Chapter 88 - The Ticking Time Bomb
Elena sprinted back to her desk, setting the heavy box down with shaking hands. She grabbed her letter opener and carefully sliced through the thick packing tape, lifting the cardboard flaps.
Inside was not a bomb, but an old, vintage music box, playing a hauntingly familiar lullaby. Resting on top of the velvet lining was a secure encrypted flash drive and a handwritten note written in crisp, elegant cursive.
“You think cutting off the branches kills the tree, Elena. The roots go much deeper than you know. Plug the drive in, or watch your entire company burn to ash by sunrise.”
Before she could act, Marcus burst into the office, out of breath. "Elena! Don't touch that drive! The IT security team just flagged an incoming malware attack originating from a ghost server tied to the delivery service!"
Elena ripped the plug away from her workstation just as the computer screen flashed violently, displaying a digital skull logo. A localized firewall contained the breach, but the message was crystal clear: someone was still hunting her.
"They're playing psychological warfare," Marcus said, gritting his teeth. "They want you to panic, to make a mistake."
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"No," Elena said quietly, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the music box. "They're trying to distract us from something much bigger. Check the international shipping manifests for Sterling Logistics."
Marcus's eyes widened. "Good God... the overseas cargo ships."
