“No.You?”
“Same.Vince won’t even take my calls now.”His jaw tightens with frustration.
Steven shakes his head as well.“Leonardo said the deal is done.They’re already processing the contract breach fees today and drawing up the new contracts.”
The defeat in the room is palpable.Iris sinks into a nearby chair, looking older than her years.
“So what now?”Flora asks quietly.
“Now we rebuild from scratch,” Caleb says, already opening his laptop.“We need to find replacements, and we need to find them fast.”
“With what?”I ask, the hopelessness creeping into my voice.“We don’t have a list of backup craftsmen sitting around.These were the best in their fields.”
“Maybe not the best,” Caleb says, his fingers already flying over the keyboard.“But there are others.We just need to think outside the box.”
I watch him work, surprised by his determination.“You have someone in mind?”
“A few someones, actually.”He looks up, an enigmatic smile playing at the corners of his mouth.“I have some contacts who might be able to help.”
“What kind of contacts?”I lean forward, intrigued despite myself.
“The kind who owe me favors.”His smirk is back, but there’s something serious underneath it.“Give me an hour to make some calls.”
As he reaches for his phone, I hope this works.
The morning stretches on with tense phone calls and frantic research.I find myself impressed despite everything by how methodically Caleb works, how he seems to know exactly who to call and what to say.
By lunchtime, we’ve managed to secure one potential replacement—a woodworker from Vermont who’s willing to work on our timeline.It’s progress, but we’re still missing two key craftsmen with less than three days to pull everything together.
“I need food,” I announce, rubbing my tired eyes.“And coffee.Real coffee, not the sludge from the break room.”
“I’ll come with you,” Caleb says immediately.
“No need?—”
“I need to stretch my legs, too,” he cuts me off.“You coming, Joshua?”
Joshua shakes his head.“I’m going to order in.”
Something in his tone makes me pause.Joshua has been acting strange since we arrived—less chatty than usual, more focused on his computer screen.When I glanced over earlier, he quickly minimized whatever he was working on.
“Alright, then.”
But as we head toward the elevator, I can feel his eyes on the back of my neck.
I shake off the suspicion.We’re all just stressed.
Caleb and I grab meatball sandwiches and coffee to-go, neither of us in the mood to talk.As we’re heading back, I ask, “So I guess you’ll be telling your brother this?”
Caleb gives me a surprised look.“Ethan?Why would I tell him?”
I blink.“You’re kidding, right?All of our craftsmen were poached overnight.This is sabotage.”
Caleb looks contemplative, and for once, he’s completely serious.“My job isn’t to prevent the sabotage, Eve.I’m here to manage the situation and slowly weed out the mole.I’m not going to run to Ethan over every attempt this person makes.”
He gives me a slow smile.“Don’t worry.The situation isn’t that hopeless.”His confidence makes me want to believe him, but my heart is sinking.
We’ve just turned the corner to our building when Caleb says, “Well, hello.”I look up and see Luis standing across the road from our office.He has a cup of coffee in his hands, and his eyes are trained on the entrance.I go still.
