My computer chimed.
A new email appeared.
No subject.
No sender name.
Just an encrypted attachment and one line of text in the preview.
I did not open it yet.
I stared at the words.
You finally found the decoy.
Agent Mercer was still talking, but his voice sounded far away.
“Ms. Vale? Are you there?”
I clicked the email.
The attachment name loaded.
CASSIDY_ORIGIN_FILE_FINAL.zip
My office door opened behind me.
I had locked it.
In the reflection of the window, I saw a man step inside wearing an Aegis security badge.
Not a stranger.
Not Jamal.
Not my father.
My chief operating officer, Nathan Cole.
The man who helped me build Aegis from nothing.
The man who had access to everything.
He closed the door softly and held up his phone.
On his screen was a live call.
Agent Mercer’s voice came from both my phone and his.
