Lucas's POV
"Do you two know each other?" His voice cut through the silence.
Emily's fingers curled tightly against the fabric of her dress.
No one spoke.
I could feel Emily's eyes begging me not to say anything that would ruin things.
I couldn't help but find the moment amusing. Brian's eyes moved from her to me, with a hint of suspicion.
I slipped one hand in my pocket, forcing my expression into a polite one.
"We've met," I said in a calm voice, holding Emily's gaze a second longer than necessary.
Emily's weight shifted from one leg to another.
Brian now looked agitated, one of his brows slightly raised. "Where?"
"At the Office," I replied smoothly. "I was recently transferred and she works under one of the departments I reviewed."
It wasn't totally the truth but neither was it a lie.
He stared at me for a moment before letting out a short laugh.
"Oh, you must be the new executive."
He extended his hand. "Brian Carter. You must be the famous Lucas Reed."
I shook his hand, his grip was firm.
He was trying hard to look confident but desperation could never be completely hidden.
"Nice to meet you," he said.
"Likewise." I nodded at him.
The sound of clinking glasses and laughter from the house eased the tension.
"Why don't you come in," he said. "We are having Thanksgiving, just family and a few friends."
I turned to look at Emily and saw she wasn't comfortable with the suggestion.
"I appreciate the gesture, but I was just leaving." I politely declined.
"Oh, but you were not looking like you were about to leave," he said with a smirk on his face.
Interesting.
Just before I could respond, Emily stepped forward. "He was just asking for directions," she said.
Brian faced her. "Directions?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Directions to where?" he asked, his voice now slightly edgy.
I almost smiled.
Watching him confused was satisfying.
"I am new in the area and lost my way," I said. "I am still trying to get used to the area."
He finally let it go and nodded his head. "Right."
I knew he hadn't completely let it go, but he didn't want to stress it further.
He wrapped an arm tightly around Emily's waist.
Her body tensed immediately. For a brief second, her eyes flickered toward me again.
He glanced at her. "Are you coming in?"
Emily walked past me toward the door. As she did, her shoulder brushed mine lightly. It lasted less than a second. But she didn't look at me again. "Excuse me." And with that, she went inside.
Brian remained standing watching me closely. "You know," he folded his arms. "Emily doesn't talk to strangers."
"Well, I am not one." The corner of my mouth lifted.
"Right." He smirked.
He stepped forward and stopped a few steps from me. "She's been acting strange lately."
"Oh?" I said amused.
"Yeah."
"And it's been like this since she got out of the hospital."
Hospital?
Was she sick?
"What happened?" I asked him, now worried.
"Maybe stress, I guess." He shrugged.
He didn't look like he cared. And I am sure there was more to it.
"Well, I hope she gets better," I said, now stepping towards my car.
He watched me unlock my car.
"You work closely with her?"
"Not exactly."
He nodded slowly.
"Listen," his gaze now hardened. "Emily is my wife." His hand tightened slightly on the car door beside me, his knuckles whitening.
The statement hit out like a warning.
I looked at him.
"I know."
"We are good here then." He smiled now, slowly retracting his steps.
"Drive safe."
If only he knew I had bent his wife in positions he had never explored with her.
My jaw tightened slightly as the memory flashed through my mind.
***
The drive to my Penthouse took about thirty minutes.
I stepped out of the car and loosened my tie.
Something was bothering me.
Not Emily.
But Brian.
Something was off about him.
I stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse.
She looked uncomfortable, especially when he wrapped his arms around her waist.
The tension between them made me want to find out what's going on between them.
As I got out of the elevator, I met my assistant outside.
"Sir."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're working late?"
"You asked me to drop the investigation file tonight."
"Oh yeah," I pressed my hand against the temple of my head. "I forgot. Thanks."
***
My assistant placed the file on the table. "Here it is, Sir."
I nodded. "Good."
I turned to look at him, and he was still lingering like he had something to say.
"What is it?" I asked as I poured myself some juice into a glass cup.
"There were…some things that really stood out while we were investigating and compiling the report."
"Like what?"
"There is a pattern in the financial operations that is connected to several shell companies."
"What does that mean?"
"One particular account keeps on appearing in all the transactions."
I leaned backwards into my cushion.
"Whose account is it?"
"It is strange, Sir,"
"It is linked to one of our partner investment firms."
"Which one?"
"Winifred Capital."
My face darkened.
Winifred.
Harold Winifred has been one of the oldest board members. He has been there for over fifteen years.
He has the most influence, money, and power on the board.
"Leave the file," I told him finally.
***
Just as I was preparing for bed, my phone buzzed.
I frowned at the name on the screen.
Adrian Reed
My half-brother
I debated whether to pick up or decline the call.
I chose the latter. Because Adrian never called without a reason.
"Lucas."
His voice carried a hint of arrogance, a trait he has had since he was small.
"Thought you would never pick up."
"What is it that you want, Adrian?" I asked him, irritated already.
"Always straight to business for you." he chuckled over the phone.
"Get to the point," my voice now louder than before.
"I heard you have been digging around the company," he said.
"And is that a problem?"
"It depends on what you find," his voice now calm.
I sat on the bed. "And why is that a concern to you?"
There was a pause.
Then he spoke. "You have to be careful."
"Is that a warning?"
"See it as brotherly advice."
I almost laughed. "What? Don't try to play nice. It really doesn't fit you."
"There are dangerous people involved in this shit and you don't want to add more enemies to your list."
"Listen, your advice is not needed," I told him sharply.
His tone shifted slightly.
"Be careful."
And with that, I ended the call.
I had a traumatic childhood thanks to him and his mother.
Acting as a saint doesn't fit him.
But for Adrian to call me now, it means something big is happening underneath.
Something I shouldn't be involved in.
And this just piqued my interest.
I finally picked up the file and opened it, while resting on the bed.
I flipped through the first few pages which were filled with financial statements.
There was a list of failed startups, small businesses that barely survived a year, and investment pitches that never saw the light of day.
The name at the top of the page I was currently on caught my attention.
Brian Carter.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
Emily's husband.
What was his name doing here?
I flipped to the next page.
There were records of different businesses. Large amounts borrowed and never completely paid back.
I frowned slightly as I read further. There were a lot of failed businesses.
A restaurant investment that closed after eight months.
A logistics company that never made it past its first year.
Two tech startups that collapsed before they could even launch properly.
At first glance, they looked like a desperate man chasing after several businesses but the numbers didn't add up.
I turned the page over.
There were large wire transfers but they were not random. They were deliberate, from one shell company or another.
There it was again.
The account number my assistant mentioned earlier was linked to Winifred Capital.
I sighed deeply. Brian was more of a middleman, a pawn in this dangerous shit. A greedy one too.
I closed the file, ready to rest my eyes and call it a night but a message popped up on my phone. It was from my assistant.
Sir… There is one more thing you should see about Brian Carter.
An attachment appeared below the message.
I opened it.
My eyes scanned the document once.
Then again.
And this time, I sat up completely.
Because the address listed under Brian Carter's financial records looked very familiar.
Too familiar.
It was the same house I had just driven away from earlier.
That property didn't actually belong to Brian Carter.
It belonged to Winifred Capital.
I stared at the screen for a long moment. My fingers slowly tightened around the phone.
Then a quiet realization settled in my mind.
Emily wasn't just married to a pawn in a corporate scheme.
She was living inside it.