Page 51 of The Billionaire's Betrayal
Those three words froze my blood.In our hyperconnected world, a USB drive "forgotten" near a company was one of the favorite techniques of cyber attackers.A simple connection could infect not only the computer but the entire internal network.
"There's a virus on the drive," Stella confirmed, her voice breaking."It locked my entire system and there's a ransom demand."
I immediately called Satoshi, who answered quickly.
"Come to the floor right away, we have a problem."
When he arrived, his face hardened as soon as I explained the situation.
"I'll handle it," he said before crouching in front of Stella, who was silently crying."It's going to be okay.You're not connected to the main network of the floor, and all your files have been backed up.At worst, you'll lose a day's work."
Stella stared at him, hesitant, then threw herself into his arms.They separated a moment later, blushing at their closeness.I would have smiled if the situation wasn't so serious.
Satoshi returned fifteen minutes later, after isolating and replacing Stella's computer.
"I'm going to analyze the malware with our White Hat to see what we can learn from it."
Once Stella had left for two days of rest, with instructions to keep the incident confidential, Satoshi fixed me with his piercing gaze:
"Someone is clearly trying to destabilize us."
"Aron Capital?"
"It's possible," he confirmed."I found them particularly quiet following the first series of cyber attacks."
"In any case, well done," I congratulated him."Your caution probably saved us today."
"I admit I'm glad my excess of precaution finally served a purpose."
"I'll check if the surveillance videos show anything."
At the surveillance center, I quickly spotted a delivery person passing by Stella's office during the lunch break.Unfortunately, he seemed to know perfectly well the location of the cameras, always positioning himself to conceal his face.Frustration took hold of me.Our adversary was meticulous and definitely left nothing to chance.
Standing in front of the large window in my office, I didn't see time pass.It was after six when Audrey knocked on my door to say goodbye.I had seen very little of her lately, and that was for the best.I preferred to avoid temptation as much as possible.My guilt towards Eva allowed me to keep my attraction to Audrey under control, even if the attraction was still there.But tonight, instead of leaving immediately, she entered and closed the door behind her.
"Tristan, could I talk to you for a moment?"she asked in a low voice.
"Yes, of course," I replied, intrigued.
She moved toward me, and my eyes fell, despite myself, on her plunging neckline.My body reacted instantly, betraying me.She smiled and came closer, erasing the space between us.Her perfume enveloped me, disturbing me further.She was close, too close.I could feel the warmth of her body, the softness of her skin just inches from me.Her eyes expressed hope and desire.
"What can I do for you?"I asked softly, trying to maintain a professional tone despite the excitement I felt rising within me.I hated this weakness, this inability to remain in control of my emotions and desires in her presence.
"Tristan...I know you wanted us to keep a professional distance, but it's becoming difficult," she whispered."I feel so attracted to you that I have trouble thinking when you're near me.I think of you even when I shouldn't.You obsess me day and night.I've tried to fight against my feelings, but I can't anymore.I...I'm in love with you."
My heart stopped beating for a moment before restarting in a disorderly fashion.Despite everything that had happened between us, I would never have imagined that she could have such feelings for me.Until now, I thought it was just fantasy and desire, but this was very different.Audrey was confessing her love for me!She loved me!It was intoxicating to have such a sublime woman laying her heart at my feet.
She paused, breathless, as if unable to control her emotion, before timidly placing her hand on my heart.This contact burned me like a hot iron, and I remained paralyzed, unable to push her away.
"I know I can't feel something so strong, so intoxicating if you didn't feel the same way about me."
My breathing accelerated despite myself.I was aware of the danger, of the slippery slope I was on, but part of me refused to back down.My gaze was lost for a moment on her parted lips, and I had to gather all my self-control not to give in.My mind was boiling, desire twisting my loins.
Audrey's love offered me the possibility of a future I didn't know existed.
What if...?
I dared not finish that thought, horrified by my own weakness.Eva's face danced before my eyes, reminding me of everything we had built together, everything I risked destroying in an instant.Our sunny mornings, our future plans, our shared secrets.I called upon all the love I had for Eva to resist temptation.
