Episode 12 – Whispers in the Dark
The next morning, Jasmine woke up feeling like she hadn't slept at all.
She turned the events of last night over and over in her mind—the documents, the names, the hidden ties between Phoenix Corp and something called the Aurora Initiative. Her instincts screamed that whatever it was, it had cost Eleanor her life.
And if she wasn't careful, it could cost her too.
Still, staying silent wasn't an option anymore.
Jasmine quickly got ready for work, tying her hair back into a messy bun and slipping into her most unassuming outfit. She needed to stay under the radar. She couldn't afford to draw attention to herself—not until she had more answers.
---
When she arrived at the office, Phoenix Corp was buzzing.
A new project launch had everyone scrambling. People rushed past her in the hallways, arms full of files, phones glued to their ears. It was the perfect chaos to move unnoticed.
Max caught her arm as she passed his desk.
"Hey," he said quietly. "You look like you didn't sleep."
Jasmine offered a tight smile. "Didn't."
He studied her for a moment, then leaned closer. "Whatever you're digging into, be smart about it. This place… it doesn't forgive mistakes."
The warning in his voice wasn't lost on her.
"I'll keep that in mind," she murmured, pulling away.
But Jasmine couldn't stop.
The documents she had copied pointed toward a shadow network—a group that thrived behind the clean glass walls of corporations like Phoenix. She just needed to find the missing piece.
And she knew exactly where to look.
---
Late that afternoon, Jasmine found herself in the restricted archives room on the 18th floor—a place where only top-level executives had clearance. She didn't have the access, but she wasn't exactly playing by the rules anymore.
She waited until the hallway was empty, then used the small keycard she had lifted from an unsuspecting junior manager in the cafeteria.
The lock beeped green, and she slipped inside.
Rows of file cabinets stretched out before her. Digital records too sensitive to be kept online were stored here, buried under bureaucratic layers and forgotten.
She moved quickly, scanning labels—Acquisitions, Contracts, Settlements—
Then she saw it.
The Aurora Initiative.
Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled the file.
Inside were financial reports, memos, signatures. It had started as a tech development program—one aimed at creating "secure information systems for emerging markets." It sounded harmless enough.
But buried deeper in the file were letters… letters that suggested something else entirely.
Experiments. Human data tracking. Ethical boundaries crossed without hesitation.
And Phoenix Corp's name was on every page.
Jasmine's stomach twisted.
This wasn't just corporate greed.
This was systematic control.
---
A soft noise behind her made her jump.
She turned sharply.
Callum stood in the doorway, arms folded, his face unreadable.
"What are you doing here, Jasmine?" he asked quietly.
Her heart pounded.
For a moment, she thought about lying. About pretending she was lost, or needed a file for a client.
But what was the point?
He already knew.
"I could ask you the same thing," she said, lifting the file.
Callum's jaw tensed.
"You shouldn't be here," he said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. "It's not safe."
"For who?" she demanded. "Me—or you?"
Their eyes locked, a silent battle raging between them.
He walked closer, stopping just a foot away.
"What you found," he said in a low voice, "isn't just dangerous for you. It's dangerous for anyone who even knows it exists."
"Is that a threat?" Jasmine whispered.
"No. It's a warning."
Callum reached out, gently prying the file from her fingers. She let him take it—but not without a bitter twist in her chest.
"You're not the enemy," she said quietly. "But you're not innocent either."
"No," he agreed. "I'm not."
---
He tucked the file under his arm and moved to the door, but hesitated.
"I can't explain everything right now," he said. "But you need to trust me, Jasmine. If you keep digging, you're going to paint a target on your back you won't be able to outrun."
"Then tell me the truth," she pleaded. "Stop keeping me in the dark."
For a moment, Callum's mask slipped.
She saw the weariness in his eyes—the burden of carrying secrets too heavy for one person.
But then he straightened, the CEO persona sliding back into place.
"Not yet," he said. "Soon. I promise."
And with that, he left, leaving Jasmine standing alone among the shadows of Phoenix Corp's sins.
---
That night, Jasmine couldn't sleep.
She stared up at the ceiling, the city lights outside her window painting moving shadows across her walls.
Callum said he wanted to protect her.
But how could she trust a man who refused to tell her the full truth?
She rolled onto her side, her hand brushing against her phone.
Maybe it was time she stopped waiting for answers—and started finding them herself.
Before fear could take hold, she made a decision.
Tomorrow, she would go back to where it all began.
To Whitmore Enterprises.
If the truth about the Aurora Initiative was buried anywhere, it was there.
And she was done running from it.