HARVEY.
"Harvey! You are mischievous."
Audrey's laugh echoed in my ears as we stepped out of the gala, the chatters of the other attendees fading behind us. Two weeks. That's all it took for her to feel like the sister I never had, her warmth slipping past the cold walls I'd built over years of hostile foster homes and lonely nights. If I weren't here to dig into her company, to peel back the layers of their billion-dollar tech empire, I might've let myself believe we could be real friends. But the truth was, I needed this story. My mortgage was due, and only a big win of another career-defining exposé would keep the roof over my head.
My mind drifted to Noah. He'd taken down that thug with a brutal efficiency that should've scared me, but instead, my pulse had raced for reasons I didn't want to name. Fear, sure. But attraction, too. His warning to drop my investigation into Atlas had been laced with a threat, but those eyes of his held something else. It made me wonder if he was protecting more than just his company's secrets.
Audrey hugged me goodbye, her perfume lingering as she slid into her car. "Once I sorted out this new vacant role. I will have enough time to unwind. Call me tomorrow, Harper. We'll do lunch." Her smile was bright, genuine, and it twisted something in my gut.
"Sure thing." I nodded, waving as her taillights disappeared, then turned to my own sedan. Alone now, I let my thoughts spiral.
Noah knew who I was and that I was digging into Atlas. And why did he care enough to step in? The questions gnawed at me, but so did the lead Audrey had unknowingly dropped earlier about a former Atlas employee who might crack open the truth about Atlas and its ties to the cartel. I had looked up the address, ready to chase for my information.
I drove through the city with Noah's warning echoed in my head that I was in over my head. I gripped the wheel tighter. Maybe I was. But I'd been in over my head my whole life as I shuffled through foster homes, fighting for scraps of stability. I wasn't backing down.
The parking lot was half-empty when I drove in. I scanned the lot, my pulse ticking up. I parked, my eyes flicking to my rearview mirror. I grabbed my bag, tucked my pepper spray into my pocket, and stepped out.
Inside, I knocked on the room on the left with the number on the address. Nothing. I knocked a few more times before my phone buzzed a notification. I reached into my bag for my phone and swiped over the screen to see it was a text from an unknown number.
With shaky fingers, I opened it and read out the contents. "Stop digging, or you won't like what comes next."
A cold threat that sent a shiver down my spine. I deleted it and set the phone in my bag. This wasn't the first time a threat text popped up whenever I was chasing a story.
I knocked on the door again, and this time it was flung open, and a wiry man in a faded jacket appeared. His eyes were darting nervously before he stepped aside, making room for me to come in.
"You Harper?" His voice was low, like he hadn't slept in days.
I nodded, leaning forward. "You said you had something on Atlas. Talk."
He glanced over his shoulder, then pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "I worked in their logistics division. Two years. I saw things off the books. I traced one to a warehouse in Tijuana. Cartel territory."
"You have proof?"
He nodded and walked to a table stand. He picked up an envelope and brought it to me. "This is all I got before they fired me. Said I was 'unreliable.' But I know what I saw."
I tucked the paper into my bag. "Why'd you trust me with this?" I asked, studying him.
He shrugged, his eyes hollow. "You're the only one asking the right questions."
A phone rang in the room, and my source tensed. "You have got to go," he muttered. Before I could talk, he went to the door and gestured for me to leave.
"Thank you," I said, stepping out. He didn't answer as he yanked the door closed after me. My instincts screamed to move as fast as possible, and I did, running out of the building. There was an SUV in the lot when I stepped into the garage outside, its engine rumbling. I walked to my car, my hand on the pepper spray. The SUV's headlights flicked on, blinding me for a second. Then it peeled out of the lot, tires screeching. My breath caught, but I didn't wait to see if it would circle back. I slid into my car, locked the doors, and gunned it out of there. A car appeared behind me, driving too close and in an aggressive manner.
I noted it wasn't the SUV, I took a sharp turn, then another, weaving through side streets. The car followed, matching my moves. Noah's warning rang louder now, his voice in my head. I cursed under my breath, my hands on the wheel. I didn't know if this was his doing or someone else's, but either way, I was in trouble.
I spotted a busy intersection ahead, lights and traffic offering cover. I floored it, cutting through a yellow light just as it turned red. The car behind hesitated, then stopped, blocked by oncoming traffic. I didn't look back, didn't stop until I was miles away. They wanted me scared? Fine. But I wasn't stopping.
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The next morning, I hit the gym, needing to burn off the adrenaline still coursing through me. My gym buddy, Joe, was already there, his hair swinging as he pounded the treadmill. He spotted me, waving me over with a grin. "You look like hell, Harper. Rough night?"
I forced a laugh, stepping onto the treadmill beside him. "You could say that." My muscles ached, but the rhythm of running steadied me. Joe was the closest thing I had to a friend outside of Audrey, and even that was new. Growing up, I'd learned to keep people at arm's length, hostile foster homes didn't exactly breed trust. But Joe's easy chatter, his no-nonsense vibe, made it hard to stay closed off.
"Spill," he said, slowing his pace to match mine. "You've got that look again."
I hesitated, my eyes on the digital display. "Remember I said I was working on a story," I said finally "Big one. You know Atlas Group. They're... not what they seem."
Joe's eyebrows shot up. "The tech giant? What'd you find?"
I shook my head, my hair brushing my shoulders. "Enough to know I'm on the right track. But someone's trying to scare me off. Followed me last night. Got a threatening call, too."
Joe stopped his treadmill and turned to face me. "Harper, that's dangerous. But if you need to publish what you've got, get it out there before they come for you."
I slowed my pace, meeting his eyes. "I can't. Not yet. It's not enough. I need the whole truth, not just pieces."
He frowned, his hands on his hips. "You're stubborn as hell, you know that? At least tell me you've got someone watching your back."
Noah's face flashed in my mind again. "Not exactly," I said, my voice quieter. "There's this guy who is tied to Atlas. Warned me to back off. But he also saved me from getting roughed up the other night. I don't know what to make of him."
Joe's eyes narrowed. "Sounds like he's playing both sides. Be careful, Harper. Guys like that? They're trouble."
I nodded, but my thoughts were already spiraling. "Let's burn it off," I said, picking up a dumbbell to work with.
"About time," Joe cheered, picking up his pace on the treadmill. Joe was right about one thing, I needed to get my piece out before they killed the story. I was going to start my draft the second I got back to my apartment and have it published during their threat.
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I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The hairs on my neck prickled after I left the gym. It was late, and I needed air to clear my head. I grabbed my jacket and headed to the roof of my building.
I heard footsteps coming from the stairwell. My hand went to my pocket, reaching for the pepper spray still there, but before I could turn, a voice cut through the dark.
"Harper."
I froze, recognizing the voice. Noah. He stepped into the moonlight, his eyes glinting with something unreadable about him that made my skin hum.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded,
He stepped closer, his hands in his pockets, casually. "Checking on you. After last night, I figured you would do something stupid."
I laughed. "Stupid? Like chasing a story that could bring down Atlas? Or stupid, like trusting a guy who breaks into my office and follows me around?"
His jaw tightened, but his eyes didn't leave mine. "You're still digging even after the chase today. You don't learn, do you?"
"How do you know about the car chase?"
He didn't answer, just held my gaze, "You're tailing me. Watching me. Why? What's Atlas hiding that's worth all this?"
He took another step, close enough now that I could feel the heat in him, smell the faint cedar of his cologne. "You think you're after the truth, Harper, but you're chasing a death wish. You don't know what you're up against."
"Then tell me," I shot back, my voice rising. "Tell me what's so dangerous that you're stalking and threatening me."
"I didn't threaten you," he cut in, "That wasn't me."
I blinked, caught off guard. "Then who did or still is?"
He looked away, "Just drop it, Harper. For your own sake."
I stepped closer, "I don't run from the truth, Atlas is dirty, and I'm going to prove it."
His eyes snapped back to mine, and for a moment, I saw something raw. "And it's going to get you killed."
"Then why do you care?" I asked, searching his face. "Why are you here, Noah?"
He didn't answer right away. Then, slowly, he reached out, his fingers brushing my arm, "Maybe I don't want to see you get hurt."
My breath caught, and for a second, I let myself feel the weight of his words. "I can take care of myself," I said,
He smiled, "I know you can. It doesn't mean you have to."
"Go home, Noah," I said finally, stepping back, breaking the moment. "I've got work to do."
He nodded, his eyes still on me, like he was memorizing every detail. "Be careful, Harper. I mean it."
He turned and disappeared into the stairwell, leaving me alone with my racing heart. I didn't know what to make of him, or any of it. But one thing was clear: I was going to publish the story the second I finished the draft.
