Beneath the Surface

Present Shadows

Ava Morales stood in the cold hallway of her office building, staring at her reflection in the glass door. Behind her, the muted hum of keyboards and hushed conversations filled the air, but her mind was elsewhere. She took a deep breath, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It was just another day at her job-a tech start-up that had somehow managed to stay afloat through a whirlwind of chaos-but today, something felt off. The air was too still, the silence too heavy.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking her trance. It was Jenna.

"Ava, are you coming to the meeting? We're all waiting for you."

Ava glanced at the time. She was already late.

"On my way," she replied quickly, shoving her phone into her bag and pushing open the door to the conference room.

Inside, her boss, Patrick, stood at the head of the table, his face as stony as ever. Around him, the rest of the team sat in tense anticipation. But it wasn't the usual office faces that caught her attention-it was him.

Damien Hart.

He leaned casually against the far wall, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes scanning the room with a sharp, calculating intensity. There was something about him that made the hairs on the back of Ava's neck stand up. She had heard whispers about him around the office-Damien was a cybersecurity expert, hired to consult on the rising number of data breaches. But there was more to him than just that. He exuded an air of danger, a cold detachment that unsettled her.

Patrick cleared his throat, bringing the room's attention back to him. "As you all know, we've been dealing with a series of unusual security issues. Files going missing, emails being intercepted... it's starting to look like an inside job."

Ava stiffened. An inside job? Her gaze darted across the table, trying to read the expressions of her colleagues. Was someone in the room responsible?

"That's why Damien is here," Patrick continued. "He's going to be leading the investigation, and you'll all be reporting to him for the duration of this project. I expect full cooperation."

Ava's stomach churned. Working with Damien Hart? The thought made her uncomfortable. He hadn't said a word yet, but his presence alone was enough to command the room. She could feel his eyes on her, even though she refused to meet his gaze.

Patrick motioned for Damien to step forward. "Damien, the floor is yours."

Damien pushed off the wall and strode to the front of the room with an effortless confidence that made Ava's irritation flare. "I'll keep this brief," he said, his voice low and measured. "Someone in this company is leaking sensitive information, and until we figure out who, everyone is a suspect."

The tension in the room thickened. Damien's eyes swept across the room, pausing briefly on Ava before moving on. "I don't care how long you've worked here or how trusted you are. Trust means nothing until we find out who's responsible."

Ava shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her heart pounding harder than she'd like to admit. She wasn't guilty of anything, but the way Damien spoke, it was like he could see right through her, into every secret, every insecurity she tried to bury.

Damien paused for a moment, as if considering his next words carefully. "And make no mistake," he added, "if I find out any of you are involved, you'll wish you weren't."

The room was silent. Ava clenched her fists under the table, hating the way his words sent a shiver down her spine. She wasn't about to let him intimidate her. She had dealt with men like him before-men who thought they could control everything and everyone. She wasn't going to let that happen again.

After the meeting, Ava quickly gathered her things, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere. But as she headed toward the door, a low voice stopped her.

"Ms. Morales."

She froze. Damien.

She turned slowly, her pulse quickening as she met his piercing gaze. His eyes were dark, unreadable, and far too intense for her liking.

"You're late to the party," he said, his tone flat, but there was a challenge in his eyes.

Ava straightened, refusing to let him get under her skin. "I had things to do."

"Things more important than company security?"

She felt her temper flare, but she forced herself to stay calm. "I'm here now. Isn't that what matters?"

Damien's lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "For now." He stepped closer, his voice lowering just enough that only she could hear. "But watch yourself, Morales. I'll be watching too."

Ava's jaw tightened. "I'm not afraid of you."

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk growing. "We'll see about that."

She turned on her heel and walked away, her heart hammering in her chest. She hated the way he got to her, how his words lingered in her mind even after she left the room. Damien Hart was trouble-trouble she didn't need.

But as she made her way to her desk, her phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn't Jenna. It was an unknown number.

She hesitated before opening the message. When she finally did, a chill ran down her spine.

"You're already too late."

Ava's fingers trembled as she stared at the message, her mind racing. Too late for what?

Before she could process the cryptic words, her office phone rang. She jumped, her nerves on edge. Answering it quickly, she was greeted with silence on the other end.

Then, a voice, barely above a whisper.

"Tick-tock, Ava."

The line went dead.