Chapter 6 - Playing the Ghost
Walking into the gleaming glass tower of Moretti Global on Monday morning felt like walking into a lion's mouth.
I swiped my newly minted keycard, holding my breath until the turnstile beeped green.
I was officially a temp assigned to the 39th floor, working for human resources.
The atmosphere in the building was tense.
Employees spoke in hushed whispers, terrified of the massive layoffs Vanessa was rumored to be planning.
I spent my first three days filing papers and memorizing the security patrols.
Through the hidden earpiece, Marcus guided me.
“Julian leaves his office for exactly twenty minutes every day at 1:00 PM for a private call on the roof,” Marcus murmured in my ear on Wednesday.
“That’s your window.”
At 12:55 PM, I grabbed a stack of inter-office mail and made my way to the executive elevator.
My heart pounded so hard I thought the security guards could hear it.
I reached the 40th floor just as Julian Vance—tall, handsome, and completely ruthless—strode past me toward the private staircase.
He didn't even glance at me.
I waited until he was out of sight, then quickly moved down the hallway toward his corner office.
The door was locked, but Marcus had provided a cloned RFID key.
It clicked open.
I slipped inside and locked it behind me.
“I’m in,” I whispered.
“You have fifteen minutes, Clara. Find the safe,” Marcus replied.
Dante had guessed the safe would be hidden behind the abstract painting on the far wall.
He was right.
I swung the painting aside, revealing a keypad.
“Code is 0418,” Dante’s voice cracked over the comms, replacing Marcus.
“The day we founded the company.”
I typed it in. The light flashed green.
May you like
I pulled the heavy steel door open, my hands shaking.
Inside sat stacks of cash, a velvet box, and a thick, black leather notebook.
