Chapter 2The Cracks Show

Sable found Julian in the study, already dressed in a charcoal suit, his back to her as he stared at a bank of monitors mounted on the wall. The screens displayed live feeds from a dozen different angles—hallways, elevators, parking garages—all labeled with Chronos Corp logos.

“You have security feeds from your own company’s headquarters?”

“I have security feeds from everywhere I need them.” He didn’t turn around. “Marcus changed the access codes at midnight. Flagged my account for monitoring.”

She moved beside him, studying the screens. One showed the main lobby of the Chronos tower, empty except for a security guard scrolling through his phone. Another displayed a server room, rows of blinking lights.

“Then we can’t use your credentials.”

“Correct.” He pulled a slim black keycard from his jacket pocket. “But physical access still works. My office has a terminal hardwired into the internal network. No digital trail if we use a burner.”

“And if Marcus has someone watching your office?”

“Then we give them something else to watch.”

He handed her a burner phone, already configured with encrypted messaging. “There’s a dinner tonight. My mother insists on meeting you properly. Formal. Black tie.”

Sable’s stomach tightened. “Your mother?”

“Evelyn Mercer.” He said the name like it carried weight. “She doesn’t visit. She summons. And she just texted that she’s on her way up.”

---

They barely had time to hide the equipment.

Julian slid the burner laptop into a false drawer behind a bookshelf while Sable smoothed her dress and arranged her expression into something resembling a happy bride. The elevator chimed before she could check her reflection.

Evelyn Mercer stepped into the penthouse like she owned it—which, technically, she did.

She was elegant in the way old money always was: understated jewelry, a cream silk blouse, not a single hair out of place. Her eyes swept the room with the precision of someone cataloging every detail. When they landed on Sable, they lingered a beat too long.

“So this is Amelia.”

Sable smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Mercer.”

Evelyn’s lips curved, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. “Julian never mentioned you. Not once. And then suddenly, a wedding in Vegas.” She tilted her head. “You must be very special.”

“I like to think so.”

Julian moved between them, his posture carefully casual. “Mother, you should have called. We would have prepared something.”

“I wanted to see how you were settling in.” Evelyn walked past him, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She stopped at the bookshelf—the one with the hidden drawer—and ran a finger along the spine of a leather-bound volume. “This is a difficult time for the family. Your father is… disappointed.”

“Father is always disappointed.”

“Don’t be flippant, Julian.” She turned back to face them, her hands clasped. “A marriage of convenience is one thing. But you chose someone connected to Marcus Thorne.”

The name hung in the air.

Sable kept her breathing steady. Her smile didn’t waver.

Evelyn’s gaze sharpened. “Marcus and I have an understanding. He’s been helping the family with certain… matters. I trust you’ll be professional about this arrangement.”

“Of course,” Sable said. “Professionalism is my specialty.”

“Good.” Evelyn’s smile finally showed teeth. “Then you won’t mind attending dinner tonight. I’ve invited the board members. A proper introduction.”

It wasn’t a request.

---

The moment the elevator doors closed behind Evelyn, Sable exhaled.

“She knows.”

“She suspects.” Julian pulled the burner laptop from its hiding spot. “There’s a difference.”

“She mentioned Marcus by name. She knows he’s my handler.” Sable paced the length of the study, her mind racing. “She’s not just his ally. She’s his partner.”

Julian’s fingers paused over the keyboard. “That’s not possible. Evelyn’s been running the Mercer Foundation for years. She’s a philanthropist.”

“She’s a chess player.” Sable stopped pacing, her voice dropping. “Think about it. Marcus needs access to Chronos Corp’s internal systems. Your mother controls the foundation’s funding. They’re working together.”

“Then why marry me to you?”

“Because Marcus doesn’t trust her completely. He wanted someone he controlled inside the family.” The realization settled cold in her chest. “I was never the only piece on the board. Just the most disposable one.”

Julian’s jaw tightened. He typed something quickly, the screen flickering as lines of code scrolled past.

“The dinner is tonight. Seven o’clock. Marcus will be there.”

“Then we have six hours to find something we can use.”

Sable moved to his side, watching the terminal boot up. The keycard reader glowed green as Julian swiped it. A login screen appeared.

“What’s the plan?” she asked.

“We access the restricted server, copy the clinical trial data for VitaCure, and find out what Marcus is hiding.” He entered a series of commands. “If there’s a cover-up, it’s in the raw trial results. Not the polished versions the FDA saw.”

“And if Evelyn or Marcus have already scrubbed them?”

“Then we find out why they want them gone so badly.”

The screen went black for a moment before resolving into a directory tree. Julian navigated through folders with practiced precision, bypassing security protocols Sable couldn’t even name.

“There.” He pointed to a file labeled *VitaCure_PhaseIII_Raw*. “That’s what we need.”

He started the download.

A progress bar appeared: 12%.

The elevator chimed.

Julian’s hand froze. “That’s not my mother’s car.”

Sable’s phone buzzed. Marcus’s message was two words:

*Enjoy dinner.*

The progress bar reached 23%.

The elevator doors opened.

Marcus Thorne stepped out, phone in hand, a smile on his face that didn’t reach his cold eyes.

“Congratulations on the marriage, Julian. I brought a gift.”

He held up a flash drive.

“Something I think you’ll find very interesting.”