Chapter 36 First Move
It was already past midnight, before Carson finally spoke again.
We were in the study, each lost in our own thoughts. Papers, maps, and files were scattered across the table, but no one was touching them. Fred had gone to rest, but Carson and I stayed behind, sitting far apart—like we were still waiting for something more than just a plan, maybe a resolve.
“I think I know where we should start,” Carson said quietly.
I looked at him. His voice was calm now, unlike before.
“Where?” I asked.
He turned his laptop towards me. There was a picture of a tall glass building with heavy security at the entrance.
“It’s called Valtrex Group,” he said.
“They’ve been linked to illegal offshore transactions. Laura Price used it to move over four million dollars just last month,”he added.
I frowned. “Is she still using it?"I asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Which means we can use it too. We get inside, plant the tracker, and we follow the money trail,”he said again.
I stared at the screen, then back at him. He looked tired… but focused.
I nodded slowly. “Okay, even though it won't come easy," I said.
He paused for a moment, then looked at me. “Are you sure you’re okay doing this?”he asked.
I looked down. “I don’t know. But I know I want to finish it,"I said.
Carson leaned back in his chair. “Then we do it together,”he said, looking determined.
And for some moment, I feel our indifferences vanished.
Maybe we were still trying to understand each other, but there was something strong about saying that word again.
The next day, we prepared ourselves. Fred joined us early in the morning with disguises and small devices.
“You’ll be posing as a representative from an investment company,” Fred explained to me. “And Carson will go in as your security,”he added.
“Classic,” Carson muttered.
Fred ignored him and pointed at a map of the building.
“The tracker goes here,” he said, pointing at the server room on the 9th floor. “Once it’s active, we can trace every move they make.”
I nodded. “How long do we have inside?"I asked.
“Twenty minutes,” Fred replied. “Maybe less if anything goes wrong,”he added.
I looked at Carson. “Let’s hope it doesn't,"I said.
He gave a small smile. “It won’t. Not with you beside me.”
That made my heart feel a little warm.
Maybe not everything was fixed… but something was slowly mending.
The building was even bigger in real life. Glass walls, armed guards and cameras everywhere.
I wore a plain black dress and glasses. Carson wore a grey suit with a small earpiece.
“You look like a bodyguard from a movie,” I whispered.
He smirked. “You look like a CEO,”he said.
We walked in confidently, and Fred’s voice came through our earpieces.
“You’re clear. Keep walking,” he said.
I walked straight to the front desk and handed over the fake documents.
“We’re here to discuss investment partnerships,” I said calmly.
The lady at the desk checked the file, nodded, and called someone.
A few minutes later, a tall man in a navy blue suit came to meet us.
“Ms. Francis, right?” he asked.
“Yes,” I smiled.
He led us to a conference room on the 5th floor. While he was distracted showing me a presentation on the screen, Carson slipped out and headed to the 9th floor.
Fred spoke in our ears.
“Server room secured. Go, Carson, go.”he said.
My heart was racing, but I kept nodding like I was actually listening to the man’s boring talk.
Five minutes passed.
Ten minutes.
Then I heard Carson’s voice again.
“It’s done. Tracker is live.”
I smiled to myself.
“We’ll get back to you,” I said to the man and stood up.
He seemed confused. “So soon?”
“Yes. We have all we need,” I replied.
And with that, we left.
Back at home, Fred clapped when we walked into the study.
“You did it,” he said. “The tracker is picking up everything.”
He turned on his laptop to show us.
Lines of data scrolled across the screen, fast and steady.
“This is where it gets fun,” he added.
I sat down slowly and let out a long breath.
“That was... intense,"I said.
Carson sat beside me. “You handled it like a pro,”he said .
I looked at him. “You too.”i said.
We stared at each other quietly. This time, no tension.
Just calm.
“I’ve been thinking about what your dad said,” Carson said finally.
I nodded. “Me too.”
He leaned forward. “I don’t want to fight with you again. Not like that.”he said, calmly.
“Me neither,” I whispered.
He reached out and held my hand gently.
“We’re going to face a lot. More than this. I need to know you’re with me,” he said.
“I am,” I replied. “Even if I get scared sometimes."I said again.
“I get scared too,” he said softly.
I looked into his eyes. “Really?”i asked.
He nodded. “I just hide it better,”he said , smiling.
We laughed a little. The first real laugh in days.
And then silence.
But this time… the silence felt peaceful.
\---
Later that night, I found him outside, sitting in the garden.
He was looking up at the sky.
I walked over and sat beside him.
“I miss us,” I said quietly.
He turned to me slowly.
“We’re still here,” he said.
He reached for my hand again.
“I know I don’t always say things right. But I’m trying,” he said.
“I know,” I said.
We leaned back and looked at the stars.
No big kiss.
No dramatic music.
Just two people, sitting side by side, trying to fix what almost broke.
\---
The next morning, Fred rushed into the room with new files.
“They’re planning a transfer,” he said quickly. “Twenty million. Tomorrow.”
Carson stood up. “Where?”he asked.
Fred showed us the location.
“We stop them there,” I said, standing too.
Carson looked at me, a fire back in his eyes.
“Let’s end this,” he said.
And we all knew—this was just the beginning of the end.
But this time…
We weren’t broken.
We were one.