The Kane Industries conference room smelled like stale coffee and exhaustion. Stefan sat across from Hannah, surrounded by financial documents,puter printouts, and empty takeout containers from their third consecutive day of investigation. Dark circles under both their eyes testified to sleepless nights spent chasing digital ghosts through fifteen-year-old corporate records.


    Hannah rubbed her temples, her usually perfect hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. "Look at this," she said, pointing to a spreadsheet on herptop screen. "Two weeks before the Meridian Technologies factory explosion, someone transferred $2.3 million from thepany''s safety equipment fund to an offshore ount."


    Stefan leaned closer, catching the faint scent of hervender shampoo mixed with the sharp smell of energy drinks. "Who authorized the transfer?"


    "That''s the interesting part." Hannah''s fingers danced across the keyboard, pulling up digital bank records. "The authorization came from someone with high-level ess to Meridian''s financial systems, but the electronic signature doesn''t match Richard Pierce''s usual pattern."


    "You think someone else made the transfer using Pierce''s credentials?"


    "More than that. I think someone deliberately sabotaged Meridian''s safety budget right before the instation that killed seventeen people." Hannah''s voice carried quiet outrage. "They stole money that should have been used for proper equipment, then let Richard Pierce take the me when everything fell apart."


    Stefan studied the financial trail, his business background helping him understand the implications. "If someone diverted the safety funds, then Richard Pierce might not have known about the substandard equipment until it was toote."


    "Which means he was set up. Just like Alexander is being set up now." Hannah pulled up another document. "Stefan, look at the timing. The money transfer happened exactly two weeks before someone warned Victoria about Meridian''s cost-cutting measures."


    "You think the same person who stole the money also contacted Victoria?"


    "I think someone orchestrated the entire situation. They stole Meridian''s safety funds, ensured Victoria knew about the resulting problems, then sat back and watched twopanies destroy each other." Hannah''s eyes zed with intellectual fury. "Fifteen yearster, they''re using the aftermath to manipte Alexander into finishing what they started."


    The conference room door opened, and Camille entered carrying three cups of fresh coffee. She looked tired but determined, wearing a simple ck dress that made her appear older than her years. The stress of recent weeks had carved subtle lines around her eyes, but her posture remained strong.


    "Any progress?" she asked, setting the coffee down and settling into a chair beside Stefan.


    Hannah turned herptop screen toward Camille. "We found something that changes everything. Someone inside Meridian Technologies stole millions from their safety budget right before the factory explosion."


    Camille studied the financial records, her face growing pale as she understood the implications. "This proves Richard Pierce was sabotaged?"


    "It proves someone wanted both Meridian and Kane Industries to suffer," Stefan said. "They created a situation where Victoria would look guilty of covering up safety vitions, while Richard Pierce would look guilty of cutting corners that killed people."


    "But who would benefit from destroying bothpanies?" Camille asked.


    Hannah pulled up a new set of documents. "Someone who wanted to acquire their clients, their technology, or their market share. Someone with the patience to wait fifteen years for the perfect moment to finish what they started."


    Stefan watched Hannah as she exined her findings, noticing how her voice grew stronger when she talked about technical details. Her passion for uncovering truth transformed her from a tired engineer into someone radiant with purpose. When she brushed a strand of hair from her face, Stefan found himself staring at the graceful movement of her fingers.


    "Stefan?" Camille''s voice brought him back to focus. "What do you think?"


    Stefan cleared his throat, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. "I think Hannah is right. The timeline proves Alexander''s information is wrong about Victoria''s role in Meridian''s copse."


    Hannah smiled at his support, and Stefan felt something warm flutter in his chest. When had he started noticing the way her eyes lit up when she smiled? When had her dedication to protecting Camille be something that drew him to her personally?


    "The financial transfers follow a specific pattern," Hannah continued, seemingly unaware of Stefan''s attention. "Whoever did this knew exactly how corporate ounting systems worked fifteen years ago. They understood bothpanies'' internal structures well enough to manipte them without being detected."


    "An insider," Camille said quietly.


    "Or someone with insider ess. Maybe a consultant, an ountant, a legal advisor who worked with bothpanies." Stefan forced himself to focus on the investigation instead of the way Hannah bit her lower lip when she concentrated. Hannah pulled up another screen. "I''ve been analyzing the electronic signatures on all the suspicious transactions. They''re too perfect, too consistent. Real people have variations in their digital signatures - slight timing differences, pressure variations, personal quirks that are almost impossible to fake."


    "You''re saying the signatures were created by aputer program?" Camille asked.


    "I''m saying whoever did this had ess to sophisticated forgery software fifteen years ago. Technology that wasn''t avable to most people back then." Hannah''s excitement was infectious as she exined her discovery. "Stefan, do you remember what government agencies were developing automated signature systems in the early 2000s?"


    Stefan felt a chill as the implications hit him. "Intelligence agencies. Military contractors. People with security clearances and ess to ssified technology."


    "Exactly. We''re not dealing with some grieving rtive or corporate rival. We''re dealing with someone who had professional-level resources fifteen years ago and has been nning this revenge ever since."


    Camille stood up and walked to the window, staring out at the city where her husband was being manipted by forces he didn''t understand. "Alexander thinks he''s fighting for justice, but he''s really just another victim."


    "The question is whether we can prove that to him before he does something he can''t take back," Stefan said.


    Hannah saved her work and closed herptop. "We need to trace the offshore ounts where the stolen money went. If we can follow the financial trail, we might be able to identify who''s really behind this."


    "How long will that take?" Camille asked.


    "With Stefan''s help? Maybe a day or two. International shipping records might show connections we can''t find through banking alone." Hannah looked at Stefan with professional respect that carried an undertone of Something warmer. "Your


    experience with global financialworks could be exactly what we need."


    Stefan felt his pulse quicken at the prospect of working closely with Hannah for


    several more days. "I''d be d to help."


    "Good. We''ll start first thing


    tomorrow morning." Hannah gathered her papers, her movements efficient and graceful. "Stefan could you bring your shipping contact databases The ones that track corporate ownership through multiple countries?"


    "Of course. Whatever you need."


    As Hannah reached for a file on the table, her hand briefly touched Stefan''s. The contactsted only a moment, but Stefan felt electricity shoot up his arm. When Hannah met his eyes, her cheeks flushed slightly pink.


    Camille watched this exchange with quiet interest, a small smile ying at the corners of her mouth despite the seriousness of their situation.


    "I should get back to Victoria," Camille said diplomatically. "Keep working together on this. I have a feeling you two make a good team."


    After Camille left, Stefan and Hannah found themselves alone in the conference room, suddenly aware of the intimate atmosphere created by hours of shared investigation.


    "Thank you for believing in my analysis," Hannah said softly. "Most people think engineering is just numbers and forms. They don''t understand that it''s really about finding truth hidden in data."


    "I understand," Stefan replied. "In shipping, you learn that every document tells a story. You just have to know how to read between the lines."


    Hannah began packing herptop, her movements more careful now that they were alone. "Stefan, can I ask you something personal?"


    "Of course."


    "Why are you doing this? Helping Camille investigate the man who reced you


    in her life? Most people would walk away."


    Stefan considered the question,


    thinking about his motivations. "Because failed her once. I betrayed her trust and almost destroyed her ability to love again. If I can help protect her from another betrayal, maybe I can start to make amends for what I did."


    "That''s very noble," Hannah said quietly.


    "It''s very necessary," Stefan corrected. "Camille deserves better than the men


    who have hurt her. She deserves someone who puts her happiness above their own agenda."


    Hannah looked at him with new understanding. "Is that why you''ve never tried to win her back? Even after saving her life?"


    "I tried to win her back through grand gestures and dramatic sacrifices. But real


    love isn''t about winning someone back. It''s about wanting them to be happy, even


    if that happiness doesn''t include you."


    Hannah was quiet for a moment, studying Stefan''s face. "For what it''s worth, I


    think you''ve be a better man than the one who hurt her."


    "I hope so. I''m trying to be."


    As they gathered their materials and prepared to leave, Stefan found himself


    looking forward to tomorrow''s work session with anticipation that had nothing to do with corporate investigations.


    Hannah paused at the door. "Stefan? Tomorrow, when we''re tracing those


    offshore ounts... would you like to get dinner afterward? To discuss our findings, I mean."


    Stefan smiled, feeling something hopeful stir in his chest for the first time in months. "I''d like that very much."


    As they walked toward the elevators together, both carrying the weight of their


    investigation and the lighter burden of new possibilities, neither noticed the figure watching them from across the street.


    The Guardian had been tracking all of Kane Industries'' key personnel, and now he had identified two more obstacles to his Twenty-year n for revenge. Stefan Rodriguez and Hannah Zhao were getting too close to the truth. Soon, he


    would have to decide whether to eliminate them or find another way toplete his mission.


    But tonight, Stefan and Hannah walked away unaware of the danger, focused instead on the financial trail that might finally expose the puppet master who had been manipting them all.