«Sure,» David said, trying to stay calm. «About what?»
Leandro closed the door behind him and stepped closer to David’s desk. «About your little late-night investigation on Friday.»
David’s blood ran cold. «I don’t know what you’re talking about.»
«Don’t lie to me, David.» Leandro sat down in the chair across from the desk, crossing his legs with arrogance. «Do you think I’m stupid? That I wouldn’t notice someone accessing confidential files in the middle of the night?»
David kept a neutral expression, but inside he was panicking. «I have the right to access any file in my own company.»
«Oh yes, your company,» Leandro said with a humorless laugh. «For now.»
«What’s that supposed to mean?»
Leandro pulled his phone from his pocket and placed it on the table. «It means I know exactly what you found. I know you talked to the cleaning lady. I know you’re planning to expose me this afternoon.»
David stood up suddenly. «How do you—»
«How do I know?» Leandro interrupted. «David, you’re even more naive than I thought. You think I don’t have people keeping me informed about your every move?»
The office door opened again, and Sofia walked in. She looked perfect as always, but there was something cold and cruel in her eyes that David had never seen before.
«Hello, David,» she said, walking over and kissing Leandro on the cheek. «I missed you over the weekend.»
«Sofia?» David looked at her, confused. «What are you doing here?»
«I’m here to witness your surrender,» she said, sitting on the armrest of Leandro’s chair, running her fingers through his hair possessively.
«Surrender?»
Leandro smiled and unlocked his phone. «David, you’re going to cancel that ridiculous board meeting. You’re going to destroy all the evidence you’ve gathered, and you’re going to sign the Sterling Corporation contract today.»
«Are you out of your mind? After what I found out about you two?»
«No,» Leandro said, turning the phone toward David. «After what I found out about you.»
On the screen, David saw pictures of himself entering Anna’s building in Pilsen, talking to her at the café, kissing her on the street.
«So what?» David frowned. «There’s nothing wrong with—»
«Oh, isn’t there?» Sofia leaned forward. «David, you used inside company information to locate a former employee. Then you used company funds to pay for her sister’s surgery.»
David felt the ground shift under him. «How do you know about—»
«About the anonymous $200,000 donation?» Leandro laughed. «David, did you really think you could move that kind of money without me knowing?»
«That doesn’t prove anything illegal.»
«It proves abusive power,» Sofia said, pulling a folder from her purse. «It proves you were romantically involved with an employee who had access to sensitive information. It proves you paid a large amount of money to influence a witness.»
David grabbed the documents and flipped through them. They were forged contracts, fake emails, altered bank records—everything designed to make it look like he had used the company to benefit Anna in exchange for favors.
«This is all fake.»
«Of course it is,» Leandro said, standing up. «But who’s going to believe you? A CEO who got involved with a cleaning lady and used company money to impress her?»
«You can’t do this.»
«We can, and we will,» Sofia said, stepping closer to David, «unless you cooperate.»
David looked at Leandro and Sofia, two people he had once loved and trusted completely. And now he saw that he had never really known them.
«What do you want?» David asked.
«I already told you,» Leandro said, sitting back down. «Cancel the meeting, destroy the evidence, sign the contract.»
«And if I don’t?»
Leandro tapped his phone again and showed David another photo. It was Anna and Maria leaving the hospital after an appointment.
«Then Ms. Santos and her sick sister will find out what happens to people who stick their noses where they don’t belong,» Leandro said.
David felt pure rage run through him. «Don’t you dare threaten them.»
«It’s not a threat, David, it’s a promise,» Leandro said, putting his phone away. «I have contacts all over Chicago. One phone call from me, and Anna Santos won’t find work anywhere. And her little sister… well, accidents happen, especially with people in poor health.»
«You’re a monster.»
«I’m a businessman,» Leandro said, adjusting his tie. «And you, my old friend, are a problem that needs to be dealt with.»
David looked at Sofia, searching for some trace of the woman he had fallen in love with years ago. «Sofia, do you really agree with this? Threatening innocent people?»
Sofia laughed, a cold, calculated sound. «David, you were always so romantic, so idealistic.» She stepped closer to him. «Do you really think I broke up with you because we weren’t compatible?»
«Didn’t you?»
«I broke up with you because you were poor,» she said. Her words hit like a slap. «Well, not poor exactly, but limited. You were building a small company, dreaming small. Leandro offered me the chance to be truly wealthy.»
David stared at her, stunned. «You never loved me.»
«I loved your ambitions. I loved the potential of what you could become,» Sofia said, touching his face with fake tenderness. «But when I saw that Leandro was willing to do whatever it took to succeed while you clung to your moral principles, well, the choice was obvious.»
«Moral principles?» David pulled her hand away. «You say that like it’s a bad thing.»
«In the business world, it is,» Leandro said as he stepped closer. «David, you built a $500 million company while limiting yourself with ethics and morals. Just imagine what you could have achieved if you’d been a little more flexible.»
«I don’t want to achieve anything that way.»
«And that’s why you’ll lose everything,» Sofia said, moving to stand next to Leandro. «Because in the end, people like you always lose to people like us.»
David looked at the two of them, holding hands, smiling with cruelty. Fifteen years of friendship with Leandro, two years in a relationship with Sofia—all built on lies.
«You have one hour to decide,» Leandro said, checking his expensive wristwatch. «Noon. Either you sign the contract, or we destroy you and everything you care about.»
«And Anna?» David asked. «If I cooperate, will you leave her alone?»
«If you cooperate and keep your mouth shut, Anna Santos and her sister can go on living their small, insignificant lives in peace,» Leandro said, opening the door. «But if you try to cross us again…» He didn’t finish the sentence, but the threat was clear.
After they left, David sank into his chair. He looked out the window at Chicago, the city he’d called home for most of his adult life. Now it felt cold and unfamiliar.
His phone rang. It was Anna.
«David, I’m arriving at the building. Is everything ready for the meeting?»
David closed his eyes. If he told Anna the truth, he’d be putting her and Maria in danger. But if he lied…
«David, are you there?» Anna’s voice came through.
«I’m here,» he said, his voice rough. «Anna, about the meeting…»
«Yes?»
David looked at the folder with the evidence on his desk. Then he looked at the forged documents Sofia had left—two versions of the truth, one that could save his company, the other that could protect the woman he was beginning to love.
«I need to cancel it.»
«Cancel? Why?»
«Legal complications. We need more time.»
There was silence on the other end. «David, are you okay? You sound strange.»
«I’m fine,» he lied, hating himself for it. «Just a change of plans.»
«All right. Talk later?»
«Of course.»
David ended the call and buried his face in his hands. For the first time in his adult life, he felt completely defeated. Leandro and Sofia had won, and he didn’t know how to fight people who were willing to threaten the innocent.
Outside, Anna stood on the sidewalk in front of the Miller Technologies building, looking up with a strange feeling that something was very wrong.
Inside the office, David stared at the contract from Sterling Corporation. In a few hours, he would sign away everything. But at least Anna and Maria would be safe. Or at least, that’s what he hoped.
Anna knew something wasn’t right. The sudden cancellation, the strange tone in David’s voice, the way he avoided eye contact when they finally saw each other in the lobby. After years of working with people, she had learned how to read signs.
That night, Anna decided to investigate on her own. As a former cleaning staff member, she knew every entrance and exit of the Miller Technologies building. At 9 p.m., with only the night security staff on duty, she used her knowledge of access codes, which were rarely changed, to enter through the basement. She took the service stairs to the executive floor. Her goal was simple: to find out why David had changed his mind so suddenly.
In Leandro’s office, she found what she was looking for. Unlocked drawers, papers scattered across the desk—signs of someone in a hurry. Anna took pictures of everything with her phone: fake contracts with David’s signature, fabricated emails, manipulated bank records. But what made her blood run cold were printed photos of her and Maria leaving the hospital, with handwritten notes in the margins: Secondary target and Pressure point.
Anna understood immediately. Leandro had found out about David’s investigation and was using her and Maria as leverage. She quickly searched for recording devices. Inside a pen holder on Leandro’s desk, she found a small digital recorder, probably used to capture incriminating conversations.
Anna checked the audio files. There were dozens of recordings, including conversations between Leandro and Sofia planning the betrayal. But the most recent one, from earlier that afternoon, made her heart race. It was the recording of Leandro threatening David, using her and Maria as blackmail.
Anna copied all the files to her phone and left the building just as quietly as she had entered.
At six in the morning on Tuesday, Anna rang the doorbell at David’s apartment in Lincoln Park. He answered in a bathrobe, looking like he hadn’t slept.
«Anna, what are you doing here so early?»
«I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.»
David let her in, clearly nervous. «Anna, about yesterday, there are complications you don’t understand.»
«I understand perfectly.» Anna pulled her phone from her purse. «I know Leandro’s blackmailing you because of me.»
David stared at her, shocked. «How did you—»
«I heard the recording.» Anna pressed play, and Leandro’s threatening voice echoed through the apartment.
When the recording ended, David sat heavily on the couch. «Anna, you don’t understand the danger. He threatened you and Maria. I can’t take that risk.»
«David,» Anna said, sitting beside him, «Leandro made a fatal mistake. He recorded his own threats.»
David lifted his head, a spark of hope in his eyes. «What do you mean?»
«I have proof of everything. The recordings, the forged documents, the surveillance photos.» Anna showed him her phone. «We have enough to bring them down completely.»
«But what about the threats? If we expose them—»
«They can’t hurt us if they’re behind bars,» Anna said, taking David’s hands. «Trust me, we have to act today before they realize we’ve uncovered their scheme.»
David looked at her for a long moment, seeing the courage in her eyes, the determination in her voice. «What do you suggest?»
«Reschedule the board meeting for today. Two o’clock.» Anna stood and paced the room as she thought. «But this time, we’ll be ready for them.»
At two in the afternoon, the Miller Technologies auditorium was full. All board members were present, along with representatives from Sterling Corporation and several company executives. David stood on stage, visibly nervous. Leandro and Sofia were seated in the front row, confident smiles on their faces.
«Ladies and gentlemen,» David began, «I’ve called this meeting to make some important announcements about the future of Miller Technologies.»
Leandro gave him an encouraging nod, clearly expecting David to announce the merger.
«First, I’d like to introduce our new vice president of operations, Anna Santos.»
A ripple of surprise moved through the auditorium as Anna stepped onto the stage. Many recognized her as the former cleaner who had been fired for spying.
Leandro stood up abruptly. «David, this is ridiculous. You can’t—»
«Please sit down, Mr. Vega,» David interrupted firmly. «You’ll have your chance to speak soon.»
Anna stepped up to the microphone. «Good afternoon. I know many of you remember the unfortunate circumstances of my last appearance in this auditorium.» Her voice was steady and clear. «Today, I’m here to reveal the truth behind those events.»