitated, glancing at Adrian. He gave her a barely perceptible nod.

“Of course,” she said, following Victor out of the office.

---

That night, Emma returned to her apartment to find an envelope slipped under her door. Her hands trembled as she opened it, revealing a single piece of paper with bold, black letters:

I know what you’re doing. Stop, or else.

Her breath caught as she clutched the note. She rushed to lock the door, her mind reeling. Who had sent it? Victor? One of his spies?

A knock at the door made her jump.

“Emma, it’s me,” Adrian’s voice called out.

She hesitated before letting him in, the note still clenched in her hand.

“What’s wrong?” Adrian asked, immediately sensing her distress.

Wordlessly, she handed him the note. His expression darkened as he read it.

“We’ve been compromised,” he said, his voice low. “Someone knows.”

Emma’s knees buckled, and Adrian caught her before she collapsed. “What do we do?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Adrian’s eyes burned with determination. “We don’t stop. Whoever sent this is trying to scare you, but we’re too close to the truth to back down now.”

Emma looked up at him, her fear warring with the strength in his gaze. “And if they’re not just trying to scare me? What if they mean it?”

Adrian’s jaw tightened, his grip on her shoulders firm. “Then we fight back. No matter what.”

Before Emma could respond, her phone buzzed with a message from Victor:

Come home. We need to talk.

She showed the message to Adrian, her hands shaking.

“Go,” he said. “But be careful. And remember—you’re not alone in this.”

Emma nodded, summoning every ounce of courage she had as she left the apartment.

As she stepped into Victor’s penthouse, she found him waiting in the living room, a glass of whiskey in his hand.

“Sit,” he said, his voice cold.

Emma obeyed, her heart pounding.

Victor studied her for a moment, his eyes sharp and calculating. “You’ve been acting strange lately,” he said. “Care to explain?”

Emma forced a smile, masking her terror. “I’ve just been... stressed with the wedding planning. That’s all.”

Victor leaned forward, his gaze piercing. “Stressed? Or hiding something?”

Her breath hitched, but she kept her expression neutral. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Victor smirked, setting his glass down. He stood and walked over to her, leaning in close.

“If I find out you’ve betrayed me,” he whispered, his tone dripping with menace, “you’ll regret it.”