Chapter 9 Corporate Secrets

Michael stopped. Turned. His eyes blazed with something I couldn't name.

"My wife," he said slowly, deliberately, "wanted children more than anything. That's all I'll say on the matter."

He strode away, ignoring further questions.

I sat frozen, phone clutched to my ear. "Did you hear that?" I whispered to Sam.

"He defended you," she said, sounding as shocked as I felt.

"Why would he do that? After everything..."

"I don't know." Sam paused. "But be careful, Aria. This could be part of their strategy too."

I checked my watch. Three hours until I met Marcus. Three hours to decide if I was walking into salvation or a trap.

My phone buzzed with a news alert from a business publication: "WALTON INDUSTRIES SHARES DROP AMID DIVORCE SCANDAL."

Something cold and calculating awoke inside me. Maybe, just maybe, the mighty Waltons weren't as invincible as they thought.

I pulled out my notebook and began to write questions for Marcus. If he truly had information that could help me, I needed to be prepared.

The Waltons had money, power, and influence. But I had nothing left to lose.

And that made me dangerous.

-

My phone buzzed against the nightstand, jolting me from fitful sleep. The bright screen pierced the darkness of Samantha's guest room. 3:17 AM. An unknown number.

I almost declined it. Almost.

"Hello?" My voice came out raspy, weighed down by exhaustion.

"Aria." The deep voice sent a shock through my system. "It's Marcus."

I sat bolt upright, heart hammering. The last person I expected to hear from.

"How did you get this number? I thought I blocked you because I don't know why you are trying to contact me during this period" The words tumbled out, sharp with suspicion.

"That's not important." His voice was low, urgent. "I need to meet with you. Today."

I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear the fog from my brain. "Why would I meet with anyone from Michael's circle?"

"Because what I have to tell you changes everything." A pause. "It's about Jessica."

My sister's name hit like a slap. I gripped the phone tighter.

"I'm listening."

"Not over the phone. The coffee shop on Willow Street. Nine AM."

The line went dead before I could respond.

---

The coffee shop buzzed with morning energy. I chose a corner table, back to the wall, eyes on the door. Two exits are visible. My nerves were frayed, hands wrapped around a mug I hadn't sipped from.

Marcus arrived precisely at nine, his tall frame commanding attention as he navigated between tables. His typically immaculate appearance was rumpled-tie askew, faint shadows beneath his eyes. He sat across from me without greeting me.

"You look terrible," I said, studying his face.

"Haven't slept." He ordered black coffee when the server approached, then waited until she was out of earshot. "What I'm doing could cost me my job."

"Then why are you doing it?"

His jaw clenched. "Because I've worked for the Waltons for fifteen years, and what's happening isn't right."

The server delivered his coffee. Marcus didn't touch it.

"Your sister has been selling Michael's corporate secrets to Halgate Group's competitors."

The words hung between us. I blinked, trying to process them.

"That's ridiculous," I said, but doubt already gnawed at me. Jessica had always been ambitious. Ruthless when she wanted something.

Marcus reached into his jacket, withdrew a flash drive, and slid it across the table. "See for yourself."

I stared at the small device like it might burn me. "What's on it?"

"Emails. Financial records. Jessica's been working with her friend Miller-he works in R&D. They've been funneling proprietary information about Halgate's newest acquisition targets to Apex Industries for months."

The name was registered immediately. Apex was Halgate's biggest competitor.

"How did you find this?"

"IT flagged unusual access patterns in our secure servers. I started digging." He leaned forward, voice dropping. "She didn't just stumble into Michael's bed, Aria. This was calculated. She needed access to information only Michael's wife-or lover-would have."

My stomach clenched. I'd imagined their betrayal a thousand different ways, but this...

"So I was just collateral damage in her corporate espionage scheme?" The words tasted bitter.

"Jessica saw an opportunity when your marriage hit rough waters. Michael was vulnerable after the last round of fertility treatments failed." Marcus finally took a sip of his coffee, grimacing at its temperature. "She positioned herself as a sympathetic ear, then more."

"And Miller?"

"College friend. Been working for Halgate for three years. Placed there for this exact purpose, we think."

My mind raced, reframing everything I thought I knew. "Does Michael know you're telling me this?"

Marcus shook his head. "He doesn't know I'm here. He's been..." He hesitated. "He's been a wreck since you left. His family has him convinced the divorce was the only option."

"It was the only option after I found him with my sister," I snapped.

"I'm not defending what he did." Marcus's voice hardened. "But you deserve to know what your sister is."

I wrapped my fingers around the flash drive. "Why would you help me?"

Marcus stood, straightening his jacket. "I've known Michael since college. He's made mistakes-big ones. But you made him better." He laid money on the table for both our coffees. "And maybe I'm tired of watching the Waltons destroy people."

He turned to leave, then paused. "There's something else you should know. Jessica's been pushing for a position on the board. If she succeeds..." He let the implication hang.

"She'd have legitimate access to everything," I finished.

Marcus nodded. "Be careful, Aria. The stakes in this game are higher than you realize."

After he left, I sat motionless, the flash drive heavy in my palm. My sister hadn't just stolen my husband. She'd orchestrated my entire downfall for corporate gain. Used me like a pawn.

My phone buzzed with a text from Samantha: *You OK? You disappeared before breakfast.*

I couldn't answer. Couldn't form the words to explain the hurricane of emotions tearing through me.

The coffee shop's warmth suddenly felt stifling. I needed air, needed to think. Clutching the flash drive, I hurried outside into the crisp morning.

On the sidewalk, a familiar black Bentley crawled past. I froze as the back window lowered just enough to reveal Elizabeth Walton's cold eyes fixed on me. She didn't speak, didn't need to. The message in her stare was clear: *I see you.*

The window rolled up. The car glided away.

I stood paralyzed, the flash drive cutting into my palm where I'd clenched it too tight. The game had just changed, and I wasn't prepared for the players.

My phone buzzed again. Samantha, more urgent: *ARIA? Where are you?*

I finally responded: *Coming back. Need to show you something.*

The world tilted on its axis as I walked back to Samantha's house. Every certainty I'd clung to these past weeks had been a lie. Jessica hadn't just taken Michael-she'd orchestrated my entire destruction.

And now I had proof.

The question was: what was I going to do with it?