Everyone was still shaken by the blast. Marvin almost lost some friends, but thank goodness, he lost only his Jet. Every person who was supposed to be on the jet was delayed by Mr. Ross and saved by that action. It was designed by faith that Mr. Ross and her daughter would see the light of another day.

I sat down with Marvin in the office and he was very uneasy given that it was his jet that almost killed his friends. The air in Marvin's office hung heavy with the weight of unspoken suspicions. The recent events have cast a pall over the once vibrant space, turning it into a battleground of secrets and uncertainties. As I sat across from Marvin, the lines etched on his face spoke of a weariness that mirrored my own.

"We can't ignore the possibility, Marvin," I said, breaking the uneasy silence. "Ken had access to your emails, and he's been around long enough to gather information. It's unsettling," I said.

Marvin, his brow furrowed, nodded in reluctant agreement. "I never thought I'd have to doubt someone on my team, especially Ken. But we can't afford to be naive," he said.

“But I told you that this trust of yours was going to be your own doing. You trust that easily, babe, and you should not,” I said.

“Ken and I have come a long way. I believe it is his association with Uncle Jonah that changed him. I would be wrong if it is not the case,” he said.

“You see some part of you still feel for him and that is the difference between both of us. Someone could come for me or all my loved ones and try to harm and kill us and I would still have some sort of compassion for him. I do not think so, Marvin,” I said.

“It is not like that, Cassie, it is that I felt betrayed and easily controlled by others. Ken has always seen that and he has always used it against me even though I love him. It is the reason I feel ashamed of the whole thing playing out in my face," Marvin said,

A decision hung in the air – the need to reorganize the office once again, to limit Ken's access and safeguard the delicate threads of information that held the company together. Marvin, his gaze distant, sighed as if realizing the magnitude of the task ahead.

As the office underwent the necessary restructuring, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were navigating a very deceptive setting where Ken had operated. The landscape where loyalty and betrayal danced on the same precarious edge.

Ken bought Marvin’s loyalty and used it against him. Marvin did not even bother to do a good security check on him. When Marvin reduced his access, were emails and personal security stuff not included? I was wondering how Marvin could trust so well that he would let loose so many things about him. He is the center of all the dangerous things happening and he still does not care about certain things.

Ken's arrival punctuated the tension in the room. His displeasure at the reduced access was evident, a storm brewing beneath the surface of his controlled demeanor. Marvin, asserting his authority, didn't flinch.

"Ken, we need to tighten security, especially after what happened with the jet," Marvin explained, his tone firm.

Ken's eyes flashed with a mixture of frustration and resentment. “Why would we do that because she says so again?” Ken answered, looking at me without even blinking like I was the cause of his entire misfortune with Marvin.

"You didn't hear about the jet blast?" Marvin's expression tightened.

"No, I didn't. What happened?" Ken said almost like he didn’t care.

“Someone bombed my Jet,” Marvin said.

I was just looking at both of them. I felt irritated because it looked like Marvin could not even speak authoritatively to Ken. I felt it was strange unless Ken had something on him.

Ken, almost casually, stated, "It didn't harm anyone. Shantel and her dad are safe, right?”

I exchanged a glance with Marvin, a silent acknowledgment that Ken seemed to be one step ahead, privy to information that he shouldn't have.

No one knew Shantel and her dad were in town except for the few of us working on the case. Ken had just practically sold himself out.

"How did you know they're safe?" I questioned, my suspicion veiled in a calm demeanor.

Ken, unfazed, shrugged. "It was in the news. They're fine." He said.

What news Ken? Where do you get your stories from? I asked, trying to play along but deeply hurt at what I was hearing and seeing.

A nagging doubt lingered. The news hadn't reached the public yet. Ken's assertion raised more questions than answers.

As Ken lingered in the office, he offered unsolicited advice.

"You should reconcile with your uncle, Marvin. These issues won't stop until you do. Family is important in business. You of all people should know that, Marvin. You guys are family" Ken said.

Marvin, his patience thinning, retorted, "I'm not reconciling with someone who tried to ruin me. That's not family; that's a threat."

Ken left the office, leaving behind an air thick with tension. Once the door closed, I turned to Marvin. He looked at me and said,

"We need to keep an eye on him, Cassie. Something doesn't add up," he said.

Oh, Marvin, I felt sorry for him, deep in thought, I nodded. "I'll talk to Larry. We need to figure out what Ken's up to."

Later, in a discreet conversation with Larry, I conveyed my suspicions. "Put a man on Ken. We need to know if he's playing a double game. He knew that Shantel and Mr. Ross were in town. Nobody knew that but us," I said.

Larry, always astute, acknowledged the directive. "I'll get someone on it, Cassie. We can't afford any more surprises."

“Thank you Larry and please make it quick. I want answers within 48 hours. I want to be the one to tell him first that he is a mole,” I said.

Back in Marvin's office, I broached another unsettling realization. "Marvin, think about it. The information about Shantel and her dad because only a handful of people knew they were in town. June, you, Larry, and me. How did Ken know? Unless..."

Marvin's eyes widened, realization dawning. "Unless someone close to us is feeding him information," he said.

“Or does he have access to your mail like you earlier suggested? Have you checked yet,” I asked.

“Nope, but that would be very damaging if he had such access,” Mavin said.

“Why are you always soft on him? It is like you are defending him. Someone who came to share information he should not have, that almost led to the death of your friends and your Jet for that matter. Are you kidding me, Marvin?” I scolded him.

“I am sorry, Cassie. But I do not want to rush to conclusions,” Marvin said.

The implications hung in the air – a traitor among us, whispering secrets to the very person who might pose a threat. The shadows of suspicion cast a long pall over the trust we once took for granted.

“I cannot believe Marvin, why do I even love you?” I said, feeling frustrated about the whole thing.

We have to be careful, Cassie," Marvin said, the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders. "This goes deeper than I thought. I trusted Ken but I must confess you are right," he said.

“If Ken is not guilty of this, I do not know who to point the accusing finger to. He is part of the whole conspiracy,” I said.

“Let us get on with the restructuring of the security architecture of my aides and system. We do not have enough time to let anything slide,” Marvin pleaded.

As the day wore on, the office hummed with a quiet intensity. The restructuring continued, the threads of loyalty and betrayal interwoven in the fabric of our collective existence.

The quest for answers led us deeper into the labyrinth of secrets, each step fraught with uncertainty. People murmured in the office not knowing what to believe or what the true story was.

Officer Page and his men were quick to carry out an investigation as to what led to the explosion. Marvin had warned them that he did not want the press to know about it for now, since it was his private jet. Shantel had told me that no one saw them that day and that he had told Marvin’s pilot to do what I asked.

“Do you want to go over your alibi once more,” I asked.

“I know what to say and what to do, Cassie, there is no need for that,” Marvin said.

“Okay, Shantel has confirmed no one saw them and the pilot will corroborate your story, so that fits in. I am very hungry I need to eat and get to my place. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Nothing for now, Cassie. Why not let's go out and eat together? It has been long we have done that,” Marvin said.

“Marvin, are you serious? We do not even know whether the bomb blast was meant for you, and you are thinking of exposing yourself because you want to dine with me. Please sit this one out okay, we will do it next time,” I said.

“Okay, but please, you look so pale grab something and eat on your way home. You need to take care of yourself the way you take care of your friends,” Marvin said.

I nodded in agreement and approached the door, I was already feeling dizzy but I was determined to get some burgers and eat with

Larry at the hotel. As I approached the door, Marvin called me back, grabbed me softly, and gave me a long passionate kiss.

“I love you and don’t you ever forget that,” he said.