Vidar’s eyes went cold. “You taught me better than that.”
“I taught you restraint,” Alaric said. “You learned efficiency.”
The difference mattered.
Alaric tapped the desk comm. “Bring her in.” He returned his attention to his subordinate. “I’m planning to hear her.”
“Did you sleep with her?” Vidar demanded.
The words hit like a blade slid between Alaric’s ribs. He didn’t respond. He refused to give Vidar the satisfaction of a reaction. “If she’s guilty, we’ll discuss options.”
“Including erasure?”
Alaric gritted his teeth. “Yes.”
Sera arrived four minutes later.She entered the office with her usual quiet attention, tablet tucked against her side, posture constrained to the point of austerity. If Alaric hadn’t known better, he would have assumed this was just another briefing. Another anomaly. Another problem to be dissectedand solved.
Then she saw Vidar.
The change was subtle. Anyone else might have missed it. Atightening at the corners of her mouth. Afractional pause in her step before she recovered and continued forward.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked.Her voice was steady. Professional. It alwayswas.
Alaric didn’t answer immediately. He watched her pause just inside his office, watched the way her gaze flicked once to Vidar and then returned to him, as though she were already bracing for impact.
“Close the door,” hesaid.
She did.
The click of the latch sounded far louder than it shouldhave.
Vidar turned the tablet toward her without ceremony. “Care to explain this.” He didn’t phrase it as a question.
Sera stepped closer, brows knitting as she read. Alaric tracked every micro-expression as the color drained from her face. Confusion first. Then shock. Then something dangerously close tofury.
“No,” she said. “That’s not possible.”
“You were logged in,” Vidar replied coolly. “At your workstation. Cameras confirm you neverleft your seat.”
Sera’s head lifted sharply. “Then you know I didn’t do it.”
Vidar laughed once, sharp and dismissive. “What I know is what the logs show.”
Her gaze snapped to Alaric.Not pleading. Not panicked. But searching.”You think I did this,” shesaid.
Alaric forced himself not to react to the way the words landed. “Explain the access,” hesaid.
She drew in a slow breath, steadying herself. “That file sits behind your personal authorization layer. Idon’t have standing access. Inever requested it.”
“And yet you entered it,” Vidar said. “While seated at your desk.”
“I didn’t,” she snapped, then visibly reined herself in. “I didn’t. And if you’d let me finish reading, you’d see there’s no evidence of exfiltration.”
Vidar leaned forward. “You think we’d miss that?”
“I think you’re seeing what someone wanted you to see,” Sera shot back. “If I’d stolen the file, there would be transfer residue. Packet bleed. Shadow writes. Something.” Her fingers tightened around the tablet she was holding, knuckles whitening asshe clenched it to her chest before she forced her grip to loosen again. “There’s nothing.”
Alaric listened. Evaluated. Dissected.Her explanation was technically sound.It also didn’t change the fact that her credentials had beenused.
