Chapter 13: The Archive

The files were buried beneath four layers of firewall.

If Eli hadn't sent her the right access string, she never would've found them.

Lena stared at her laptop screen in silence, pulse racing.

There they were:

Project folders. Internal memos. Email attachments.

And then—

A flagged document.

RE: Kane House – "Termination Strategy."

She clicked.

To: C. Reinhart

From: S. Green (Legal)

Subject: Kane House / Hart Licensing Exposure

"If we move forward with the permit inquiry, the fallout should be enough to delay Hart's firm for months, if not collapse it entirely. This will remove her from the site and reset project ownership under a Reinhart-appointed contractor. Risk of legal blowback minimal if whistleblower status is claimed."

Lena read it three times.

This wasn't just sabotage.

It was premeditated demolition.

And Claudia had signed off on it.

Alexander paced his study as Lena explained what she found. He didn't interrupt. Didn't even sit.

When she finished, she handed him a printed copy.

He read in silence.

Then, finally, he said, "Green is one of her top legal advisors."

"She knew exactly what she was doing."

His jaw tightened. "This could be enough to take her down. To bury her in court."

Lena shook her head. "If you go after her directly, she'll spin it. Make it about revenge. About you trying to protect your girlfriend. But if I go public, with the right evidence—"

"You'll be risking everything."

"I already am."

He crossed to her, gripping her shoulders.

"She will come for you harder than ever."

"I'm done hiding."

They stood there, eye to eye, hearts thudding.

"Then we do this together," he said.

"No." Her voice was firm. "Let me lead this part. I need to."

He didn't like it—but he nodded.

The press conference wasn't flashy. Lena didn't want spectacle. She wanted facts.

Standing in front of the Licensing Board, she submitted the files officially.

"Documentation confirms that my suspension was the result of a coordinated corporate attempt to discredit me," she told the press. "I'm not here to accuse. I'm here to clear my name—and let the truth speak for itself."

A few hours later, the story hit the business pages.

"Claudia Reinhart Implicated in Fraud Scandal"

"Small-Firm Architect Fights Back"

"David vs. Goliath: Hart v. Reinhart Begins"

Lena sat in her apartment that night, exhausted but unshaken.

She had no idea what would come next.

But her name was no longer a weapon in Claudia's hands.

Later, Alexander showed up with takeout and a bottle of wine.

"Your name's trending," he said with a crooked smile.

"I'm terrified," she admitted.

He cupped her face.

"You're the bravest person I know."

They didn't talk about Claudia. Not that night.

They just curled up on the couch, two souls finally breathing again, tangled in each other's quiet strength.

And as Lena closed her eyes, she realized something:

She hadn't just survived the storm.

She'd learned how to dance in the rain.