"Agreed." Deck straightens. "Which means we're not just dealing with a corporate competitor. This is bigger. More organized."
"My money's on Nexus Technologies." I pull up a file on my tablet, passing it to Deck. "They've been trying to acquire my company for two years. When I refused to sell, their CEO made some... concerning comments about alternative acquisition strategies."
"Define concerning."
"He said innovation has a way of becoming available whether the innovator cooperates or not." I meet Deck's eyes. "At the time, I thought it was just posturing. Now I'm not so sure."
Mace steps forward. "Nexus has deep pockets and deeper connections. If they're behind this, they could have resources we haven't anticipated."
"Then we need to anticipate them." Boone's voice is hard. "Sully, I want everything you can find on Nexus Technologies. Financials, personnel, any connections to private military contractors or intelligence operations. Mace, reach out to your contacts at the FBI. See if Nexus has shown up on any federal radars."
"And me?" I ask.
Boone turns to face me. "You stay here. Stay safe. Let us handle this."
"Boone..."
"I mean it, Mara." His eyes are intense, worried. "Whoever these people are, they're getting bolder. The breach, the accelerated timeline. They're making moves because they think they're close to winning. I need you somewhere I can protect you."
"I can help. This is my company, my technology. I know the systems better than anyone."
"And that makes you the biggest target." He cups my face in his hands, right there in front of everyone. "Please. For once in your life, let someone else fight this battle."
I want to argue. Every instinct I have screams to push back, to insist on being part of the solution.
But I look at the tension in his shoulders, the fear he's trying to hide behind tactical efficiency, and I understand. This isn't about control. This is about keeping me alive long enough to have a future together.
"Okay." The word tastes foreign on my tongue. "I'll stay."
His shoulders drop slightly. Relief, quickly masked. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." I step closer, lowering my voice so only he can hear. "I'm trusting you with this, Boone. Don't make me regret it."
"Never." He presses a quick kiss to my forehead, then turns back to the team. "Let's get to work."
The day passesin a blur of activity.
Sully traces the breach to a mid level IT administrator named David Chen. No relation to my CTO, but someone who's worked at my company for three years. Someone I've passed in the hallway, nodded to in the elevator, trusted with access to my most sensitive systems.
The betrayal stings more than I expected.
By noon, Sully has connected David to a shell company that traces back to Nexus Technologies. By two o'clock, Mace's FBI contact confirms that Nexus has been under investigation for corporate espionage for the past six months. By four, we have enough evidence to involve federal authorities.
Through all of it, I sit in the lodge and watch. Answer questions when asked. Provide technical context when needed. But mostly, I watch Boone work.
He's extraordinary. Calm under pressure, decisive without being reckless, coordinating the team with an efficiency that explains exactly why my father trusted him with my life.Every contingency planned, every variable accounted for, every possible outcome mapped and prepared for.
This is who he is. Not just a tactical planner, but a leader. A protector. A man who turns chaos into order through sheer force of will.
And last night, all that focus and intensity was directed at me.
"You're staring."
I blink, finding Vivian settling into the chair beside me. She's been in and out all day, helping where she can despite Deck's obvious wish that she would rest.
"Just thinking."
"About Boone?" Her smile is knowing. "Don't look so surprised. I saw the way you two looked at each other this morning. Plus, he kissed your forehead in front of the entire team. Boone Garrett doesn't do public displays of affection."
