Chapter 52 The Corporate Hook
Aria POV
I was sitting in the kitchen with Jax trying to drink a cup of coffee that had gone cold, and he was leaning over his tablet with a look of intense concentration that usually meant he had found something he didn't like. He had pulled me aside ten minutes ago to tell me that he’d noticed some weird activity on the clubhouse’s internal server, and when he checked the logs for the guest room, he saw that someone had accessed my old work laptop while I was down in the garage.
I felt a chill go through me that had nothing to do with the morning air, because the thought of someone going through my personal files and my old photos of Nana was enough to make me feel violated all over again.
"I didn't want to say anything in front of Martha because she’s already stressed enough, but I saw Jess coming out of your room right before he headed down to the garage," Jax whispered, sliding the tablet across the table so I could see the digital timestamp of the room's smart-lock.
"I did a quick scan of your hard drive remotely, and it looks like a folder of encrypted documents was dumped into your 'work' directory, and from the titles, it looks like someone is trying to make it seem like you’re a mole for the Syndicate."
"He’s trying to frame me, Jax, and he’s doing it right when Grayson is already on the edge of a breakdown because of the fire," I said, and I felt a surge of anger that made my hands shake so much I had to put the coffee mug down on the wooden table.
"We have to tell Grayson right now before Jess has a chance to 'discover' those files and show them to the rest of the pack, because if they think I’m a traitor, I’ll never make it out of this building alive."
"No, we aren't going to tell him yet, because if we jump the gun, Jess will just claim he was in there for a legitimate reason and we won't have the proof we need to bury him for good," Jax argued, and he reached out to pull the tablet back so he could start a deeper encryption sweep.
"We’re going to leave the files exactly where they are so he thinks his plan is working, and in the meantime, I’m going to set up a mirror-trace on your laptop so I can see exactly when he tries to access it again. We need to wait for his second move, because a guy like Jess always gets greedy once he thinks he’s won, and that’s when we’ll catch him with his hand in the jar."
I wanted to argue with him because keeping a secret like that from Grayson felt like playing with fire, but before I could say anything, my phone started vibrating on the table with a call from a blocked number.
I usually wouldn't have answered it given the circumstances, but I was so on edge that I just swiped the screen and held it to my ear without thinking, and I was shocked to hear the voice of the head human resources manager from Apex Industries.
"Aria, this is Mr. Sterling from Apex, and I’m calling because there has been a significant development regarding your termination from our logistics department," the man said, and his voice was smooth and professional in a way that made me feel like I was back in that cold office on my last day of work.
"The internal review board has uncovered some discrepancies in the evidence used to dismiss you, and the CEO has requested a formal re-hearing of your case this afternoon at our main headquarters to discuss your immediate reinstatement and a potential settlement for the misunderstanding."
"A re-hearing? You told me I was blacklisted from the entire sector and that I shouldn't bother showing my face on corporate property ever again," I replied, and I looked at Jax who was now watching me with a very confused expression.
"The bakery I was working at just burned down yesterday, so the timing of this call seems a little too convenient for me to believe it’s just a lucky break."
"We understand that you’ve had a difficult few days, but the board is only meeting today and if you aren't present to sign the paperwork, the offer will be withdrawn and the termination will remain on your permanent record," Sterling explained, and he sounded like he was reading from a script that had been written by a team of lawyers.
"This is your chance to get your old life back, Aria, so we expect to see you in the lobby at two o'clock sharp, and please remember to bring your original employee identification."
I hung up the phone and told Jax everything Sterling had said, and he didn't even have to think about it for more than a second before he started shaking his head.
"It's a trap, Aria, and it’s a big one because Apex is basically a subsidiary of the Syndicate these days, and they know that the only way to get you out of this clubhouse is to dangle your old job in front of your face. They know you’re grieving for that bakery and they’re betting on the fact that you’re desperate enough to walk right into their lobby so they can grab you."
"I know it's a trap, but if I don't go, I’m basically admitting that my life as a human is over and that I’m just going to hide behind Grayson for the rest of my days," I said, while I felt the weight of the handgun in my waistband and the heavy guilt of Penelope's ruined shop.
"If they want me to show up, then I’ll show up, but I’m not going alone and I’m not going as the quiet girl who used to file their paperwork."
"Grayson is going to lose his mind if you even suggest leaving the property to go to a corporate office," Jax warned, but he was already typing on his tablet to check the security layout of the Apex headquarters.
"Then don't tell him until we’re already in the car, because I’m tired of everyone playing games with my life while I’m stuck in the kitchen," I said, and I stood up to go get my jacket because I realized that the only way to beat Jess and the Iron Fangs was to start moving my own pieces on the board.
I walked out of the kitchen and headed toward the garage, feeling a strange mix of fear and excitement because for the first time in weeks, I wasn't just waiting for something to happen to me. I knew that walking into Apex was dangerous, but if they were desperate enough to call me back for a fake hearing, it meant that Grayson’s pressure on the docks was working, and I wanted to be there to see their faces when they realized I wasn't an easy target anymore.