"Ms. Ramos, as the legal head of DeepQuanta, we need you toe with us. This is about the ckOak confidential leak."


    Her face turned ghostly pale. There was no time to argue. All she could do was shoot her assistant a desperate look, silently urging her to contact Zach right away.


    "Hurry, go tell Mr. Wiles. Reese is doing this on purpose. She''s out to get me! "She''s set on ruining me for no reason!"


    After double-checking thest set of data with Matthew and making sure L''s leak hadn''t hurt de, Reese finally left ckOak.


    The elevator doors slid open and, for a second, she spotted a tall figure standing in the pitch-ck hallway.


    Her heart skipped a beat. She instantly stepped back into the elevator and hit the close button. But before the doors could shut, a broad hand forced its way in.


    The hallway lights flickered on. Zach stood in front of her, jaw clenched and eyes cold, his whole vibe so intense it seemed to press in on her from all sides.


    He stubbed out his cigarette in the trash, his voice t and icy. "Get out. We need to talk."


    "I don''t have anything to say to you."


    Reese took a step back. She nced up at the elevator camera, then at the emergency button, trying to figure out if she had a way out.


    Zach didn''t give her a chance. His hand closed tight around her wrist.


    Pain shot up her arm. She gasped, struggling to pull away. "Zach, let me go!"


    "Let you go?" He scoffed, tightening his grip and yanking her out of the elevator. She stumbled back, catching herself on the wall just before she could fall. An angry red mark circled her wrist, throbbing.


    "Reese, why do you always have to push me like this?"


    Zach stepped closer, towering over her, his presence so heavy it almost stole the air from her lungs.


    He red down at her, frustration simmering in his eyes, but his voice stayed cold and controlled.


    "What did you do? There''s a mole at


    and now DeepQuanta''s


    getting dragged into it. How does


    any


    of this have to do with


    "Do you even know Tara''s already been taken in for questioning? She''s pregnant.


    How is she supposed to handle this kind of pressure?


    "You need to go tell the authorities the truth. This has nothin to do with DeepQuanta or Tara!"


    A sh of sarcasm crossed Reese''s face. She met his eyes without backing down.


    "You''re panicking already? If DeepQuanta really has nothing to hide, then when the truthes out, Tara will walk free."


    She remembered how, back then,


    Zach had set her up with fake evidence. She''d been dragged questioning and grilled for thre days straight. Content b


    Now Tara had barely been brought in, and Zach was already here, desperate to me her.


    This was not even her fault or not and there was nothing she could do about it. Why should she be the one to fix it?


    "This isn''t my problem. If you''re that worried about Tara, figure something else out."


    "You really expect me to believe this has nothing to do with you?"


    Zachughed bitterly and stepped in, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him.


    "Tara''s your cousin. You grew up together. Don''t stand there and tell me this has nothing to do with you."


    "Reese, I don''t care how you and Sofia fight, but now Tara''s caught up in it. You need to get her out."


    "I can''t help you!" Reese shoved his hand away and stepped back, rubbing her sore jaw and wrist, her chest twisting with bitterness.


    "Sofia''s choices have nothing to do with me. Tara''s being investigated because DeepQuanta is mixed up in the leak. That''s not my f fault either!"