My Cute Neighbor Invited Me to Watch the Meteor Shower… Then Whispered, “Stay After Everyone Leaves.”
Chapter 9
The old Crawford headquarters had been abandoned for years.
The building stood downtown, surrounded by newer towers.
Few people even remembered it had once been the center of one of the city’s most powerful corporations.
Emma and Noah entered through the basement.
Thomas’s key opened a metal door.
Inside was a vault.
The walls were lined with hard drives.
Documents.
Photographs.
Bank records.
Everything Horizon had ever hidden.
Emma stared.
“This is enough to destroy them.”
Noah nodded.
“Probably.”
But one folder stood apart.
The label:
ORIGINAL FOUNDERS.
Emma opened it.
Inside were files on Thomas.
David.
Daniel.
Her father.
Her mother.
All of them.
Then she found something unexpected.
A file on Noah.
And another on herself.
The files began when they were children.
Noah had been monitored from the age of five.
Emma from the age of three.
They weren’t just descendants.
They were considered future threats.
Noah whispered:
“They planned our entire lives.”
Emma looked at him.
“They watched us grow up.”
A video started playing.
Thomas appeared.
“I know this is difficult.”
He explained that Horizon had identified Emma and Noah as the most likely heirs of the families who could expose them.
So they were separated.
Their parents disappeared.
The children’s records were altered.
The goal was to keep them from ever meeting.
But it failed.
They had met.
The meteor shower.
The rooftop.
The archive.
Everything had brought them together.
Then the recording changed.
A new voice.
Rachel.
“If you’re watching this, Thomas is dead.”
Rachel’s face appeared.
“He wasn’t murdered.”
“He chose to disappear.”
Then she revealed the real threat.
Horizon had split into two factions.
One wanted to control the transportation corridor.
The other wanted the archive destroyed.
Both were coming.
Rachel gave them one instruction.
“Get the archive to the public.”
Emma stared.
“How?”
Noah said:
“Media.”
They uploaded portions to several reporters.
Within hours, the story exploded.
Bank accounts.
Shell companies.
Illegal land transfers.
Corrupt executives.
The network’s names.
Everything became public.
But then the power went out.
Emma looked at Noah.
“Again?”
Noah nodded.
“This time they’re inside.”
Footsteps echoed through the vault.
A voice called:
“Emma.”
She recognized it.
Mark Harrison.
Her boss.
He stepped into the room.
Behind him were three armed men.
Mark smiled.
“You were always more curious than your father.”
Emma stared.
“You worked for Horizon.”
“Yes.”
“You threatened me.”
“Yes.”
“You tried to stop us.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Mark walked closer.
“Because people like us built this city.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“People like you inherited it.”
Emma looked around.
“You stole it.”
Mark raised the gun.
“Give me the archive.”
“No.”
He sighed.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Noah stepped forward.
Mark aimed at him.
Then a gunshot echoed.
Mark dropped.
Rachel stood behind him.
She had fired.
The other men ran.
Rachel looked at Emma.
“Now we go.”
“Where?”
She pointed toward the vault.
“There’s another exit.”
They escaped.
But before leaving, Emma looked back.
The archive remained.
She couldn’t take all of it.
Then she noticed something.
One drive was missing.
Someone had taken it.
Rachel’s expression changed.
“Who?”
Emma knew.
“Someone who was already inside.”
She looked at Noah.
“Thomas.”
