WHO IS BEHIND THE ATTACK?

Rory sat in her home office, surrounded by stacks of papers, screenshots, and scribbled notes. The dim glow from her laptop screen cast eerie shadows on the walls. The pieces were there, she just couldn’t fit them together.

She tapped her pen against the desk, her mind was racing.

The scandal had erupted like wildfire. The moment those fake DNA results surfaced, the media had torn into her and conveniently, her biggest competitor, Nexus Innovations, had surged forward, attempting to take everything she had worked for.

Was this a mere coincidence, no. Someone had orchestrated this downfall. Her fingers trembled as she clicked through documents on her screen. Who could be behind this?

She shifted her gaze to the timeline she had sketched on the whiteboard.

The night at the hotel. The DNA test. The media storm. The financial losses over the months, and then, Nexus Innovations.

Her jaw clenched.

Her competitor, Mark Ellison, had been after her company for years, trying to outbid her and steal her clients.

She pulled up her emails and scrolled through past conversations. Somewhere in the chaos of the scandal, Mark had reached out.

“Tough times, huh? If you need to sell, I would be happy to make an offer.”

Rory’s grip tightened on the mouse.

Her fingers raced over the keyboard as she broke through the company's firewall. Before long, she had accessed Nexus's recent financial records. Surprisingly there was nothing illegal. But what she found made her breath hitch.

In the past three months, Nexus has received two massive anonymous investments.

In just three months, right around the time the scandal began.

If this attack on her company has a connection with the scandal pulled up against her marriage, then the mastermind wasn’t just trying to ruin her marriage. They were after her entire life.

Her pulse hammered as she stared at the numbers. Who had been funding Nexus?

A knock at the door made her jump; she turned to see Victor strolling in.

He stepped inside, his face was unreadable and his body was tense.

“I found something,” he said.

Rory arched a brow. “So did I.”

Victor shut the door and tossed a folder onto her desk. “You first.”

She swallowed. “Nexus has been getting anonymous funding. Two large sums right when my company started crashing.”

Victor’s eyes darkened. “Someone’s buying them power.”

Rory nodded. “And I have a very strong feeling it’s the same person who set you up.”

Victor ran a hand through his hair. “Then we’re on the same track.”

Rory’s stomach twisted. “What did you find?”

Victor hesitated, his jaw tightening.

Then, slowly, he flipped the folder open.

Inside was a printed list of calls and transactions. Rory’s breath hitched. One name stood out.

Jason, Julian’s son.

She stared at the paper, her blood running cold. “No. That’s not possible.”

Victor’s expression hardened. “He’s been quiet this whole time, Rory, you didn't think he had a plan?”

Her hands shook as she skimmed through the documents. Jason had transferred large sums of money to offshore accounts.

It didn’t make sense.

Jason had been out of her life for years. Why now?

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Do you think he’s behind this?”

Victor’s voice was like steel. “I think he’s involved.”

Rory shut her eyes.

If Jason was behind this,  if he had helped orchestrate the scandal, then this wasn’t just an attack. It was personal.

Rory sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the city lights shining through the massive windows of their penthouse. The storm outside had passed, leaving a quiet, eerie stillness in the air. But inside her chest, a different kind of storm was brewing.

Victor was in the shower, steam curling out from the cracked bathroom door. She could hear the steady rush of water, but it did nothing to soothe her nerves.

They had finally found their way back to each other after the chaos of the past weeks. The lies, the betrayal, the DNA fraud, it had all been a carefully executed attack. And yet, despite everything, despite the scars it had left on them, Victor had chosen to fight for their family.

And Rory had chosen to fight too, but something didn’t sit right.

Her mind replayed the evidence over and over again: Jason’s name on the financial transactions, his connections to Mark Ellison, and the suspicious silence from him during the entire scandal.

Jason was going to make his move soon.

She could feel it.

The bathroom door opened, and Victor stepped out, a towel slung low around his waist. His dark hair was damp, water droplets still clinging to his skin. He didn’t say anything at first, he just watched her.

He could always tell when something was wrong. “Talk to me, Rory.”

She exhaled, pressing her fingers against her temples. “It’s not over yet.”

Victor didn’t flinch. He simply walked toward her, his presence was commanding yet protective. “No, it’s not.”

She looked up at him. “Jason… I don’t understand why he would do this. Could it be that he is still angry because I used him to get revenge on his father earlier on?”

Victor’s jaw ticked. “Maybe he never really moved on from all of that.”

The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

She had buried that part of her life. Jason had been her past. He wasn’t supposed to matter anymore.

And yet, he was still pulling the strings.

Victor crouched in front of her, his hands resting on her knees. “I won’t let him take anything from you, Rory. Not your company, not your name, and not your peace.”

She swallowed. “What if this is bigger than Jason? What if it isn't even Jason at all? I mean, the only evidence we have against him is the large transactions. Jason is involved with a syndicate mafia group, so it's no surprise that he sent large sums to a strange account. There might be someone else, maybe even Nexus himself or someone backing him up”

Victor’s eyes darkened. “Whoever it is, we will fight them, and I promise you, mi amor, we will win this.”

Just then, Rory’s phone buzzed on the nightstand.

She reached for it, her heart lurching when she saw Harriet’s name flashing on the screen.

She answered immediately. “Harriet?”

The urgency in Harriet’s voice sent ice through her veins. “Rory, you need to turn on the news. Now.”

Rory scrambled for the remote, her fingers trembling as she flicked on the TV. The screen blinked to life, and the headline nearly knocked the breath out of her.

BREAKING NEWS: RORY’S TECH COMPANY FACES HOSTILE TAKEOVER BID.

Her blood went cold.

Victor grabbed the remote, turning up the volume as the news anchor continued.

“In a shocking turn of events, sources confirm that a new competitor has made an aggressive move to acquire Rory’s Technologies. Investors are scrambling, and insiders claim the bid is too high to ignore. The identity of the buyer remains undisclosed, but speculation points to a major player in the industry.”

The image on the screen changed to footage of Mark Ellison leaving a meeting, reporters swarming him.

“Mr. Ellison! Are you involved in the company's takeover?”

Mark smirked but said nothing as he climbed into his car.

The screen flicked back to the anchor.

“While the public remains in the dark, sources suggest that this takeover attempt has been in motion for months. It’s clear that this isn’t just about business, it’s personal.”

Rory’s breath came in short, sharp gasps. “This is not true, they are exaggerating. Yes, we are experiencing a crisis, but our customer base is intact, and we have no issues with investors. There is no bid for my company..”

Victor’s hands clenched into fists. “Relax, let me handle this, okay...”

She shook her head. “Victor, this was planned. The fake DNA scandal? The media storm? It was never just about humiliating me. It was about weakening my position, making me vulnerable, so when they made their move so that I would not be able to fight back.”

Victor exhaled sharply, his eyes burning with rage. “I will take care of this, I promise. I need you to rest now, please.”

Just then, q new alert flashed across the screen.

“Anonymous Buyer for Rory’s Tech to Be Revealed in Exclusive Interview Tonight.”

Rory’s heart hammered.

Whoever was behind this was about to step into the light.

Victor grabbed his phone. “I’m making calls. We’re not going to sit back and let them blindside you.”

But before he could dial, Rory’s phone rang again.

It was a private number.

She hesitated before answering. “Hello?”

A voice she hadn’t heard in years came through the line.

“Hello, sweetheart, do you miss me?”

Rory’s blood ran ice-cold.

Jason.