The Ashford Estate shimmered beneath thousands of golden lights.

Fresh flowers lined every pathway, crystal chandeliers sparkled through the mansion windows, and elegant music floated through the cool evening air. Luxury cars filled the driveway as the city's wealthiest families arrived one after another, dressed in their finest.

Tonight wasn't just another lavish party.

It was Athena Clifford's fifteenth birthday.

At the center of it all stood Athena.

She wore a flowing sapphire-blue gown that swept gracefully across the polished floor. Long satin gloves reached past her elbows, and sparkling white heels completed the outfit. Though the shoes pinched her feet and the dress felt heavier than she preferred, she never complained.

Her mother had chosen it.

And seeing the happiness in her mother's eyes made every bit of discomfort worthwhile.

"You look beautiful," Alice whispered, gently brushing a loose strand of hair away from Athena's face before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, sweetheart."

Athena smiled, wrapping her arms around her mother.

"I love you too."

Edward approach the pair "you look stunning my princess" he said with the smile Athena has always been seeing, bright and beautiful.

For a brief moment, the world felt perfect.

Then everything changed.

Edward Clifford cleared his throat and smiled warmly at the guests.

"Please excuse me for a few minutes. I'll be right back."

No one thought anything of it.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

Then twenty

Edward never returned.

Soft whispers spread through the ballroom.

"Where is Mr. Clifford?"

"Has something happened?"

Alice glanced toward the grand staircase, worry beginning to replace the smile on her face.

Without a word, she quietly slipped away.

Athena watched her disappear into the mansion.

A strange feeling settled deep inside her chest....

And again, the time passed by, painfully slow, the silence was loud, the music feels like noise and everyone was waiting for the Master and Mistress of the Ashford mansion, Athena got even more uncomfortable in her beautiful dress and heels, she struggled to maintain a smile, the smile looks frozen and forced, barely looking like a smile

The maids around put on a polite smile on their faces, trying to divert the attention of the guest from the sudden departure of the hosts, though their efforts proved futile...

After what feels like forever,

CRASH!

A deafening sound exploded through the estate.

The music stopped instantly.

Conversation died.

Even the servants stood frozen.

A horrifying scream echoed from somewhere inside the mansion.

Athena's heart stopped.

"Mom!"

She screamed and bolted toward the entrance forgetting she was uncomfortable moments ago

Before she could take another step, the head maid who has been with Alice since she was a child rushed from the hallway. Her face was drained of color, her hands trembling almost unnoticeably.

She grabbed Athena's arm.

"Young miss... don't!"

Her voice cracked with fear.

Athena struggled against her grip.

"Let me go! My mother is in there!"

The head maid only held on tighter, tears filling her eyes.

Then...

Darkness.

The last thing Athena heard was her mother's desperate scream echoing through the mansion.

........End of Prologue.........

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Montuigo Mansion, bathing the polished marble floors in a warm golden glow. Every morning, the estate stirred to life long before its owners awoke.

Maids carefully dusted priceless antiques, gardeners trimmed the perfectly sculpted hedges with practiced precision, while chefs and kitchen assistants hurried between steaming pots in the grand kitchen, preparing breakfast for the household.

Despite the usual bustle, an unusual heaviness lingered over the mansion.

In the lower hall, two maids paused as they fluffed the velvet cushions.

"Has the chairman returned?" one asked quietly, glancing around to make sure the head maid wasn't nearby.

The other shook her head.

"He spent the night at headquarters."

"...Still because of Young Master Alex?"

A sigh escaped the older maid.

"So the rumours are true?"

"I don't know."

"I only heard they lost the Helios contract."

The younger maid frowned.

"Young Master... lost?"

"I've worked here for fifteen years, long before young master Alex became the Director" the older woman murmured. "I've never heard of him losing a negotiation."

The younger maid lowered her voice even further.

"They say every department has been talking about it since yesterday."

Another maid, who had been arranging fresh flowers nearby, suddenly turned toward them.

"And where exactly did you hear that?"

The younger maid jumped.

"That's none of your business."

She sniffed and returned to dusting the shelves, pretending she hadn't said anything.

The others exchangede knowing glances.

Within minutes, the whispers travelled through the mansion faster than the morning sunlight itself.

Montuigo Mansion was unusually quiet...

...Montuigo Group Headquarters was silent.

Not the peaceful silence of an ordinary workday, but the suffocating stillness that followed bad news.

Employees who normally exchanged cheerful greetings now walked with their heads lowered, their voices reduced to whispers. The clacking of polished leather shoes against the marble floors echoed through the vast lobby, yet no one dared linger for idle conversation.

Every now and then, curious eyes drifted toward the executive elevators.

No one needed to ask where the chairman was.

Everyone already knew.

The boardroom.

"Do you think Young Master Alex will be dismissed?"

A junior employee whispered as he sorted through a stack of documents.

His colleague nearly choked on her coffee.

"Dismissed? He's the chairman's son."

"The chairman has never mixed family with business and this very contract is supposed to be used to prove to the board that he is capable and worthy of his position as the executive director"

"That's true..."

She lowered her voice.

"But Young Master Alex has never made a mistake either."

"But this is the most important one"

The two fell silent as the elevator doors slid open.

A group of senior executives stepped out, each carrying thick folders against their chests.

Not one of them looked relaxed.

Without exchanging a single word, they walked straight toward the boardroom.

The atmosphere throughout the headquarters grew even heavier.

Everyone understood one thing.

Whatever happened inside that room...

...would determine the future of the Montuigo Group.

*Executive Boardroom*

The conference room had never been so quiet.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the sprawling city skyline, yet no one spared the breathtaking view a glance. Every executive sat perfectly still, their attention fixed on the long mahogany table dominating the room.

At its head sat Frank Montuigo.

Chairman of the Montuigo Group.

His expression revealed nothing.

Neither anger.

Nor disappointment.

Only silence.

And somehow...

That was far more terrifying.

Before him lay a single black folder.

The contract.

Eight months of negotiations.

Dozens of overseas meetings.

Hundreds of hours spent refining proposals.

Gone.

Standing several feet away was Alexander Montuigo.

The company's youngest executive director.

The chairman's eldest son.

The man everyone believed would one day inherit the Montuigo empire.

His posture remained straight, his hands neatly clasped behind his back.

Though calm on the outside...

His sleepless eyes betrayed him.

Frank slowly opened the folder.

The faint rustle of paper sounded deafening in the silent room.

He turned one page.

Then another.

Finally...

He closed it.

The soft click echoed through the boardroom.

His sharp gaze lifted.

"...Explain."

Alex drew a slow breath.

"Yesterday was scheduled to be the final signing ceremony with Helios International."

No one interrupted.

"Everything had been finalized. Their legal team had already approved the agreement."

He paused briefly.

"Ten minutes before the signing..."

"I discovered confidential figures from our proposal in Helios' possession."

A ripple of shock spread across the room.

Several directors exchanged uneasy glances.

Alex continued.

"Those figures were only accessible to six people."

Silence.

"I immediately suspended the signing."

One elderly director frowned.

"You cancelled an eight-month negotiation because of suspicion?"

Alex met the man's gaze, his voice stone cold.

"I cancelled it because someone inside this company sold our secrets."

The room fell deathly still.

No one spoke.

No one even shifted in their seat.

Frank's fingers tightened slightly around the folder.

For the first time...

A faint crack appeared in his otherwise unreadable expression.

Not because they had lost the contract.

But because someone had dared to betray the Montuigo Group from within.

Silence.

No one spoke.

No one even dared shift in their seats.

Alexander's words lingered in the air like a death sentence.

"Someone inside this company sold our secrets."

Every executive in the boardroom instinctively looked at one another.

Suspicion spread through the room faster than panic ever could.

At the head of the table, Frank Montuigo remained perfectly still.

His fingers rested lightly against the black folder before him.

His expression was unreadable.

Then.....

"What do you mean..."

His calm voice sliced through the silence.

"...our secrets?"

Alex met his father's eyes.

His face remained composed, but exhaustion was evident beneath it.

"I wish I had the answer."

A murmur swept across the room.

"You don't know?" one director blurted out.

Alex turned to him.

"I know the information was leaked, I know Helios had access to figures that should never have left this company, after a pause he continued, and I know someone betrayed Montuigo Group, but I don't yet know who."

Frank leaned back slowly.

"And your evidence?"

Alex reached for a folder resting on the table.

He slid two thick files toward his father.

"Our proposal."

"And Helios' final bid."

Frank opened the first file.

Then the second, page after page, profit projections, investment timelines, material costs as well as acquisition strategies.

Every figure was nearly identical.

Only one difference stood out.

Helios had reduced their final quotation by less than one percent........

Just enough to beat Montuigo Group.

Nothing more.

Frank shut the files, his jaw tightened.

"They knew exactly where to undercut us."

Alex nodded.

"They didn't guess, they knew." His voice boomed.

Silence settled once more.

One of the older directors slowly removed his glasses and retorted

"This proposal was classified and only the senior management had access."

"Correct." Alex dittoed

Alex pressed a button on the conference table. "And that is why I have this"

The projector flickered to life.

A list of names appeared.

Proposal Access Log

Alexander Montuigo - Executive Director.

Frank Montuigo - Chairman

Victor Hayes - Vice Chairman.

Sophia Grant - Chief Financial Officer.

Richard Cole - Chief Legal Officer.

Daniel Brooks - Executive Assistant.

"The list of people who had access to this file." He added

The room froze.

Six names.

Only six.

Frank's eyes lingered on the screen.

"So..."

His voice remained steady.

"The traitor is sitting somewhere among these six people."

No one answered.

The words were answer enough.

Victor Hayes suddenly pushed back his chair.

"This is ridiculous!"

His voice echoed through the room.

"I've devoted twenty-two years to this company!"

"You think I'd sell confidential information?"

Alex didn't react.

"I accused no one." He said

"But you just displayed our names!"

Victor shot back.

"You've made every one of us a suspect!"

Alex folded his hands behind his back.

"I displayed the facts and If the facts make you uncomfortable..."

His voice remained level.

"...perhaps the problem isn't the list."

Several directors lowered their heads.

Frank watched his son in silence.

There it was again.

The composure.

The ability to separate emotion from evidence.

It was exactly why he had entrusted Alex with increasing responsibilities over the past four years.

But being composed...

Didn't mean being right.

Frank rose from his chair.

The scrape of wood against polished flooring echoed through the room.

Every executive stood immediately.

"Sit."

His single word sent everyone back into their seats.

He walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city.

For several long moments, he said nothing.

Then..... He called out

"Head of Security!."

A man in a dark suit immediately stepped forward.

"Yes, Chairman."

"Effective immediately..."

Frank turned.

"Seal every executive office, no documents leave this building."

"No electronic devices leave this building."

"I want every access log, every surveillance recording, every email, every file transfer, review the last sixty days."

"Yes, Chairman." The man replied with a polite bow

Frank's gaze swept across the room.

"Until this investigation concludes..."

"...no executive is to discuss this matter outside this room and I don't care if it's your spouse, your child or your closest friend."

"If a single word leaves this building..."

His eyes hardened.

"...consider your resignation already accepted."

Not one person questioned the order.

The authority in Frank's voice left no room for argument.

He finally looked at Alex.

"You."

Alex stepped forward.

"You initiated this investigation."

"Yes, Chairman."

"You will lead it."

A flicker of surprise crossed several faces.

Frank continued.

"But understand this."

"If you accuse someone..."

"You have to prove it and you know I don't tolerate assumptions."

"I don't tolerate guesses and I certainly don't tolerate injustice."

Alex nodded once.

"I understand."

Frank walked back to his chair.

"The meeting is adjourned."

The executives began gathering their files.

Slowly.

Quietly.

Each one avoiding the eyes of the others.

Moments ago, they had entered this room as colleagues.

Now...

Every person wondered whether the traitor had been sitting beside them all along.

As the boardroom gradually emptied, Alex remained standing.

He stared at the list of names still projected onto the screen.

Six names.

Six trusted people.

One traitor.

Behind him, Frank spoke without turning around.

"Alexander."

"Yes, Chairman?"

Frank's voice was quieter now.

"The company can survive losing one contract."

Alex looked up.

"But it cannot survive losing its trust."

For the first time that morning...

Alex's confident expression faltered.

Because he understood exactly what his father meant.

Finding the traitor wasn't just be about recovering a lost contract.

It was about protecting the foundation on which the Montuigo Group had been built for generations.

Outside the boardroom, beyond the glass walls, whispers had already begun to spread through headquarters.

No one knew the details.

Only one thing was certain.

Something had broken inside the Montuigo Group.

And until the traitor was found...

No one was above suspicion.