Chapter Twelve: A Dangerous Promise

Zara stared at the message until the words became blurry.

The next person to disappear... is standing beside you.

Her fingers tightened around her phone.

For a second, she couldn't breathe.

Adrian noticed the change in her expression immediately.

"What is it?"

She silently handed him the phone.

He read the message once.

Then again.

His jaw tightened.

"They're getting bolder."

Evelyn looked between them.

"Another threat?"

Adrian nodded.

"They're trying to scare her."

"They're doing a good job," Zara admitted.

It was the truth.

She wasn't ashamed to say it.

She was scared.

Anyone in her position would be.

Adrian handed her phone back.

"I'll have someone take you home."

"No."

Both Adrian and Evelyn looked at her.

"I don't want bodyguards following me everywhere."

"They won't be following you."

"They'll be protecting you."

Zara sighed.

"I've only worked here for three days."

"And in those three days you've been threatened twice."

"I don't want special treatment."

"This isn't special treatment."

His voice wasn't harsh.

It was calm.

Almost too calm.

"It's common sense."

She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again.

Deep down, she knew he was right.

Evelyn cleared her throat.

"The board meeting starts in ten minutes."

Adrian looked at Zara.

"Stay in my office."

"I can go back to my desk."

"I said stay here."

There was something about the way he said it that made her stop arguing.

He picked up his suit jacket.

"If anyone asks for me, tell them I'll be back within an hour."

She nodded.

"I will."

He walked toward the door, then paused.

"Lock the door after I leave."

"You really think it's that serious?"

"I don't take chances."

He left.

A second later, Zara heard the lock click into place.

---

The office suddenly felt much bigger.

Too big.

Too quiet.

She sat behind her desk, trying to focus on the stack of papers Evelyn had left for her.

It wasn't working.

Her eyes kept drifting toward the large windows overlooking the city.

Everything outside looked so normal.

Cars moved through traffic.

People crossed the streets.

Somewhere down there, life was carrying on as usual.

Meanwhile, someone was threatening people inside one of the biggest companies in the country.

Her phone buzzed.

She almost dropped it.

It wasn't another anonymous message.

It was her mother.

A smile finally appeared on her face.

"Hello, Mum."

"My daughter."

Her mother's warm voice immediately made her feel lighter.

"How's the new job?"

"It's... interesting."

"Interesting?"

Zara laughed softly.

"I'll explain everything when I come home."

"I hope they're treating you well."

"They are."

"Have you eaten?"

The question made Zara smile even more.

No matter how old she got, that would always be her mother's first concern.

"Yes."

"You sound tired."

"It's been a busy week."

"You've always worked too hard."

"I learned from you."

Her mother chuckled.

"Don't flatter me."

The conversation only lasted five minutes, but by the time the call ended, Zara felt calmer.

Sometimes hearing a familiar voice was enough.

She returned to organizing Adrian's schedule.

Halfway through, she noticed something strange.

One of the meetings listed for the afternoon wasn't on the digital calendar.

She frowned.

Maybe Evelyn forgot to add it.

Or...

Maybe someone had removed it.

Before she could think further, there was a knock.

Three gentle taps.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's me."

Evelyn.

Zara unlocked the door.

Evelyn stepped inside carrying two cups of coffee.

"I thought you could use this."

"Thank you."

She accepted the cup.

"You look exhausted."

"I feel exhausted."

Evelyn smiled sympathetically.

"It gets easier."

"I hope so."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

Then Zara asked the question she'd been thinking about since yesterday.

"Were you close to Mr. Lawson?"

Evelyn looked down at her coffee.

"We worked together for years."

"Do you think he betrayed Mr. Knight?"

She didn't answer immediately.

"I don't know."

"You don't sound convinced."

"I'm not."

Zara nodded slowly.

Neither was she.

---

At the same time...

On the twenty-ninth floor, the emergency board meeting had turned into an argument.

"We should hand over the file."

"No."

Adrian's answer came without hesitation.

A board member slammed his hand on the table.

"Your grandmother's life is at stake!"

"And if we hand over confidential company information?"

"We'll survive."

"You don't know that."

Another member spoke.

"We're running out of time."

Adrian looked around the room.

Every face seemed worried.

Some were angry.

Others looked frightened.

He understood why.

But fear had a way of making people choose the easiest path instead of the right one.

"I'm not making decisions based on panic."

An older woman adjusted her glasses.

"Then what are you suggesting?"

"We find them before the deadline."

A few people laughed quietly.

One man shook his head.

"You sound confident."

"I'm determined."

"There's a difference."

Adrian looked directly at him.

"I know."

---

Back in the executive office...

Zara was about to take another sip of coffee when she noticed something.

"Evelyn."

"Hm?"

"Did you put sugar in this?"

"No."

"I think someone did."

Evelyn frowned.

"I brought it straight from the staff kitchen."

Zara looked at the cup again.

She always drank coffee without sugar.

This tasted unusually sweet.

Almost...

Too sweet.

A strange thought crossed her mind.

She stood up.

"What is it?" Evelyn asked.

"I'm not sure."

She walked over to Adrian's desk.

The untouched cup that had been prepared for him was still sitting there.

She carefully switched the cups.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to test something."

She pressed the intercom.

"Could someone please come to Mr. Knight's office?"

A junior office assistant arrived a minute later.

"Yes, Miss Daniels?"

"Could you please smell these two coffees?"

The young man looked confused but did as she asked.

"This one smells normal."

He pointed to Adrian's.

"And this one..."

He frowned.

"It smells... different."

Evelyn's face changed.

"You think someone tampered with it?"

"I don't know."

"But I don't think we should drink either one."

Just then, Adrian returned.

He immediately noticed the serious expressions in the room.

"What happened?"

Zara explained everything.

Without saying a word, Adrian picked up the suspicious cup.

He didn't drink it.

He simply smelled it.

His expression hardened.

"Evelyn."

"Yes?"

"Call security."

"And?"

"Have this coffee tested immediately."

Zara felt a chill run through her.

Someone hadn't just threatened them anymore.

Someone had been close enough to touch Adrian's drink.

Close enough...

To poison it.

Before anyone could react, Adrian's phone rang.

He answered at once.

"This is Knight."

A familiar distorted voice spoke through the speaker.

"I warned you the clock was ticking."

Adrian remained silent.

The caller laughed.

"You've just failed your first test."

The line went dead.

At that exact moment, one of the security officers burst into the office.

His face was pale.

"Sir..."

"What is it?"

"We've just received confirmation from the laboratory."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"The coffee?"

The officer nodded.

"It wasn't poison."

Everyone exhaled in relief.

Then the officer finished his sentence.

"It was a powerful sleeping drug."

He swallowed hard.

"If you had drunk it..."

He looked directly at Adrian.

"...you would have been unconscious for hours."

Zara's heart pounded.

Someone hadn't wanted Adrian dead.

They had wanted him...

Unable to stop whatever was about to happen next.