10.

Alina stared at her phone screen, rereading Leo's message.

"I need you to find Ricardo's main client list. Without them, he'll crumble."

Her hands trembled slightly. This was far riskier than her previous tasks. If Ricardo caught her, there would be no way out. But this was also an opportunity to speed up Ricardo's downfall.

She closed her phone and took a deep breath. There was no choice but to move forward.

***

The next day, Ricardo grew more suspicious. Some of his shipments had issues, information was leaking, and a few of his men were getting restless. At that afternoon's meeting, Ricardo's gaze was sharper than usual.

"I feel like there's a traitor among us," he said, his eyes sweeping over everyone in the room.

Alina kept her expression neutral. "Who do you suspect?"

Ricardo didn't answer immediately. He only looked at her for a moment before shifting his gaze to his other men. "I'll find out. And when I do, they won't have a chance to explain."

Alina felt her heartbeat quicken. She knew Ricardo wasn't bluffing. If anyone made even the slightest mistake, it could mean death.

After the meeting ended, she returned to her room, her mind racing. The safest way to get the client list was through Ricardo's laptop, but after recent events, he would be more cautious. Maybe there was another way through the people closest to him.

The first person that came to mind was Manuel, Ricardo's right-hand man who handled most of the transactions. But getting close to Manuel was too risky.

Then, another name surfaced Ema, Ricardo's personal secretary.

Alina had been observing Ema for a while. The woman was quiet but sharp. If anyone had access to important documents without attracting too much attention, it was her.

***

That night, Alina approached Ema in her office. The woman eyed her with suspicion.

"What do you want?" Ema asked bluntly.

"I need to talk," Alina said, closing the door behind her.

Ema crossed her arms. "About what?"

Alina stepped closer and lowered her voice. "I know you're smart, Ema. You must have noticed something's off lately. Ricardo is getting suspicious of everyone."

Ema's expression shifted slightly. "I know."

Alina nodded. "We both know working for Ricardo was never a choice. But if something happens to him, do you really want to go down with him?"

Ema narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we should have options. I know you have access to Ricardo's client list. If things get worse, wouldn't it be better if we had some leverage?"

Ema stared at her in silence, weighing Alina's words. After a long moment, she finally said, "I don't know what you're planning, but I'm not stupid. If I help you, that puts me in danger too."

Alina gave a small smile. "No, Ema. It means we can save ourselves."

There was a brief silence before Ema let out a slow breath. "I'll think about it."

Alina knew that was a good sign. Now, she just had to wait.

Meanwhile, Leo was executing his own plan. He and Rafael had been disrupting some of Ricardo's operations, but it wasn't enough to take him down. They needed a bigger blow and that was in Alina's hands.

When Leo received a message from Alina the next day, he smirked.

"I have a way in. Give me time."

Leo replied quickly. "Don't take too long. We don't have much time."

***

Over the next few days, Alina worked to gain Ema's trust. She didn't rush, but she was careful enough to make Ema feel like they were on the same side.

Finally, the night arrived.

Ema met her with a tense expression. "I can help you access the list, but only for a moment. I can't take a copy just let you see it."

That was more than enough.

They met in Ricardo's office after everyone had left. Ema unlocked the computer and typed in the password. As soon as the screen displayed Ricardo's client list, Alina quickly memorized the key names. Taking a photo was too risky, but she had a sharp memory.

There were some big names on the list people with strong connections in various industries. If Leo got hold of this list, Ricardo would truly collapse.

Once done, Ema immediately closed the file and erased any traces. "We never talked about this," she said.

Alina nodded. "Of course."

That night, Alina sent Leo a message.

"I have the list. I'll tell you the details in person."

Leo smirked as he read the message. The game had changed.

But what they didn't know was that Ricardo was starting to realize something was off.

He had been secretly testing some of his people, and something about Alina didn't sit right with him. Something he couldn't ignore.

In his office, Ricardo turned on his computer and played back the footage from a hidden camera he had installed days ago.

On the screen, he saw Alina and Ema inside his office.

Ricardo leaned back in his chair, a small smile forming on his lips.

"So, you want to play with fire, Alina?" he murmured.

He shut his laptop and picked up his phone.

"Gather everyone. We have a traitor to deal with."