Chapter Thirteen: The Breath Before the Storm

Zara stood at the window of her apartment, watching the city lights pulse like the heartbeat of a restless beast. The scent of rain clung to the air, and the wind stirred her curtains as if warning her that something was coming. Her fingers brushed the edges of the confidential files she'd smuggled home—pages that should have never left Hale & Blackwood's vault.

The photo was grainy, but unmistakable.

Sebastian Hale and Damian Blackwood—years younger, standing on the steps of a private boarding school. Brothers in all but blood. And in the margins, scribbled in looping cursive: *"Project Harbinger. Vault One."*

Zara's breath hitched.

Sebastian wasn't just a rival CEO. He was part of Damian's buried past—something no press coverage, no interview, no profile had ever revealed. And judging by the look on Damian's face earlier that day—taut, unreadable—it was a past he'd do anything to keep sealed.

A knock snapped her out of her thoughts. Three sharp raps against her door.

She opened it cautiously, surprised to find Sebastian himself leaning casually against the frame. He looked devastatingly charming, dressed in a rain-damp trench coat, a bottle of red wine in one hand.

"You're not the type to ignore questions, Zara," he said, eyes dancing with something between mischief and challenge. "Mind if we talk?"

Zara hesitated. This wasn't protocol. This wasn't safe.

But this was the game now—and she wasn't about to flinch.

She stepped aside. "Talk."

Sebastian sauntered in, placed the wine on her kitchen counter, and pulled off his coat. "I figured since Damian won't answer your questions, you'd come looking for the truth. So here I am."

Zara crossed her arms. "Why? Because you want me to trust you?"

"I want you to know the stakes," he said, stepping closer. "Damian and I—we were like brothers once. Until something happened that made him walk away from everything we built. Everything we *knew*."

Her eyes narrowed. "And now you're just… back? Buying up land near our offices, hosting expos in the same cities, sending me veiled threats?"

Sebastian didn't deny it. "You're smart. But smart doesn't mean safe. Damian has secrets that will destroy more than just his reputation."

Zara looked down at the file. "What's Project Harbinger?"

Silence. A flicker of unease crossed Sebastian's features.

"That's not a story you'll find in a folder," he said finally. "That's something buried deep. Ask Damian about Vault One. If he doesn't lie… then you'll know I was right."

Zara's pulse raced.

Sebastian moved closer. Too close.

"I admire your loyalty to him," he said, voice softer. "But be careful. It can blind you. And if he has feelings for you—"

She bristled. "This isn't about feelings."

He smiled faintly. "That's what you keep telling yourself."

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed. A message from Morgan:

**"Security breach at Hale HQ. Footage shows someone using your credentials. Come in immediately."**

Zara's blood went cold.

Sebastian stepped back, the perfect gentleman again. "Looks like your boss is about to find out how dangerous this game really is."

She glared at him. "Did you stage this?"

"Why would I need to?" He picked up his coat. "I already gave you what you needed."

He left her standing in the silence of her apartment, file in hand, trust unraveling.

---

Back at Hale & Blackwood, the building buzzed with quiet urgency. Morgan met her at the elevators, her face tight with concern.

"You were at your apartment?" Morgan asked, ushering her into Damian's private wing.

"Yes. I was working—"

Morgan handed her a still from the security feed. Zara's heart stopped. A figure in her exact coat and heels walking through the lobby of Sebastian Hale's building.

"It's not me," she said, breath catching.

"I know. But someone wants it to *look* like you."

The office door opened.

Damian stood there, sleeves rolled up, jaw clenched. He'd clearly seen the footage.

Zara walked in first. "You think I leaked something?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he held her gaze, eyes filled with something jagged.

"You've been meeting with Sebastian."

She didn't deny it. "He came to me. I didn't ask for it."

"Did you tell him about Harbinger?"

Zara froze. The word hung in the air like a curse.

"I found the file," she said. "I was going to bring it to you."

Damian moved closer, the distance between them charged.

"You don't understand what you've uncovered," he said, voice low. "Harbinger wasn't just a project—it was a cover-up. One that cost lives."

Zara's throat tightened. "Then tell me. Trust me."

He reached out, his fingers brushing hers.

"I want to," he whispered. "But some truths can't be unspoken once they're shared."

For a moment, the walls between them crumbled. His touch lingered, and so did his silence.

Then his phone lit up.

Another message.

Damian's expression shifted. He turned the screen toward her. A live video feed. Sebastian standing on a rooftop.

With a hostage.

"Recognize her?" Damian asked coldly.

Zara stared. It was Nora—the intern who'd disappeared last week.

Sebastian's voice echoed from the video: "Time to choose, Damian. The truth… or the crown."

The screen cut to black.

Zara stepped back, dread coiling through her chest. "What is he planning?"

Damian's jaw locked.

"He wants everything I've built to burn."

Outside, thunder cracked across the sky.

Inside, war had begun.