Chapter 30: 29

So many questions. So many disturbing videos and images about my brother’s death are surfacing. The worst part? They’re being sent directly to me—through messages, slipped under my door, and left at my desk.

Why now?

Why, when I’ve finally come to terms with loving and grieving him in peace, is this happening?

I’m at the office now. Ruby is arriving any minute, and I have no idea how to talk to her about this. But I have to.

The moment she steps inside, Ruby greeted the both of us.

"Good morning, guys," Ruby says, Karla's eyes flicking toward me.

"Good morning," Karla and I responded almost in unison.

But there’s a weight in the air, something unspoken pressing down on all of us.

Ruby exhales sharply, setting her things down on the desk. "You two, clear your schedules. We have something important to deal with." Her tone is sharp, more commanding than usual.

Her gaze darkens. "Follow me."

I glance at Karla. She doesn’t ask questions—she simply nods, following Ruby's lead.

Something about this feels wrong.

Karla barely waits for us to step inside the development room before she turns and—

SLAP!

The sharp sound echoes in the small space.

Ruby’s head snaps to the side, her eyes wide in shock. "Karla?!"

I freeze. My mind races, trying to process what just happened.

"Can you fucking explain this?!" Karla’s voice is seething as she shoves a printed image into Ruby’s hands.

Ruby grips the paper tightly, eyes narrowing as she scans the image. "What the fuck is this?"

I step closer, and my stomach twists when I see it. A grainy CCTV still. Someone at the crime scene. Someone is moving the body.

Ruby’s face is there, caught in the frame.

"Ruby," Karla’s voice shakes with restrained fury. "Why the hell are you in the scene? The CCTV caught you in the fucking scene"

"Damn it, that’s a deepfake!" Ruby snaps, fists clenching. "That is not my body shape! Are you seriously accusing me right now?"

Karla doesn’t back down. "Explain it, then! How the hell do we have footage of you there?"

"You think I killed him?" Ruby lets out a bitter laugh, stepping forward. There’s fire in her eyes now. "You think I would—what? Murder my own friend and watch his body away in plain sight?"

I bite my lip, unsure how to intervene.

Ruby’s voice is shaking, but it’s not from fear. It’s a rage. "I would never kill Akio. And why the fuck would I? Karla, you know damn well that your fiancé was one of my closest friends."

Silence.

I exhale, finally forcing my voice through the thick tension. "Ruby—"

She turns to me sharply. "No, Sanae. Let me finish." Her hands tremble, but her stance remains strong.

She faces Karla again, her expression unreadable. "I get it. You want someone to blame. You want answers, and when this conveniently placed piece of ‘evidence’ showed up, you latched onto it." She swallows hard, then takes a shaky breath. "But what I can’t understand is why you, of all people—the ones who know me—would believe I’m capable of something like this."

Karla’s jaw clenches.

Ruby’s voice drops, and when she speaks again, it’s raw.

"You’re not the only ones who lost someone. I lost him too. Akio was my best friend."

The words hit like a gut punch.

Karla’s grip on the photo tightens, her knuckles turning white. The fire in her eyes dims—just for a moment—replaced by something else.

Doubt.

Pain.

I inhale deeply, my chest aching at the weight of it all.

"Then prove it," Karla says, voice quieter now. "If you didn’t do it, help us find out who did."

Ruby exhales, her hands balling into fists. "Fine."

I look between them, realizing this is only the beginning.

The person I once knew to be so cold, so indifferent, is now standing before us—completely transparent in her pain and disappointment.

Her voice was steady, but the weight of her words was suffocating.

"I will provide you with the legitimate footage." Her gaze was sharp, unwavering. "If you can prove that I killed Akio... then kill me too."

Silence. A chilling, deafening silence.

I swallowed hard, exchanging a glance with Karla, but before either of us could respond, Ruby spoke again.

"But for now, let me ask you both—are you willing to cooperate or not?"

Her question wasn’t just a request; it was a challenge.

I felt my body tense, but I nodded. Karla hesitated for only a second before following suit.

Ruby smirked slightly, not out of amusement, but satisfaction. "Good. Because there’s a much bigger problem at hand."

She exhaled sharply, her expression darkening. "There are three moles inside the company. And we need to take them down as soon as possible."

A chill ran down my spine.

"They’re the ones leaking sensitive information about what happens here," Ruby continued. "They’ve been feeding our rivals every move we make. And now, I’ve confirmed something worse."

She looked between Karla and me, her next words sending a jolt of fear straight to my core.

"Akio and I were already on the cross-out list."

My breath hitched.

"Which means," she pressed on, "our enemies knew about the 8G technology we were developing. They saw us as a threat. And if that’s the case… Akio’s death wasn’t an accident. It was an execution."

Karla stiffened. My hands clenched at my sides.

Ruby’s eyes were burning with a determination I had never seen before.

"We’re calling for a general meeting immediately." Her voice was firm, commanding. "For security reasons, there will be no internships, no new hires—nothing that could allow another mole to slip in. Until we know who we can trust, we lock everything down."

She took a step closer, looking at us as if she were carving her words into our souls.

"And most importantly…" She paused, her voice dropping lower, dead serious. "We’re finishing what Akio and I started. The development of 8G technology doesn’t stop here. We will complete it and unveil it to the world as soon as possible."

For the first time, there was no doubt in my mind.

We weren’t just trying to clear Ruby’s name anymore.

We were stepping into a war.

_______________

I cannot believe that someone is actually trying to pin Akio’s death on me. More than that, I can’t believe that Sanae and Karla—people who know me better than anyone—were so easily swayed by what they saw.

A fucking deepfake.

It stings. It really does. But for now, I’ll let them think about whatever they want. It’s painful, but I know it will protect them in the long run.

Because soon enough, they’ll realize the truth.

Soon enough, they’ll see Akio, alive and breathing.

The conference hall is filled with people. The air is thick with tension, and every eye in the room is trained on me. This is the General Meeting—one that will change everything.

I stand at the center, my posture unwavering as I prepare to speak.

This isn’t just an announcement. This is a declaration of war.

I clear my throat, making sure my voice rings clear and authoritative through the hall.

"Effective immediately, all internship invitations will be suspended. Job hiring is temporarily closed. Every single employee in this company will undergo an extensive background check."

A murmur spreads through the crowd. Confusion. Uncertainty. I expected that. But I don’t let them speak, I don’t give them a chance to question me.

"Security will be tightened across all sectors because we are facing an imminent and severe threat," I continue, my voice steady and commanding. "Moles have infiltrated our company, and their sole purpose is to leak classified information. Because of this, we will implement stricter policies, policies that will ensure the safety of our work, our research, and most importantly, our people."

Silence.

I scan the faces before me, searching for any hint of unease, any flicker of guilt. Someone here maybe more than one, is a traitor. And I am going to find them.

"From this day forward, every department will undergo a thorough evaluation. Mandatory counseling sessions, background verifications, and specialized assessments will be conducted. Non-compliance will result in immediate termination, no exceptions."

My tone is sharp, leaving no room for argument.

Someone shifts uncomfortably in their seat. Someone else clears their throat. I see the tension rising, the nervous glances exchanged between certain employees.

Good.

Let them feel the pressure. Let them sweat.

Because I am gonna play games.

I don’t wait for anyone to protest. I give a firm nod and dismiss the meeting without another word.

As the crowd slowly disperses, whispers filling the air, I stay behind, watching them all carefully. Studying them.

I have to find out who the traitors are.

And most importantly, I have to stop him.

My father.

I know he’s the one behind this. I know this is all part of his grand design. He thinks he’s winning. He thinks he has control.

But he’s wrong.

Because I won’t let him succeed.

_____________________

Now that she knows there’s a mole… everything is falling into place.

All the stolen information I gathered from Sanae, it’s finally time to use it. Every detail, every secret I took from her will be the perfect weapon against Ruby.

And I’ll make sure she never sees it coming.

Sanae will take the fall. She will be the one held responsible for Ruby’s downfall. I’ll twist the truth, distort the facts, and when the dust settles, everyone will believe that she orchestrated all of this, that she was the mastermind behind Ruby’s destruction.

And when Ruby finally crumbles beneath the weight of betrayal, when she is drowning in the realization that her closest ally has ruined her, that is when I’ll strike.

That is when I’ll kill her.

But my goal isn’t just to end her life. No, death would be too easy.

I want her to suffer.

I want her to feel every ounce of the pain she inflicted on me.

Because this isn't just about me working for her father. This has never been about him.

This is about my mother. The woman Ruby stole from me. The woman she disposed of like she was nothing.

I need to know where she hid her. I need to know where Ruby threw her away.

And once I do, once I finally have my answers…

I will tear Ruby apart.

Piece by piece.

Until there is nothing left of her but regret, agony, and the slow, suffocating realization that she was never untouchable.