Elena's POV
I sat in my chair, fingers tracing the edge of my desk, eyes distant.
How long had they been doing this? Using my name. My identity. My silence.
Every file I uncovered made my skin crawl.
Every signature that wasn't mine made my blood run colder.
My phone buzzed.
Agent:
A few of the accounts are offshore. Still tracing ownership.
Whoever did this… they covered their tracks well.
I typed back:
Me:
Keep going. No matter what.
I stood, walking over to the window.
The city stretched beyond me. Bright. Loud. Busy.
But behind all that noise—someone was trying to bury me.
Not just ruin me. Erase me.
And they almost had.
But not anymore.
The door opened again.
Mariah.
She held a folder, her smile practiced.
"Afternoon, Miss Marlowe. Thought I'd bring in the signed contracts from earlier."
"Thank you," I said, taking them.
Our hands brushed.
She paused. "Are you feeling okay? You seem... tired."
I looked her dead in the eye.
"I've had a lot on my plate."
