Chapter 7 Fractured pieces

The car ride back to the apartment felt longer than it should have, as though the world outside was moving in slow motion. Juniper's hands were still trembling from the meeting-clutching the edge of her seat, her knuckles white, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and uncertainty. The conversation with the two executives had unsettled her more than she was willing to admit. The air in the room had been thick with tension, the kind that you could almost taste.

Every word, every glance, had felt like a puzzle piece she was supposed to figure out, but the picture was too fragmented for her to understand.

A leak. Loyalty. A task that was hers to fix, even though she had no idea what she was supposed to be fixing.

She leaned back against the leather seat, trying to steady her breath. Everything was happening too fast. The world she had stepped into was so different from anything she had ever known, so removed from her life as a florist. She felt like a puppet, strings pulling her in every direction, none of it of her making. The idea of being thrust into Selene's life had seemed exciting at first-until now. Now it felt suffocating, like she was drowning in someone else's skin.

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "You're quiet tonight, Ms. Voss. Long day?"

Juniper barely registered the question. She nodded absently, still lost in her thoughts. "You could say that."

The car continued through the busy streets, the city lights blurring outside. She couldn't focus on anything in particular-her mind was racing through a thousand possibilities, a thousand questions. What kind of leak had they been talking about? Who could she trust in this world? Was anyone really who they seemed to be?

She didn't have answers, and the not knowing was starting to eat away at her. The sense of disorientation was unbearable, each moment slipping through her fingers like sand.

As they pulled up in front of the apartment building, Juniper felt a strange sense of relief. At least here, in this sterile, impersonal space, she could catch her breath. She could pretend to be herself for a while.

The elevator ride up was silent, and when the doors opened to her floor, she stepped out and walked down the hallway toward the apartment. The door to Selene's home was already unlocked when she arrived.

She didn't remember leaving it that way. But then again, she didn't remember much of anything lately.

Inside, the space was exactly as it had been when she first stepped into it-minimalist, sleek, cold. Everything was pristine and orderly, with no hint of anything personal or lived-in. The furniture, the decor-it was all carefully curated to reflect an image of wealth and power. There were no signs of the woman who lived here-no photos, no knick-knacks, nothing to give the place any warmth.

Juniper moved through the apartment with mechanical precision, stripping off her jacket, her shoes, and collapsing onto the plush couch. The silence was both a comfort and a weight. The fact that she didn't belong here, didn't fit into this world, was becoming impossible to ignore. Every interaction she had-whether with Rayne, the executives, or the driver-left her feeling more like an imposter.

She ran a hand through her hair, letting out a deep sigh. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. She hadn't signed up for this-hadn't agreed to be thrust into someone else's life, let alone someone as complicated and powerful as Selene Voss.

But the more she tried to focus on what was happening to her, the more she realized that there was one thing she couldn't ignore.

The leak.

Who was leaking information, and why? What was the nature of the business she was now part of, and who was pulling the strings behind the scenes?

As she thought about it, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over her. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to regain some semblance of control, but the thoughts wouldn't let her rest. Her mind felt like a chaotic mess of threads-none of them leading anywhere meaningful.

There was a soft knock on the door, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Ms. Voss?" the voice on the other side was familiar, the driver from earlier.

Juniper stood, her body stiff with tension. "Yes?" she called, walking toward the door and opening it.

The driver stood there, holding a folder in his hands. "I was instructed to deliver this to you personally," he said, his expression neutral.

Juniper hesitated for a moment before stepping aside to let him in. She took the folder from his hands, her fingers brushing against his briefly.

"Thank you," she said, though she felt a pang of unease.

He didn't speak again, just nodded, turned, and left, the door closing softly behind him.

The folder felt heavy in her hands, its contents hidden under the black folder. She didn't know why, but her stomach churned at the thought of opening it.

Slowly, she sat down at the kitchen counter, laying the folder out in front of her. The seal was unbroken, but it looked official-far too official. She felt like a thief as she tore it open, revealing a stack of printed pages.

The first document was a briefing sheet, outlining what she assumed were the details of the leak. Her eyes skimmed the words, trying to make sense of the information. Names of companies, dates, accounts-lines of data that seemed like an impossible jumble. There were mentions of meetings and deals, some involving Apex Solutions, some not.

The name that caught her eye was "Project Arcturus."

Juniper's pulse quickened. That was the project Rayne had mentioned earlier. She didn't know what it was, but it was clear from the documents that it was linked to a highly sensitive operation. Whoever had leaked this information had done so with intent.

She flipped through the pages, each one more convoluted than the last, until one particular sheet stopped her. There was a name at the bottom-Victor Hale.

She frowned, staring at the name, something nagging at the back of her mind. Why did it sound familiar?

Before she could think any further, the phone on the counter buzzed, its screen lighting up with an incoming call. The number was unlisted.

She hesitated for only a moment before answering. "Hello?"

"Selene," the voice on the other end was low, clipped. Rayne.

"I trust you've received the files," Rayne continued. "There's no time to waste. We need you to handle this quickly."

Juniper's grip tightened around the phone. "What's this about Victor Hale?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, a beat too long. "I'm afraid you're not ready to know that yet," Rayne replied, her voice turning colder. "But soon you'll have all the answers you need. Just don't screw this up."

The line went dead.

Juniper stared at the phone for a long moment, her thoughts swirling. She had been given a task-fix the leak, protect the secrets, be Selene Voss. But the more she uncovered, the more it felt like she was being dragged into something darker. And Victor Hale was the key.

But how did he fit into this?