The café had little light, it was in the corner of a street that people seem to have forgotten. It wasn't the kind of place I would normally step into, it was too quiet, not easily noticed but tonight wasn't normal.

I paused just inside the door, I held my handbag more tightly. My heart kept beating faster, as I searched for the person who had sent me the mysterious message. Whoever they were, they had information about Oxford. Whoever they were, they had information about Oxford and Project Titan, and I couldn't afford to ignore it.

In the back corner, a huge figure sat, a cup of coffee in their hand. They were almost invisible in the light. Every nerve in my body told me to turn, to turn around and forget this ever happened. But it was too late.

I put on a frown, forcing myself to move forward. The wooden floor creaked under my heel, drawing the attention of other patrons. I ignored them, keeping my eyes on the figure as I sat in the seat across them.

"You came," the figure said, his voice firm but low.

"Who are you?" I asked, keeping my tone firm. My eyes looked at their hands as it rested on the table. Every part of this figure was covered, leaving me clueless as to their identity.

"A friend. " they replied. "One who knows more about Project Titan, and knows that it is more dangerous than you realize."

I was shocked as to how he knew the name. "How do you know about that?"

The figure laughed slightly, a laugh that sent a chill down my spine. "I know more than you think Emily, and if you're half as smart as I think you are, you'll listen."

The figure put an envelope on the table. I paused for a moment before picking it up, my fingers trembling slightly. The documents contained documents, memos, charts and a list of names. A few names stood out immediately, including my father's and Oxford’s.

"What is this?" I asked, as I flipped through the papers .

"Proof," they said. "Proof that Project Titan isn't just another business deal. It's a takeover, a dangerous one. And if Oxford succeeds, Davis Enterprises will be nothing more than a memory."

My heart dropped, but I tried to maintain my frown. "Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't, " the figure replied, leaning back into his chair. "But ask yourself this, why would I come to you if I didn't have something to gain?"

I didn't trust this figure completely, but there was truth in what he had said. And the information they had handed me was condemning. If it was true, Oxford wasn't just my rival, he was my killer.

Before I could ask any more questions, the figure stood up abruptly. "Be careful, Emily. Not everyone in your circle is on your side."

With that, the figure went out of the door, leaving me alone with the envelope and a load of unanswered questions.

**********

Back at the mansion, the voice of the figure echoed in my head as the scene at the cafe played continuously. I held the envelope tightly in my hands , as I claimed the stairs to my room, my mind racing with possibilities. Who was that figure? How did they get such information? Was the information real? And if it was, how far was Oxford willing to go to secure his victory?

I shut the door behind me, locking it also, just in case Oxford had a reason to come here. My hands still shaking slightly as I spread the documents across my desk, looking through them for any information that can give me an edge.

The more I read, the more my fear turned into anger. Project Titan wasn't just about business, it was about control, the kind of control Oxford wanted since high school.

There were notes about key partnerships, disrupting Davis Enterprises' infrastructure, and ensuring Williams Conglomerate became the only one. Oxford must have been planning this for months, maybe even years because this plan was perfect and had almost no flaws .

I heard a sudden knock at the door. I quickly gathered the papers together, putting them in the drawer, before composing myself .

"Come in" I called , my voice soft despite the anger I felt.

The door opened, and it was Joyce , my assistant. Her expression was calm,but I could see curiosity in her eyes as she looked around the room.

"Just checking to see if you need anything," she said, her tone soft.

"I'm fine," I replied, my voice firm.

Joyce raised a brow, but didn't press further. "All right. Goodnight Mrs. Williams "

That title made me more annoyed, but I forced a smile as she left . As soon as the door shut, I turned back to the drawer, pulling out the documents once again.

*********

The next morning, I barely touched my breakfast, the information I found last night was a little too much to handle. Oxford sat across me, on the massive dining table, reading the newspaper like everything in the world was perfectly in place. His calm act only made me more annoyed.

"Late night?" He asked.

"Busy" I replied, trying to avoid eye contact.

He laughed slightly, setting the newspaper aside. "I hope you're not working too hard. Stress can be... well detrimental" he tone filled with mockery.

I held my fork, trying not to throw it at him. Instead, I forced a smile. "I'll keep that in mind".

I could feel his eyes on me for a moment, longer than necessary with a slight smirk before he returned back to his coffee. I couldn't tell if he suspected anything or if he was just playing his usual mind games. Either way, I knew I had to stay one step ahead.

********

That night, I could help but feel like I was being watched, I double checked the locks on my doors and windows too. The mansion was a bit too quiet, the kind of silence that caused fear and doubt.

Just as I was beginning to sleep off, my phone buzzed. Still sleepy, I reached for it, squinting to see the screen.

A single email was in my inbox, the subject line made my heart bear twice as fast.

****Project Titan:Classified****

I opened the email, my hands shaking. The body contained only one sentence:

** "You're running out of time, Mrs. Williams."**