Chapter 4 - THE THROWN VASE AND THE UNSEEN WITNESSThe heavy crystal vase shattered into a thousand glittering shards against the glass wall inches from Ethan’s head. Water and crushed white roses cascaded down the polished floor.
Vanessa was chest-heaving, her face twisted in pure, unadulterated hatred. "You ruined everything! You arrogant son of a bitch!"
Before she could lunge forward again, the heavy oak-and-glass office door suddenly buzzed with a loud, authorized chime.
BZZZZT.
Ethan didn't blink. He walked over to the wall control panel and tapped the intercom button. "State your business."
"Mr. Vale?" a stern, authoritative voice crackled through the speaker. "This is Officer Miller, Newport Coast Police Department. We received an automated Tier-1 intrusion alert and a federal cyber-crime priority flag originating from your secure terminal. Are you secure?"
Derek and Vanessa froze in absolute horror. The color vanished entirely from Derek’s face, his knees buckling slightly as reality set in.
"I am secure, Officer," Ethan replied smoothly, keeping his eyes locked on his former fiancée. "And I have two federal corporate espionage suspects trapped inside my private office attempting to steal classified AI source code. Feel free to use your master override code. The front doors are unlocked for law enforcement."
"Copy that, Mr. Vale. Officers are entering now."
Within thirty seconds, heavy, booted footsteps echoed up the grand staircase. The office door slid open, revealing three armed police officers led by Officer Miller, their hands resting cautiously on their duty holsters.
"Step away from the desk! Hands where we can see them! Now!" Officer Miller barked, his eyes darting between Derek and Vanessa.
Derek immediately threw his hands up in the air, his voice shaking uncontrollably. "Wait! It's a misunderstanding! We're partners! We're company executives!"
"Corporate executives don't break into a private residence at midnight using a cloned override key to rip proprietary source code from a master server," Officer Miller snapped, signaling two officers to move in. "Cuff them."
As the cold steel handcuffs clicked sharply around Derek’s wrists, Vanessa let out a hysterical sob, glaring daggers at Ethan as she was hauled toward the doorway. "You haven't won, Ethan! The board still has to vote on Monday! Without the capital injection, your company goes bankrupt anyway! You're finished!"
Ethan watched them being dragged out of his office, his expression completely blank. He didn't feel triumphant. He just felt an overwhelming, heavy emptiness.
The door clicked shut behind the police officers, leaving Ethan alone in the wrecked, silent office.
He walked over to the window, staring out at the dark, restless ocean. Vanessa was right about one thing: the board meeting was still happening in less than sixty hours. And without Derek and Vanessa’s promised venture capital backing, Vale Harbor Systems was facing an immediate liquidity crisis. If he couldn't secure fifty million dollars by Monday morning to cover corporate debts, the company would fold, and Lattice would be auctioned off to the highest corporate bidder.
He had won the battle against corporate espionage, but he was about to lose the war.
Suddenly, a soft, timid knock echoed at the open office door.
May you like
Ethan turned around, expecting a police officer. Instead, standing in the doorway, clutching a worn pink backpack, was a little girl with serious gray eyes.
Lily Parker.
