Chapter 5 05

The following day, morning sunlight spilled across the Wilfred estate as Sylvie stepped out of the mansion, hoping for a calm day. But the moment she reached the driveway, she noticed an unusual tension in the air, security guards whispering, cars moving faster than normal, phones ringing nonstop.

Ryan was already waiting beside the SUV, arms folded, eyes scanning the perimeter like a machine programmed for threat detection. He didn't look at her, didn't greet her, didn't even blink.

"Get in." he said flatly.

Sylvie raised a brow. "Wow. Not even a 'good morning'? You're evolving."

"This is not the morning for jokes."

Something in his tone, sharper than usual made her pause. She got inside without another comment.

As soon as they reached the company's main headquarters, everything clicked into place. It was like there was chaos.

Employees crowded the lobby, murmuring anxiously. Multiple news vans parked outside the gates. Security was doubled. Phones buzzed from every corner, and several directors rushed past with pale faces and frantic steps.

"What's going on?" Sylvie whispered as she stepped out of the car.

A shaken receptionist looked at her with wet eyes. "Miss Wilfred... I'm so sorry. The... the shipping containers..."

"What about them?" Sylvie asked, confused.

But before anyone could answer, the elevator doors slid open, revealing her father, Cole Wilfred, storming out with two board members trailing behind him. His expression was thunderous.

"Dad?" Sylvie hurried to him. "What happened?"

He didn't stop walking. "This is not the place, Sylvie."

"Dad!" She grabbed his arm lightly.

He exhaled hard, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Several of our international shipping containers were sabotaged overnight. Destroyed. Millions in losses. Delays. Lawsuits. Media hysteria."

Sylvie's mouth fell open. "What? How?"

"We don't know yet," he cut in. "But the timing is deliberate."

Sylvie swallowed. The building suddenly felt too small, too suffocating.

Her father's voice cracked just slightly as he spoke to the board. "We need all senior staff in the crisis room. Now. No leaks. No excuses."

He turned to Ryan. "Stay with her. Don't let her out of your sight today."

Ryan nodded once. "Understood."

Cole rushed off, leaving Sylvie standing there looking confused and rattled.

They made their way toward the side entrance, but a commotion near the parking lot pulled Sylvie's attention. A group of warehouse workers people she'd seen around for years were huddled together... lamenting Crying.

A middle-aged woman wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "My husband depends on those shipments. If Wilfred freezes operations... we'll lose everything."

Another man muttered, "They're saying layoffs might start soon... that the company may not recover."

Sylvie felt her chest tightened.

This wasn't just a scandal. It was people. Families. Real consequences.

Guilt hit her unexpectedly, hard and cold. She had always seen her father's empire as some giant, unshakeable machine. Something that would always stand no matter how recklessly she behaved.

But this... this looked fragile. Human. Breakable.

She whispered under her breath, "This is bad."

Beside her, Ryan's voice was low but sharp. "It's not random."

Sylvie snapped out of her thoughts. "What?"

Ryan stepped slightly in front of her as a wave of reporters rushed past. His posture stiffened, scanning the area like a man who expected a gun to appear at any second.

"This kind of damage," he continued, jaw tightening, "It's too coordinated. Too precise. It feels like someone planned this.

Sylvie shivered. "You mean... someone did?"

"Just a thought"

Sylvie's heartbeat stuttered.

"Ryan," she said slowly, "you think this is organized, don't you?"

Ryan didn't answer immediately.

His jaw flexed once. "It has all the markings of organized crime."

Sylvie sucked in a shaky breath.

Her world,her glamorous, chaotic, lively world, was suddenly tilting. Everything felt uncertain. Her father, her safety, the company, the people lamenting in the parking lot...

This wasn't some business hiccup.

"Let's go." Ryan finally said, gently placing a hand on her back to steer her away.

"Where?" Sylvie asked.

"A much quieter place"

She nodded silently, her chest tight as they walked away from the chaos.

The moment they stepped into the elevator, Sylvie felt the weight of it all settle on her shoulders.

Her father wasn't just angry these days. He was scared. And now, so was she.