Chapter 2 A Task That Changes Everything

Delphine had barely settled into her seat when a message came through the internal system, short and direct. "My office. Now." She stared at the screen for a second, her pulse tightening slightly before she stood up. As she stepped into Wilson's office moments later, she didn't wait to be told to speak. "You wanted to see me," she said, her voice steady despite the lingering tension from earlier. Wilson didn't respond immediately, his eyes lifting slowly from the file in front of him. "Close the door," he said.

Delphine hesitated for half a second, then did as instructed, the quiet click echoing louder than it should have.

"You handled the file this morning," he said, watching her closely. "You found something most people would have missed." Delphine folded her arms lightly, not defensive, but grounded. "That's my job," she replied. Wilson's gaze sharpened slightly. "No," he said. "That's beyond your job." A brief silence followed before he pushed a thick stack of files toward her. "You're taking the lead on this case," he added. Delphine blinked once, caught off guard despite herself. "That's not a junior assignment," she said carefully. "Then don't approach it like one," he replied.

She stepped closer to the desk, her fingers brushing the edge of the file without opening it yet. "You're assigning me something this complex on my first day?" she asked. Wilson leaned back slightly, his eyes never leaving her face. "I'm giving you an opportunity," he said. "What you do with it determines whether you stay here." Delphine let out a slow breath. "And if I fail?" she asked. His answer came without hesitation. "Then you prove you don't belong." The words were blunt, but something in his tone made them feel like more than a threat.

Delphine nodded once, picking up the file. "Fine," she said. "Then I won't fail." Wilson studied her for a moment, as if deciding whether to believe her. "I'll be watching," he said. Delphine met his gaze directly. "I assumed that already," she replied. A faint shift passed through his expression, almost approval, but gone before it could settle. "Good," he said. "Because I don't repeat instructions." Delphine turned slightly, then paused. "And you don't give second chances either, do you?" she asked. Wilson's voice dropped just slightly. "Not often," he said.

Hours later, the tension hadn't eased, it had deepened. Papers were spread across Delphine's desk, her focus sharp, her movements precise as she worked through the case. "You're going too fast," a voice said beside her. She glanced up to see a colleague watching her with mild concern. "Or you're going too slow," she replied without looking away from the document. He let out a quiet breath. "This case isn't simple," he said. "Neither am I," she answered. From across the room, Wilson's voice cut in without warning. "Then prove it," he said.

Delphine didn't look up this time. "Give me something worth proving," she replied. A brief silence followed, then the sound of a file being placed on her desk. "There's your problem," Wilson said. She flipped it open quickly, her eyes scanning. "This clause is inconsistent," she said almost immediately. "It contradicts the earlier agreement." Wilson watched her carefully. "And the implication?" he asked. Delphine's voice steadied. "If it's challenged, the client loses leverage," she said. "Which means the entire negotiation weakens." Another pause followed. "Fix it," he said.

Before she could respond, a knock cut through the moment. The door opened without waiting for permission, and a man stepped in, his gaze moving directly to Delphine. "I need information on her," he said bluntly. Delphine froze slightly, her grip tightening on the file. "Excuse me?" she asked. The man didn't look at her again. "Her background," he said to Wilson. "Personal details. Who she is outside this office." The air shifted instantly, tension sharpening.

Wilson's voice came cold and controlled. "That's not relevant," he said. The man stepped closer. "It is to me," he insisted. Delphine straightened slightly. "You don't get to ask that," she said. The man's eyes flicked to her briefly, something unreadable passing through them. "I just did," he replied. Before Delphine could respond, Wilson's tone dropped, quieter but far more dangerous. "And I just refused," he said.

A silence followed, thick and suffocating. The man studied Wilson for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Then we'll revisit this," he said before turning to leave. The door closed behind him, but the tension didn't leave with him. Delphine exhaled slowly, her heart still racing. "Who was that?" she asked. Wilson didn't answer immediately. "Someone you don't need to concern yourself with," he said. Delphine frowned slightly. "That stopped being true the moment he asked about me," she replied.

Wilson's gaze shifted to her, sharper now. "You're overstepping," he said. Delphine shook her head slightly. "No," she said. "I'm paying attention." Another pause followed, longer this time. "Then pay attention to your work," he replied. Delphine held his gaze for a second longer before looking back down at the file. "I am," she said. "That's why this doesn't feel normal." Wilson didn't respond, but the silence between them changed.

Time passed, but the tension didn't ease. It was built. Delphine worked, focused, precise, but her mind kept circling back. Then her phone vibrated. She froze slightly before pulling it out, her eyes scanning the message.

"She knows too much. Protect yourself."

Her breath slowed.

"What is it?" Wilson's voice came from across the room. Delphine locked her phone instantly. "Nothing," she said. His gaze didn't move. "You hesitated," he said. She met his eyes. "So did you earlier," she replied. A pause followed. Neither of them looked away.

Minutes later, her phone vibrated again in her hand, and this time Delphine didn't rush to check it. "You felt that too, didn't you?" she asked quietly, her eyes already lifting before she even read the message. Wilson was watching her, closely, intensely and it made her chest tighten in a way she couldn't explain. She finally looked down at the screen and read the words slowly. "You cannot trust anyone. Not even him." Her fingers tightened slightly. Then she looked back at him. "Someone keeps sending me messages," she said, her voice controlled but no longer steady. "And now they're telling me not to trust you."

Wilson didn't react immediately, but something in his expression

shifted, subtle, but real. "Show me," he said quietly, stepping closer without breaking eye contact. Delphine hesitated, then turned the phone toward him. He read it once, his jaw tightening just slightly before he exhaled slowly. "This isn't random," he said. "Someone is watching you." Delphine let out a small, tense laugh. "That's not the part that concerns me," she replied. "It's the part where they think you're involved." Wilson's gaze snapped back to hers. "And do you?" he asked.

The question landed harder than she expected. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice quieter now but sharper at the edges. "That's the problem. Every time I think I understand what's happening, something like this shows up." Wilson took another step closer, lowering his voice. "Then listen to me carefully," he said. "Whatever this is, it didn't start today." Delphine frowned slightly. "Then when did it start?" she asked. Wilson's gaze flicked briefly toward the door, then back to her. "That's not a conversation we should be having here," he replied.

"Then where?" Delphine pressed, frustration creeping into her tone. "Because I'm the one getting the warnings, Wilson. I'm the one being dragged into whatever this is." He didn't answer immediately, and that hesitation made her pulse spike. "Say something," she demanded quietly. Before he could respond, a file suddenly slid off her desk, crashing onto the floor as papers scattered in every direction. Delphine jumped, her breath catching sharply as she stared at it. "Did you do that?" she asked, her voice tight. Wilson's expression hardened instantly. "No," he said.

The silence that followed was thick and immediate. "Then how did it just" she started, but stopped when her phone vibrated again in her hand. Both of them looked down at it this time. Delphine swallowed before unlocking the screen. "Leave now." Her breath hitched slightly. "This isn't funny anymore," she whispered. Wilson stepped closer, his voice firm now. "Delphine, look at me." But she didn't. Her eyes were still locked on the screen. "It changed," she said quietly.

Wilson frowned. "What changed?" he asked. Delphine turned the phone toward him, her fingers trembling slightly. "The message," she said. "It changed on its own." He read it, his expression tightening as the words updated in real time. "You're not supposed to be here." A cold silence settled between them. "This isn't just someone watching," Wilson said slowly. "This is someone inside." Delphine's heart slammed against her chest. "Inside the firm?" she asked.

Before he could answer, the lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then everything went dark.

Delphine's breath caught as the sudden silence swallowed the room. "Wilson?" she called softly, her voice barely steady. "Stay where you are," he replied immediately, his tone low and controlled, but she could hear the tension beneath it. A sharp sound came from behind her, too close, too deliberate and her entire body went rigid. "Did you hear that?" she whispered. "Yes," he said.

And then-

Something moved.

Right beside her.