1

Elara Hart smoothed the cuffs of her neat white blouse. The only sound was the soft clicking of her pen against the polished mahogany table. She looked up, her piercing green eyes meeting the faces across from her. The anticipation lingered on every breath. All eyes were on her, waiting for her final decision to seal the deal.

Sitting across from her was Mr. Ashford, a renowned industry expert known for his tough negotiating style. But she was fearless. She had worked hard to climb the ranks at Marshall & Hewitt, and today she was on the brink of sealing one of the most significant deals of her career.

“Mr. Ashford, if I may say so with due respect,” she said calmly, “your offer is below my client’s merit. We are both aware of the market value of this acquisition, and I must say, I had higher expectations.”

Tension filled the room as her words hung in the air. Mr. Ashford squirmed in his seat, his confidence faltering under her watchful gaze. The other executives shared nervous looks, feeling the shift in power.

“Miss Hart,” Ashford began, making an attempt to take control, “we’ve already extended an offer that is more than fair, considering the current climate. I don’t see how we can—”

“If you can’t meet our terms,” she cut him off smoothly, leaning back in her chair, “we walk. And believe me, Mr. Ashford, you do not want us as your competitors.”

The room fell silent. Elara’s reputation as one of the firm’s top negotiators was well-earned, and no one doubted that she would make good on her threat. Finally, Ashford sighed, the fight draining from his expression.

“Ok,” he said, in defeat. “We’ll agree to your terms.”

A slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Excellent. I’ll have the papers ready for signing by this afternoon.”

She beamed with pride. Another win. Another successful negotiation. Another step closer to the partnership she had worked tirelessly for. She glanced at the clock, noting she had just enough time to review the final contract before her next meeting. As she gathered her papers, the door to the conference room opened, and a junior associate stepped in, looking nervous.

“Miss Hart, could I have a word?” the associate asked, glancing around the room. The other executives began to file out, murmuring amongst themselves.

She nodded, gesturing for the associate to follow her to her office. As she closed the door behind them, she turned to face him. “What’s going on?”

The associate hesitated, visibly uncomfortable. “I’m not sure how to say this, but…there’s something you need to see.”

Elara’s brow furrowed as she watched him pull out a tablet. With a few taps, he handed it to her. The screen displayed a headline that made her blood run cold.

“Top Lawyer Accused of Unethical Practices: Lawsuit Filed Against Marshall & Hewitt’s Rising Star.”

She was stunned as she stared at the screen, unable to process what she was seeing. It was surreal, like a bad dream she couldn’t wake up from. But the article was real, as were the allegations it outlined. False accusations of insider trading and manipulation of evidence. Things that she would never do.

“This... this is some sort of mistake,” she finally said. Her voice was trembling, between shock and anger. “Who filed this lawsuit? Tell me? Who?”

“The article doesn’t say,” the associate replied. “But the lawsuit itself was filed anonymously. It’s already gaining traction online, and the firm’s PR team is working to contain it.”

She felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Her career. Everything she had worked for, was at risk of crumbling around her, all because of baseless accusations. She forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.

“Does the managing partner know about this?” she asked.

“Yes, he’s calling an emergency meeting with the senior partners now,” the associate responded. “I think… they’re going to suspend your promotion until this gets cleared up.”

“What!” she screamed, her grip tightening around the phone. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she gasped for air, overwhelmed by confusion and fear. “What did you just say?”

“I’m so sorry. That is what I hear.”

Her heart sank. She had been on the brink of being named partner, a goal she had been working toward for years. And now, it was slipping through her fingers because of something completely out of her control.

“Thank you for letting me know,” she muttered, handing the tablet back to the associate. “I’ll handle it from here.”

“Okay.”

As he left, she sank into her chair, her mind racing. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Just an hour ago, she had been at the top of her world. Now, everything was crumbling around her. She couldn’t let this happen. She had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to let it all slip away now. She had to clear her name. Whoever was behind this wanted to destroy her, professionally and personally.

But who? And why?

Lost in her thoughts, her phone suddenly buzzed on the desk, snapping her back to reality. She reached for it, anticipating a work email or a message from the PR team. However, her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name flashing on the screen.

Unknown Caller

She hesitated, her finger hovering over the screen, before finally swiping to answer.

“Elara Hart,” she answered.

A cold, unfamiliar voice on the other end sent chills down her spine. “You thought you could get away with it, didn’t you? You’re about to learn just how wrong you were.”

Before she could even utter a word, the line went dead. She clutched the phone in her shaking hand, her heart pounding wildly, as the room seemed to close in around her.

“Who the heck is this person?” she muttered to herself, her body trembling. Whoever was behind this wasn’t just after her career; they wanted to destroy her life.