Chloe didn't look ashamed at all. Once the shock wore off, her lips curled into a smug, mocking smile. She slowly ran her fingers down the front of Jaden's shirt, deliberately gripping his collar to rub the intimacy in my face.
Jaden, however, looked completely frozen. His chest was heaving, his face pale as he stared at me, his eyes wide with a mix of guilt and sheer panic.
"Well, you can't really blame us, Elena," Chloe said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness as she leaned back against Jaden's chest. "We just can't stay away from each other. Some people just know how to satisfy a man."
I looked at her, then at Jaden, feeling absolutely nothing but a deep sense of irritation. The love I used to have for him felt like a distant, stupid memory.
"Whatever," I said, my voice flat and completely bored. "I don't really care what you two do. Just remember this is an office. Have some respect for yourselves and learn how to keep your hands to yourselves while you're at work."
I didn't wait to see the smugness fade from Chloe's face. I turned on my heel and walked straight back to the main newsroom.
I sat down at my desk and took a deep, steadying breath. I wasn't going to let a toxic boss or a cheating ex ruin my life. I decided right then to bury myself in my work and forget about the drama. I needed a win, and I needed it today.
"Hey, don't let him get to you."
I looked up to see Talia, a cheerful, sweet-faced reporter whose cubicle was right next to mine. She was leaning over the partition, holding out a small bag of gummy bears with a sympathetic smile.
"Thanks, Talia," I said, taking the candy with a small smile.
"We all know how grumpy Marcus gets when a rival beats us to a story," Talia whispered, rolling her eyes toward his glass office. "He's a nightmare, but you're the best writer here. Everyone knows it. Just shake it off."
"I'm trying," I admitted. "I just need to find something massive to make up for the loss."
"You will," Talia said encouragingly before turning back to her own computer.
I opened a blank document on my screen and pulled up my private archive folders. I decided to focus entirely on a lead I had been following for weeks. It was a highly sensitive, dangerous case involving mysterious disappearances near the shipping ports - something the police were clearly keeping quiet, but multiple local headlines had hinted at. Nobody knew the true scope of what was happening down there.
If I could uncover the truth behind this case, I wouldn't just get back in Marcus's good books, I would prove to myself that I belonged at the top. I lost myself in the data, tracking timelines, police reports, and shipping manifests.
Hours flew by.
The clatter of keyboards around me slowly faded as people packed up their things. By 6:00 p.m., the office was mostly empty. Normally, everyone rushed out the door on a Saturday to enjoy the weekend, especially since we didn't work on Sundays. But tonight, both Talia and I stayed behind. She had a mountain of weekly reviews to finish, and I was completely glued to my research.
By 7:00 p.m., the newsroom was dead quiet, the overhead fluorescent lights hummed softly in the silence.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed on the desk.
I picked it up, expecting a text from Zara about our taco plans. Instead, it was an encrypted message from an unknown number. My heart skipped a beat as I read the words on the screen:
"I saw your interview last month. I know you're a journalist who actually cares about the truth, not just clicks. I have the missing pieces for the port disappearances case you've been looking into. I have names and files. But I won't send them digitally. Meet me tonight at 8:00 p.m. at Pier 14. I can't trust anyone else, so come alone. If you bring anyone with you, I walk."
My hands grew cold against the phone casing. Pier 14 was a distant, isolated location down at the docks, far away from the civilized, well-lit parts of the city.
I stared at the screen, my mind racing. It was already late. The office was empty, and I hadn't told anyone about this. Should I really go down there alone in the dark?
But the thought of losing another massive exclusive, Marcus's threats and Chloe's mocking smile pushed the fear away. This was my chance.
"Elena? Are you okay?"
I jumped slightly, looking over at Talia. She was packing her laptop into her bag, watching me with a worried expression. "You look completely lost. What's going on?"
"I think I just got a massive lead on the port case," I whispered, showing her the phone screen. "But the source wants to meet tonight. At eight."
Talia frowned, stepping closer to my cubicle. "Tonight? Elena, it's Saturday night and everyone has already left. You shouldn't go down to the docks alone at this hour. Can't it wait until tomorrow morning?"
"No," I said, shaking my head as I began gathering my notebook and press badge. "The source might think I'm not trustworthy if I don't go. I can't miss this opportunity."
Talia sighed, clearly uneasy, but she knew how determined I could be. "Alright. Just please be careful. Text me the second you get there, okay?"
"I will. Promise," I said with a small smile.
We walked down to the parking garage together, the concrete structure echoing with our footsteps. Talia walked me to my sedan and offered one last worried look. "Are you sure about this? I can drive down there with you."
"Don't worry about it," I said, giving her a reassuring smile. "The source specifically said to come alone. I don't want to compromise the meeting. If they see two people, they might get spooked and run."
"Okay. Good luck, El." Talia waved, walking over to her own car.
I climbed into the driver's seat, letting out a breath. I inserted the key into the ignition and turned it.
The engine let out a pathetic, clicking whine, but it didn't start.
I frowned, turning the key back and trying again. Nothing. Just a dead, hollow click. The battery was completely gone.
"Perfect. Just perfect," I muttered, slamming my hands against the steering wheel in frustration. Time was ticking. It was already 7:35 p.m., and the docks were a twenty-minute drive away.
I couldn't afford to waste time waiting for a tow truck.
I grabbed my purse, hopped out of the car, and pulled up a ride-sharing app on my phone. Luckily, a cab was only two minutes away.
Twenty minutes later, the cab dropped me off at the entrance to the industrial sector of the docks. The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror with pure skepticism. "You sure you want to get out here, lady? There's nothing but old warehouses."
"Yes, this is fine. Thanks," I said, paying him and stepping out into the chilly night air.
The cab sped away, its red taillights disappearing around the corner, leaving me standing there. The pier was dead quiet. The only sound was the distant, rhythmic lapping of the dark ocean water against the concrete pillars. Thick shadows stretched across the empty asphalt, illuminated only by a few flickering, yellow street lamps.
I pulled out my phone and dialed the anonymous number as I began walking down the lonely, unpaved path toward Pier 14. The phone rang once. Twice.
Suddenly, a loud, echoing gunshot shattered the silence right behind me.
I froze instantly, the phone slipping slightly in my sweaty palm.
