The words which Carla had told me the night before made me wonder. I wondered why Oxford hated me so much. I was surrounded by scattered papers, as I tried to process what she had shared.

My heart raced, each thought more chaotic than the last. The possibility that Oxford was directly involved in the deliberate sabotage of Davis Enterprises sent a cold shiver down my spine.

The numbers Clara had shown, financial transfers, they were just too hard to ignore. Was this the start of his ultimate takeover?

I leaned back in my chair, running my hand through my hair. I had always known Oxford was ruthless, but this? This was something entirely different. Project Titan wasn't just a business venture. It was a means to an end, and I was standing in the way.

I hadn't spoken to my father in a while. I wasn't sure how much to trust him anymore. Its continual alliance with Oxford was troubling, and every time I raised a concern, he dismissed it, he made it seem like I was overreacting.

"Don't worry about things you can't control, Emily". He'd use those specific words every time.

But now , I couldn't shake the suspension that my father had chosen his side, and it wasn't mine.

*******

I tried to distract myself by walking through the mansion's corridors., my steps echoing. The hallway was decorated with expensive artwork, and that should have been comforting, but they only reminded me of everything I stood to lose. Davis Enterprises had been my father's legacy.

My future even though my father wasn't ready to fully embrace it yet, and yet, I had never felt more alone in the fight to save it.

The dinner bell rang downstairs, interrupting my thoughts. Oxford had insisted on eating dinner together and though I hated it, I couldn't avoid it. The public image we were forced to maintain, two powerful figures united in their marriage, demanded that we appear the perfect couple, even when there was no press or media.

As I came down from the staircase, I braced myself for another round of his games. He would play his part and I would play mine. For now, it was the only option I had.

**********

Dinner was as tense as always. Oxford sat at the far end of the long table, his posture composed as he sipped his wine. He looked up as I entered, a slight smile was on his face, but there was nothing genuine about it.

"Good evening, Mrs.Williams, " he said, his voice filled with mockery.

I tried my best not to snap at him, keeping my voice calm as I took my seat. "Evening, Oxford. "

We exchanged pleasantries, the conversation staying strictly formal until he set the glass down.

"How was your day?" He asked, looking intensely at me.

"Busy" I replied bluntly, resisting the urge to look away. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how scared I truly was.

He raised a brow, his smile widening. " I hope you didn't overwork yourself. It wouldn't be good for the family reputation."

I clenched my fists. It was always about reputation with him, about maintaining control over everything, even me. But I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared.

"I can handle myself," I said, my voice firm, despite my fear.

Oxford leaned back into his chair, his eyes still on me. "Of course you can. But don't forget, Emily... I'm the one who decides what happens next."

A chill ran down my spine, but I forced a smile as I whispered. "You wish".

**********

Later, I excused myself from the dining table and went straight into my room. Something was off about Oxford, about my father, and everything surrounding Project Titan. I needed answers, and I needed them fast.

I grabbed my phone and texted Joyce to come see me before she went home. She was the only one I could trust now, but with what she said about working for Oxford, even the trust felt fragile. I had to be sure we were on the same side.

When Joyce arrived, I immediately handed her the documents.

"Look at this" my voice low. "There are financial transfers. There's a pattern, and it's all pointing to Oxford. I need to know what's going on with Project Titan.

Joyce looked carefully at the papers, her expression firm as she studied the figures.

"This doesn't make sense," she murmured.

"Oxford is siphoning funds through a subsidiary. A subsidiary that we control. If this continues, Davis Enterprises will go into bankruptcy.

My heart dropped. "So it's not just about Project Titan, is it? This is a full-blown attack on the company ."

Joyce nodded. "It's not just business Emily. It's personal."

Her words caused silence between us both. I sat back at the desk, my mind racing. Who can I trust? And why hadn't my father told me about this?

Before I could ask Joyce more questions, we heard a knock on the door that interrupted us. I stood quickly, my heart skipping a beat. Who could it be at this hour?

When I opened the door, I found nothing but a small, brown package lying on the doorstep. My heart dropped. There was no return address, and no clues as to who it might be from. I closed the door behind me and carried the package in, my heart shaking.

I tore off the brown paper, and all I saw inside was a photograph. My heart dropped as I looked at it. It was a picture of me and Carla in the cafe earlier that afternoon, our conversation caught on film. The message was clear: Traitors are always watched.

"Oh my god," Joyce said as she saw the photograph.

The photo dropped from my hand. Who had sent this? How did they know about our meeting? And how could they gain access to the mansion at the hour?

I picked up the photograph hoping to find another clue as I flipped it over, but instead, it was the same message.

"Traitors are always being watched."

I felt like being hunted, watched from every corner. Was I truly alone in this fight or had I become some pawn in this game?

I had no answers to the questions that kept popping in my thoughts, but I knew one thing, I was running out of time, and the stakes were higher than I ever imagined.