Morgan had been reviewing a contract for one of her corporate clients when the sound of rushed footsteps outside her office made her pause. A moment later, her assistant, Emily, burst in, followed closely by Mark, the head of IT. Both looked pale, their expressions tense.
"Morgan, we have a situation," Emily said, her voice slightly breathless.
Morgan immediately stood, sensing the urgency. "What happened?" she demanded, closing the folder in front of her.
Mark, usually calm and collected, looked shaken. "There's been a security breach," he explained, gripping the laptop in his hands. "Someone hacked into the firm's servers. We're still assessing the damage, but…it looks like they've accessed all of your case files."
A cold wave of dread washed over Morgan. She narrowed her eyes. "All of them?"
Mark nodded grimly. "Everything. From corporate mergers to divorce settlements, to criminal defense cases—everything you've ever touched. If these files go public…"
Morgan clenched her jaw. "The entire firm would collapse."
More than that, the consequences would be catastrophic. The elite thrived on secrecy. Billionaires, politicians, celebrities—her clients weren't just wealthy, they were powerful, and they expected their affairs to remain hidden. If their dirty laundry was exposed, reputations would crumble, lawsuits would erupt, and the firm could be sued into oblivion.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. Panicking would solve nothing. "Do we know who did it?"
Mark shook his head. "Not yet. Whoever it was covered their tracks well. But they were *in* the system for at least an hour before we detected them and locked everything down. We're running a trace now."
Morgan's mind immediately went to one person. Victor Pierce.
Her father had warned her. Threatened her, even. She should have known he'd retaliate. But hacking her firm? That was a bold move—even for him.
Emily looked worried. "Morgan, this isn't just a data breach. If these files leak, your clients will come after you."
"I know," Morgan said tightly.
Emily hesitated before adding, "We should notify the board. Damage control needs to start now."
Morgan shook her head. "Not yet. If we don't know the full extent of the breach, there's no point in causing a panic."
"But—"
"I said, not yet." Her tone was sharp, final. Emily swallowed and nodded.
Morgan turned to Mark. "Do whatever it takes to find out who's behind this. I don't care how much it costs—hire outside cybersecurity firms if you have to. I want answers today."
Mark nodded. "Understood. I'll keep you updated."
As he and Emily left the office, Morgan exhaled slowly, pressing her fingers to her temples. This was bad. Really bad.
Her father wasn't just making threats anymore. He was coming for her—hard.
And she needed to hit back before it was too late.
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Morgan didn't waste time. She grabbed her phone and opened the group chat that Claire and her siblings had dragged her into weeks ago. At first, she had ignored most of their messages—lighthearted banter, memes from Julian, check-ins from Evelyn, and Claire's occasional teasing. But now, it served a far more urgent purpose.
"Victor finally made his move. He hacked my firm's entire case database."
The three dots indicating someone was typing appeared almost immediately.
Julian: What the hell?
Evelyn: Are you sure it was him?
Morgan: Who else?
Claire: Are you okay?
Morgan hesitated before responding. Was she okay? No. She was furious, but she wouldn't let them see that.
"Meet at Claire's penthouse. We need to talk."
A chorus of confirmations followed, and Morgan grabbed her coat. As she made her way to the elevator, her mind raced. Victor wasn't just sending a warning—he was launching a full-scale attack. And if he was coming for her, her siblings weren't far behind.
---
Morgan stepped into Claire's penthouse to find her siblings already waiting. Julian was pacing near the windows, his jaw tight with frustration. Evelyn sat on the couch, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Claire, dressed in a casual silk robe, had clearly been home when the text came in. She offered Morgan a soft look before motioning for her to sit next to her.
Morgan didn't. She was too tense to relax.
"What exactly happened?" Julian asked, running a hand through his hair. "Because hacking your entire firm? That's next-level even for Victor."
Morgan exhaled sharply. "My IT team caught it before anything was leaked, but whoever did it got access to every case I've worked on. If those files get out, the firm is finished."
Claire's eyes widened. "But wouldn't that expose him, too? You've handled some of his business dealings, haven't you?"
Morgan gave a humorless smile. "Victor doesn't care about collateral damage. If he thinks he can take me down, he'll burn everything in his path."
Evelyn frowned. "Do we have proof it was him?"
Morgan shook her head. "Not yet. But it's too precise, too personal. He warned me, and now this happens?"
Julian let out a bitter laugh. "He really doesn't like it when people disobey him."
Evelyn sighed. "So what's our move?"
Morgan finally sat down, rubbing her temples. "First, damage control. I already have my team working on tracking the hacker. But we need to be prepared for whatever comes next."
Claire reached for Morgan's hand, squeezing it gently. "Do you think he'll come after you personally?"
Morgan hesitated. That was the part that worried her most. Victor was playing dirty. If hacking her firm didn't work, what would he try next?
"I don't know," she admitted. "But we need to be ready for anything."
Julian folded his arms. "I say we hit him first."
Evelyn shot him a look. "And how do you suggest we do that? He's got more money, more power—"
"But we have secrets," Morgan cut in. "Victor isn't untouchable. There are things he's done—things even he wouldn't want getting out."
Julian smirked. "Now that's what I like to hear."
Evelyn still looked unsure. "Are we really ready to go up against him like this?"
Morgan met her gaze, determination hardening her features. "He declared war the moment he hacked my firm. We don't have a choice."
Claire squeezed Morgan's hand again, her voice gentle but firm. "Then we fight back."
Morgan glanced at her, her expression softening for just a moment. Claire wasn't just caught in the crossfire—she had chosen to stand by her side. That meant something.
Morgan exhaled. "Alright. Let's get to work."