Chapter 5 - THE LEAK.
I left the dining room and stepped into the hallway.
My chief legal officer, Marcus Reed, answered after the first ring.
“Tell me what happened.”
“A business reporter received documents connecting you to Apex.”
“What documents?”
“Corporate filings, property records, and internal photographs.”
My pulse quickened.
Those files were protected.
Only a handful of senior employees had access to them.
“Has anything been published?”
“Not yet.”
“The reporter contacted us for confirmation.”
“How long do we have?”
“Possibly an hour.”
I looked back toward the dining room.
Seventeen relatives remained inside.
Any one of them could have sent a message after Grandma revealed the truth.
But nobody should have possessed internal company photographs.
“Find the source.”
“We are already working on it.”
I ended the call and returned to the table.
Every face turned toward me.
“My identity may be published tonight.”
My mother’s expression brightened.
“That could be wonderful.”
“You could finally receive the recognition you deserve.”
I stared at her.
“Five minutes ago, you called my work embarrassing.”
Her smile disappeared.
Grandma Eleanor studied the room.
“Who contacted the press?”
Nobody answered.
I looked at each relative.
“Someone leaked confidential information.”
“If it came from this family, I will find out.”
Uncle Robert raised both hands.
“I did not do anything.”
Several others quickly denied involvement.
Claire looked horrified.
David appeared genuinely concerned.
Then I noticed my cousin Melissa holding her phone beneath the table.
“Give me the phone,” I said.
Melissa’s face drained of color.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Her mother stepped forward.
“You cannot order her around.”
Melissa stood suddenly.
“I only sent a message to a friend.”
“What friend?”
“She works for a local entertainment website.”
Anger tightened my chest.
“What did you send?”
“Just the company name.”
“I thought it would be exciting.”
My phone rang again.
Marcus spoke immediately.
“Emily, the photographs did not come from your cousin.”
“They came from inside Apex.”
“The reporter has security images from our executive floor.”
I looked toward the dark window at the end of the hallway.
Someone inside my own company had been watching me.
May you like
Someone had waited for the perfect moment to expose me.
And Thanksgiving night had given them exactly what they needed.
