Love by the Contract

Chapter 139

The morning light filtered through Emma’s office window, but there was no warmth to it. Emma stood at her desk, her mind racing with the weight of Sofia’s confession the night before.

The betrayal still stung, but there was no time to dwell on hurt feelings.

The confession had given her a trail to follow—a dangerous one, perhaps, but one that could finally lead to the heart of the conspiracy threatening her foundation and her loved ones.

She had summoned Sofia back to her office that morning, ensuring the younger woman could avoid the prying eyes of her colleagues. Emma needed Sofia calm, cooperative, and resolute if they were to dismantle this scheme.

The door creaked open, and Sofia entered hesitantly. Her face was pale, her eyes rimmed with exhaustion.

“Emma,” she began softly, her voice shaky, “I’m so sorry for everything. I—”

Emma raised a hand to stop her.

“I know you are, Sofia. But right now, I need you to focus. We can’t change what’s already happened, but we can stop this from going any further.”

Sofia nodded, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

“Sit,” Emma said, gesturing to the chair across from her.

Sofia lowered herself into the seat, her shoulders hunched. Emma studied her for a moment before speaking.

“You mentioned last night that you were blackmailed. I need every detail you can remember—who contacted you, how they reached you, what they threatened you with, and any other clues you might have.”

Sofia hesitated, her fingers twisting the fabric of her skirt.

“It started about three weeks before the gala,” she began. “I got an email from an anonymous account. At first, I thought it was spam, but then I saw the attachments.” She swallowed hard. “They had photos—of my apartment, of me coming and going. And there were emails too, ones I thought I’d deleted. They said they’d release everything if I didn’t cooperate.”

“What kind of emails?” Emma pressed gently.

“Personal ones. From a time when I was struggling financially. I’d borrowed money from someone I shouldn’t have—a loan shark. They… they made it sound like I was complicit in something illegal, even though I wasn’t.”

Emma’s stomach churned at the thought. Whoever had targeted Sofia had known exactly how to exploit her vulnerabilities.

“And the money they sent you?”

“They said it was a ‘gift’ for my cooperation. I was supposed to let someone into the server room during the gala prep and not ask questions. They promised no one would get hurt.” Sofia’s voice cracked. “I didn’t think—”

“You didn’t think they’d poison Thomas,” Emma finished grimly.

Sofia nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I swear, I didn’t know they’d go that far. Please, Emma, believe me.”

Emma leaned forward, her tone softening.

“I believe you, Sofia. But believing you isn’t enough. If we’re going to stop these people, I need you to help me expose them.”

Sofia looked up, her expression desperate. “How? What can I do?”

“You’re going to give a full statement to the authorities,” Emma said firmly. “Everything you’ve told me, and anything else you can remember—every email, every message, every detail about the person who accessed the server room.”

Sofia hesitated, fear flashing in her eyes. “What if they come after me?”

“They won’t,” Emma said, her voice resolute. “I’ll make sure of it. We’ll involve law enforcement, increase security around the foundation, and I’ll personally ensure you’re protected.”

The younger woman nodded reluctantly. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

Later that day, Emma sat across from Detective Simmons in a small conference room, Sofia seated beside her. The detective listened intently as Sofia recounted her story, her voice trembling but steady as she detailed the blackmail and her coerced actions.

When Sofia finished, Simmons leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful.

“This matches some patterns we’ve seen in other cases involving corporate sabotage,” he said. “The level of coordination suggests a larger operation—likely a network that specializes in blackmail and infiltration.”

“A network?” Emma repeated, her stomach tightening.

Simmons nodded. “We’ve had whispers of something like this for a while—a group that uses blackmail to plant operatives in key organizations. They typically target vulnerable individuals, like Ms. Sofia here, to gain access to sensitive systems or disrupt operations. But until now, we haven’t had solid leads.”

Emma’s mind raced. The implications were staggering. This wasn’t just about her foundation or Thomas’s poisoning; this was part of something far larger and far more dangerous.

“What happens now?” she asked.

“We’ll use Sofia’s testimony to start digging deeper,” Simmons replied. “But I’ll be honest with you, Emma—this won’t be quick or easy. These people are careful, and they cover their tracks well.”

Emma nodded, her resolve hardening. “Whatever it takes, Detective. I want them exposed.”

That evening, Emma returned to the foundation with a renewed sense of purpose. She called a meeting with her senior staff, explaining the steps they would take to tighten security and rebuild trust within the organization.

“We’ve had a breach,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “Someone exploited one of our own to undermine everything we’ve built. But this isn’t the end. We’ll come out of this stronger, more vigilant, and more united than ever.”

Her staff responded with nods and murmurs of agreement, their faith in her leadership clear despite the challenges they faced.

As the meeting ended, Jason pulled her aside.

“There’s something else you should know,” he said.

Emma frowned. “What is it?”

“We’ve recovered some partial data from the corrupted footage,” Jason explained. “It’s not much, but it might give us a clue about who accessed the server room.”

Emma’s heart skipped a beat. “Show me.”

Jason led her to the security office, where a technician played the recovered footage. The video was grainy and distorted, but it clearly showed a figure in a uniform entering the server room. The face was obscured, but the height and build were distinctive.

“Can we identify them?” Emma asked.

Jason shook his head. “Not yet. But we’re running the footage through every recognition system we have. It’s only a matter of time.”

Emma stared at the screen, her jaw tightening. Whoever this person was, they had been inside her foundation, threatening everything she had worked for.

Later that night, Emma sat in her office, staring out the window at the city lights. The weight of the day pressed down on her, but she refused to let it break her.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. It was a message from Detective Simmons:

We’ve traced the blackmail emails to an offshore account. It’s linked to a known associate of the rival CEO you’ve dealt with before. Looks like he’s still pulling strings.

Emma’s grip tightened on the phone. The rival CEO—the same man who had tried to destroy her foundation in the past—was still orchestrating attacks from the shadows.