Chapter 9: A Mysterious Encounter

Emily's fingers tightened protectively over the edge of her notepad, and her face tensed. She was clearly not easily intimidated, as Aidan could see. However, she exercised caution, and exercising caution meant surviving in her surroundings.

"Who are you?" Her tone tightened as she inquired. "And why are you concerned?"

Aidan took a while to respond. She wondered what he was up to, but instead he let the tension between them to persist. He then said, "I'm someone who wants to take Victor Pierce down," in a calm, collected manner. forever.

The effect of the words was as intended. Emily's doubts turned into inquiries, and her eyes widened a little. Curiosity spurred her to lean closer and imitate his posture. "What makes you credible?"

Aidan grinned glumly. "I do not require your belief. However, you already know what Victor is capable of if you are truly investigating him. You have most likely discovered the bribes he has paid to maintain his business, the shell corporations, and the illicit funds. Additionally, you will become a target if you continue to snoop around.

Even though Emily didn't flinch, Aidan could see what was going through her head. She was smarter than most people. Aidan had played the game long enough to know what was good.

"You're cautioning me, then?" With skepticism, she inquired. "Or do you mean to threaten me?"

Aidan gave a headshake. "Neither. I'm giving you an escape route. I want to ruin Victor; you want to expose him. Our objectives coincide.

Emily kept looking into his eyes while crossing her arms. What advantages do you see? Why is Victor's fate important to you?

Aidan paused to consider how much to divulge. Emily didn't have to be fully informed. Not quite yet. I won something from Victor, to put it plainly. I want it returned.

Emily remained silent for a while, watching his face for any sign of dishonesty. She leaned back at last, her face thoughtful. "I'll need more than your word if what you're saying is accurate. I require evidence. And you'll have to assist me in getting it if you truly want to defeat Victor.

Aidan's pulse accelerated. She would be distrustful, perhaps contemptuous, as he had anticipated. Nevertheless, this was a good thing. She was prepared to take action.

"Give me a chance, and I'll give you everything you need." "Calmly but seriously," Aidan said. However, you must comprehend something. This goes beyond simply exposing corruption or publishing an essay. There is a dispute. And once you're in, you can't go out.

Emily remained still. "I've already gone too far. I'm not going to allow Victor get away with his long-standing dirty money. However, before I can assist you, I must first ascertain your true identity.

Aidan hesitated, his thoughts racing. He was unable to be honest with her. Not quite yet. However, he had to offer her just enough to keep her close because he needed her trust.

"You can call me Ethan." Using the same nickname that has kept him safe so far, he said. "For now, that's all you need to know."

Emily nodded despite a little narrowing of her eyes. "All right, Ethan. I'll cooperate with you. However, I will also inform you if you are lying to me. Do you understand?

Aidan smiled back, this time with sincere gratitude. "Comprehensive."

The rain continued to beat against the window as they sat in silence for a while. Emily Carter was no fool, but Aidan realized he had just made a valuable connection. Like she had Victor, she would investigate him. He needed to stay ahead of her, to steer the story before she found out more than he was prepared to share.

However, they had an agreement for the time being. And it was sufficient.

Aidan's mind was racing with ideas as he strolled through the pitch-black streets later that evening. Although the meeting with Emily had gone more smoothly than he had anticipated, much more needed to be done. She would inevitably ask him questions as a journalist that he could not yet afford to answer. However, she was resourceful, and he learned more about Victor's business from her.

He was distracted by his phone vibrating in his pocket. Jacob was the one.

"We must relocate. I have knowledge about one of Victor's trades. International players, big money. Would you like to play?

Aidan's heart began to race. This was the chance he had been waiting for. For Victor, it was the first significant blow he had delivered.

With a tighter grasp, Aidan responded, "Send me the details." "Now is the moment to take action."

Small, strategic actions to undermine Victor's empire without exposing Aidan's role had been part of the plan for weeks. However, this was not like the others. Full-scale sabotage like this would harm Victor where it counted most: his pocketbook.

To bolster his position and make it nearly impossible for Aidan to respond, Victor had been working on a huge business venture that would transfer millions of dollars through international channels. However, Jacob's intelligence had exposed a flaw, a means of sabotaging the agreement before it was complete.

As Aidan contemplated his next course of action, his heart thumped in his chest. This was no longer only a money problem. Making a statement was the goal here. It was Aidan's turn to attack after Victor had dominated from the background for far too long.

The time, place, and names of the important participants were among the facts he received on his phone. The transaction was scheduled to take place at one of Victor's private estates outside of the city tomorrow evening. Aidan didn't care about the strict security. He had always prospered in the background, and this time would be no exception.

Aidan's thoughts wandered back to Emily as he looked over the blueprint. She didn't realize at the time that this would be the first crack in Victor's empire's facade and the proof she needed. The dominoes would start to fall once this deal fell through.

But money was not the only thing on the line. The major objective was to get back what Victor had stolen from him. His ancestry is his birthright. And until Victor had nothing left, Aidan would not give up.

The rain had finally started to cease, and the night was cold and black. Aidan's mind was already formulating the strategy as he stood in the dark. Everything would be different tomorrow night. Aidan Pierce's first strike would be tomorrow night.