Amelia tapped her fingers on the coffee table, her nerves fraying as Alex furiously typed on his laptop. His sharp, green eyes were locked onto the screen, a glimmer of excitement lighting his face. “You’re going to owe me dinner after this,” he quipped without looking up. “The good kind, not your weird vegan lasagna.”
Amelia rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t suppress a faint smile. “Just find what we’re looking for, Alex. This isn’t exactly the time for jokes.”
“Jokes keep me sharp,” he retorted, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “And besides, you dragged me into this high-stakes corporate drama. I’m practically living a soap opera here.”
“Alex,” she said, her tone sharper this time.
“Alright, alright, boss lady.” He held up a hand as a progress bar appeared on his screen. “Hacking into encrypted files takes time, you know. They don’t just hand out access like candy at a parade.”
Amelia’s heart thudded as she leaned forward, her eyes scanning the screen. “Do you really think we’ll find something?”
Alex shot her a sly grin. “Honey, with me on the job? Please.”
Moments later, his grin widened as the screen lit up with rows of emails and attached documents. “And voilà!” he exclaimed, turning the laptop toward her with a flourish. “Your smoking gun. Please hold your applause until the end of the show.”
Amelia’s breath caught as she scanned the files. The correspondence between Hale and Brenda was damning. “Brenda’s been feeding them information about Ryan for months,” she muttered, disbelief thick in her voice.
“Not just about Ryan,” Alex said, his tone more serious now. He clicked through several emails, pointing out key phrases. “Look at this—your kids, your house. They’ve been tracking everything. Brenda’s sold out your entire life for a paycheck.”
Amelia’s chest tightened as she read through the emails. One line chilled her to the core: "Focus on the kids. Make him vulnerable through them."
“She really sold us out,” Amelia whispered, her hands trembling as she held the printouts Alex handed her.
Alex leaned back, crossing his arms. “Sold you out, gift-wrapped you, and probably included a thank-you card. Brenda’s not just spiteful—she’s calculating.”
Amelia swallowed hard, her anger simmering. “Ryan needs to see this. He needs to know.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “You sure that’s a good idea? Last I heard, he’s not exactly in the running for boyfriend of the year.”
“It’s not about that,” Amelia said firmly, standing. “It’s about stopping them before they hurt the twins—or worse.”
Alex gave her a mock salute. “Well, in that case, good luck, Agent Blake. Try not to get yourself killed. I’d miss our awkward brunches.”
Amelia cracked a small smile despite herself. “Thanks, Alex. I owe you.”
“You owe me more than a vegan casserole,” he shot back as she grabbed her coat and the evidence.