Aria's POV
I sat at my desk, the manila envelope Miranda had handed me still on the cracked wooden table. My hands brushed over the edges of Leo's last photo… the one they'd used as a warning. My heart pounded at the thought of him in someone else's sights. But instead of fear making me shrink, I felt a spark of something far more dangerous: resolve.
I grabbed my phone and hit Elias's number. The ringtone barely buzzed once before he answered.
"Hey," he greeted. "You okay?"
"Elias," I began, my voice low and firm, "I need a favor."
"What kind of favor?" he asked, cautious.
"I need you to dig up Damien's old AI project." I said, pacing. "The one he trashed last year. The predictive one."
There was a sharp inhale on the other end. "That project? Aria, that was classified at the highest level. I wasn't even supposed to touch it. Getting into that file will take some serious firewall-breaking."
"You can do it," I pressed. "I wouldn't ask if I thought you couldn't."
There was a long silence. Finally, he sighed. "And what if someone catches me? Damien will have my head if he finds out."
"You won't get caught," I assured him. "I just need you to look. See if there's anything useful. That AI could be the leverage I need to fight back."
"Leverage against what, exactly?" Elias asked carefully.
"Miranda." I answered simply. Her name was enough.
He went quiet again, then: "Fine. But if this backfires…"
"You won't take the heat," I assured him. "I will."
"You always do," Elias muttered. "Alright. Give me a few hours. I'll see what I can do."
When I hung up, my hands were trembling, adrenaline humming in my veins. From the bassinet in the corner, Leo gave a sleepy little squeak. I hurried to scoop him up, his tiny weight warm and grounding against my chest.
"Shh, baby," I murmured into his downy hair. "Mommy's going to make sure we're okay. Mommy's going to fight."
Leo blinked up at me, eyes glassy with sleep, and then nestled closer. I held him like a shield. My heart whispered, I'll fight for you. Even if it breaks me.
A FEW HOURS LATER
My phone buzzed on the table. I set Leo gently in his bassinet and grabbed it.
Elias: I've got the files. But Aria, this project… It's big. Bigger than I thought.
My pulse kicked up.
Me: Send them.
A moment later, an encrypted link appeared. I hurried to my laptop and keyed in the password Elias had sent separately.
As the files began to download, my phone rang again. Elias.
"You seeing them?" he asked, voice tense.
"Just opening." I replied, my gaze locked on the screen. A cascade of data, blueprints, and Damien's neat, methodical notes began to fill my screen.
"My God," I breathed. "Damien was working on a predictive AI for financial futures?"
"That's what it looks like," Elias confirmed. "He named it 'Prototype V.'"
Lines of code scrolled by as I scanned. There were simulations predicting company acquisitions, trade fluctuations, and even competitor failures… all accurate enough to put DOMAAN light-years ahead.
"Elias," I murmured, my heart racing. "This could change everything. Why would Damien bury this?"
"Think about who benefits most from Damien not having this," Elias replied.
My hands froze over the keyboard. "Miranda." I whispered.
"Exactly," Elias said. "That AI would make her expendable. Damien would never need her insights again, and she'd lose her seat at the table. This looks like sabotage on her part."
My stomach churned with a mix of fury and understanding. "That's why she pulled strings to shut this down?"
"Looks like it," Elias agreed. "And these timestamps? Damien never even showed this version to the board."
I chewed my lip. "He trusted her more than himself." I whispered bitterly.
Elias let the silence stretch for a moment before saying, "You know what you have, right?"
I stared at the schematics like they were treasures. "Leverage," I answered.
"More than leverage," Elias said, voice low and serious. "This is your way back in, Aria. You polish this up, show Damien what he missed, and make him see who's been playing him."
I leaned back, feeling a wild glimmer of hope stirring in my chest. "That's exactly what I'm going to do," I decided. "But I can't do this alone. Will you help?"
"You've got me," Elias replied without hesitation. "Just tell me what you need."
That night, my tiny apartment was alive with a quiet energy. Leo snoozed peacefully in his bassinet while I sprawled across the floor surrounded by printed sheets of code and hastily scribbled notes. I fired off emails to my most trusted contacts… developers, investors, old colleagues who owed me favors.
First: clean up the algorithm.
Second: design a demo.
Third: make sure Damien sees it.
By midnight, my eyes were scratchy, my hands trembling with exhaustion, but my plan was taking shape.
My phone vibrated. A new text appeared.
Unknown number: Interesting choice, digging into Prototype V. Didn't think you had the guts.
My breath caught. Miranda.
My fingers flew.
Me: You're scared I'll succeed.
Her reply was instantaneous: Scared? No. Amused? Absolutely. See you at the top, Aria. Or maybe not at all.
I set my phone face-down and stared into the darkened apartment. My hands still trembled, but my voice was steady as I whispered into the stillness: "You won't scare me."
Leo whimpered. I reached for his bassinet, rocking him slowly. "No one will," I promised him.
TWO DAYS LATER
I sat across from Elias at a greasy little café on the edge of the city. The rain tapped against the windows as I slid a small flash drive across the table.
"Are you sure this will work?" Elias asked, his brow furrowed.
I held his gaze. "I'm sure. But that's not what keeps me up at night."
"What then?" he prodded.
"Miranda," I replied simply. "She won't take this lying down. Either Damien knows what I'm doing, or she's already told him some lie that paints me as unstable, dangerous… whatever fits her story."
Elias considered this, rubbing his chin. "And if she has?"
"Then we make sure she can't hide it," I replied, voice steeper than I felt inside. "A public demo. Something Damien can't ignore."
He nodded slowly. "That's bold," he said. "And risky."
"That's survival," I corrected. "And my son deserves that fight."
Elias's face softened. "You've come this far, Aria. Don't stop now."
I nodded, tucking the flash drive into my purse as though it were made of glass. "I won't," I promised.
That evening, as I tucked Leo into his bassinet and brushed my fingers across his chubby cheek, my phone chimed again.
Blocked Number: You really think you can salvage what he destroyed? Poor little Aria. Always reaching too far.
My fists clenched around the phone.
Me: Watch me.
A second passed.
Then the typing bubble appeared.
Blocked Number: Then come show me. Tomorrow. DOMAAN HQ. 10 AM. Let's see who's really in control.
My breath hitched.
I read the message again.
And again.
A challenge.
A dare.
And an invitation straight into the lion's den.
I glanced at Leo, sleeping peacefully despite the storm swirling outside… and the one stirring within me.
"This was it," I whispered into the dark. "No more running. No more hiding."
I set my phone down, my hands finally still as my resolve settled into my bones.
"Tomorrow," I breathed. "Tomorrow, I face them all."
And this time, I wasn't leaving without a fight.
Or a victory.