Marco's phone buzzed, the vibration rattling through his palm. He glanced down at the screen an email from one of his largest investors. The subject line was simple, but it felt like a punch in the gut: Withdrawal of Investment.

His chest tightened as he clicked the message open. The email was concise and direct: "We have decided to withdraw our investment from your company due to recent developments." We wish you the best moving forward."

His mind raced. This couldn’t be happening. Marco had built everything his empire on the trust of investors like them. Without them, everything would crumble. How could they pull out now, at such a critical time? It didn’t make sense. He needed answers.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, slamming his fist on the desk.

He stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair in the process. The office was too cramped and stuffy. His heart hammered in his chest as he stormed to the door, nearly knocking it off its hinges as he made his way down the hall toward his private office.

Something must have gone wrong. This was going to be fixed by him.

The air felt colder than usual as Marco entered his office. The office's poor lighting didn't help either. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the blinds, warping everything as if the world were wrong. Like a countdown to an impending event, the wall clock's ticking seemed excessively loud.

"Emma!" Marco walked to the desk and barked. "Where is Bianca?"

His assistant Emma's eyes widened as she looked up from her computer. "Marco, she's not here. She said something about—" and went off for the day.

"Dammit!" Marco interrupted her. "Tell me everything you know about this," he threw the email down in front of her, his voice sharp.

Emma swallowed, obviously uneasy. "I’m not sure. I heard some odd things during today's board meeting, but I'm not sure what's going on."

"Unusual things?" What do you mean?"

Emma paused, twitching her fingers uneasily. She heard murmurs. People are... doubting your leadership."

Marco's knuckles turned white as his hands balled into fists. He had been holding on to everything tightly because he had to. He was not going to allow anyone to doubt his authority.

Once more, his phone buzzed. He received yet another email. One more investor.

Request for Immediate Meeting was the subject line that chilled him to the bone.

Marco grabbed his phone and began to browse. His eyes froze as they landed on a link in the email. It was titled Financial Fraud—Urgent Review and came from an unnamed source.

His hands trembled as he clicked the link.

His stomach dropped at what he saw. The leaked documents, detailed spreadsheets, and reports revealed every shady deal he had made in the past year. He scrolled through them, his hands shaking.

It was all there. Someone falsified the transactions. The process involves the transfer of financial resources. The topic is offshore accounts. Bianca's name appeared there, connected to everything, in black and white.

His thoughts were racing as he gazed at the screen. This couldn’t be real. Someone must have been setting him up. Who would act in this way? Why now, too?

The evidence was obvious, but he didn't want to believe it. He felt the weight of it pressing down on him. He had always trusted Bianca, but how could he trust her now? He was unsure of who to believe. Did she know about this? Or had she also been duped?

"Emma," Marco yelled, turning to confront his assistant, who was still seat behind her desk. "Bianca, get me. "Now."

Emma's face went white. "You're frightening me, Marco. What's happening?

"Just do it," Marco snarled as he combed through his hair, his thoughts racing. He needed to fix this. He had to find out who was behind it before it was too late.

Silent minutes went by, with every second seeming endless. Marco paced, his mind racing. He was unable to concentrate. He was having trouble breathing. What the hell was going on? He was being played by whom?

At last, his phone rang. Bianca was the one.

"Where are you, Marco?" Bianca’s voice sounded distant, like she was trying to hide something.

Marco's voice was tight with urgency as he said, "I need you here, now." "We need to talk, so come to my office."

"About what?" she said softly. Too low.

"The records. Marco's voice broke as he spoke about the leak and the fraud. Never in his life had he felt so vulnerable and exposed.

"Marco, I—" Marco's heart pounded as Bianca's voice trailed off.

His voice rose as he demanded, "What do you know?" "What's happening, Bianca? Who is harming me like this?

Bianca said, "I—I don’t know what you mean," but Marco could hear the hesitancy in her voice. "I swear, I haven't seen any documents."

Marco, however, didn't believe it. He wasn't a moron. The evidence he had seen all pointed to her. She was undoubtedly involved, even if she wasn't the mastermind.

"Bianca, I want answers. "Now."

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, and Marco’s anger grew with every passing second.

Marco stated in a chilly tone, "You have until tonight to explain yourself." "Or I'll make sure everyone is aware of exactly what has been happening behind closed doors."

Before she could say another word, he hung up, fear and frustration roiling in his head.

Marco turned to see his board members entering his office as the door creaked open. They didn't appear happy. Not at all.

Charles, the board's leader, said in a tight voice, "Marco." "We must speak. Some... alarming news has surfaced.

"Troubling news?" Marco repeated, his blood boiling. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Another board member, Linda, narrowed her eyes and added, "People are talking, Marco." "People are discussing your leadership." The issue at hand pertains to the leaks. The financials. We've been reviewing the figures, and they don't add up.

Marco felt his world shifting beneath him. He had always been in charge, the one who made choices. Now, though? He was losing everything now.

Marco yelled, "I've got everything under control," but his voice was no longer as confident as it had been. "I'll take care of it. Give me a little time, please.

"Time?" Charles said, his voice sharp. "How long do you think you have left? If this doesn't resolve, we'll have to take action. We no longer trust you."

Marco felt as though the room was closing in on him. He sensed the pressure increasing and the walls getting tighter. For the first time in a long time, Marco didn't feel in charge, and his breath became labored.

Who was responsible for this? Who was in charge?

Was Bianca always playing him? Or was there another lurking in the shadows, awaiting the right opportunity?

Marco couldn't find the answers to the questions that tormented his mind. Not yet.

But he would learn soon.

Who had deceived him?