Page 94 of Dial L for Lawyer
"We have a problem," he says.
"Bigger than what we’re already facing?" I ask.
"Maya Bolton just announced she's joining Radiance as their new Senior Marketing Director."
Logan and I exchange looks.
"When?"
"Twenty minutes ago. Press release and everything. She's claiming she left Luminous because of 'ethical differences with her mentor.'"
"That little bitch," Logan says, which is shocking because Logan never swears.
"It gets better," Bennett continues. "She's giving an interview to Business Weekly next Thursday. Want to guess what about?"
"How Serena supposedly orchestrated the whole thing?" I guess, my jaw clenching.
"Bingo. She's painting herself as the whistleblower who discovered her mentor's betrayal."
I want to punch something. Preferably Maya's face.
"What did you find?" I ask Logan.
"Maya's been accessing restricted files for months. But here's the interesting part—she hasn’t done this alone. There's no video footage of her entering the building during the ghost badge times. Someone's helping her, someone with serious cash and technical skills."
"Who?"
"Still working on it. But my guess? Radiance. They're the only ones who benefit from this."
"But how are they benefiting from ruining Serena?" Logan asks.
“It’s a hostile takeover," Bennett says. "They're not just stealing trade secrets; they're stealing the narrative. They discredit Serena, Luminous loses its creative engine, and Radiance scoops up the market share."
I think of Maya consoling Serena, trying to make her feel like she still had a friend through all of this when she was activelystabbing her in the back. The audacity of it makes my blood run cold.
"We need to get ahead of that interview," Bennett says, already pacing.
"Logan," I say, my voice tight. "Find her accomplice. There has to be a mole inside Luminous."
Logan's fingers fly across the keyboard. "I'm running badge-outs versus VPN logins. If I can cross-reference network pings with access card anomalies, maybe we catch the ghost in action."
"How long?" I ask.
"Maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Depends on?—"
My phone rings. Serena.
"Hey—"
"Caleb, something's wrong." Her voice is tight with panic. "There are reporters outside my building. They're saying Maya's given them proof that I sold out Luminous."Fuck. We’re already too late.
My hand clenches around the phone so hard the case creaks. "Don't go outside. I'm coming to get you."
"Caleb—"
"Pack a bag. You're staying with me until this is sorted."
"I can't just?—"
