Chapter 3 - The Friday Date
Friday evening, Daniel Reed arrived at the restaurant at 7:03.
Evelyn arrived at 7:05.
Adrian hated both facts.
He sat inside a surveillance van half a block away, listening through the transmitter hidden inside Evelyn’s necklace.
Mason sat beside him.
“You’re going to break that.”
Adrian looked down.
He was crushing a paper coffee cup.
He released it.
“Watch the monitors.”
“I am.”
Onscreen, Daniel stood as Evelyn approached.
He smiled.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
Inside the van, Adrian’s jaw tightened.
Mason glanced sideways.
“Want me to mute it?”
“No.”
“Thought so.”
At the restaurant, Daniel pulled Evelyn’s chair out.
“You almost canceled.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You sounded strange yesterday.”
“Work.”
“Vale?”
She smiled.
“When isn’t it Vale?”
Daniel laughed.
Exactly as they expected.
Dinner began normally.
Twenty minutes passed.
Then Daniel leaned forward.
“So what happened with those Dutch shipping contracts?”
Evelyn took a sip of wine.
“Boring.”
“Come on. You promised me criminal intrigue.”
“I absolutely did not.”
“Does Vale really own half the port?”
“Adrian owns many legitimate businesses.”
“Adrian?”
Daniel smiled.
“You normally call him Vale.”
Evelyn immediately realized the mistake.
In the van, Adrian did too.
Daniel leaned back.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Daniel.”
“Are you sleeping with him?”
Mason slowly turned toward Adrian.
Adrian’s face became expressionless.
Evelyn laughed.
“No.”
“But you want to.”
“Why are we talking about my boss?”
“Because every time I mention him, your whole face changes.”
Adrian looked at Mason.
Mason raised both hands.
“I didn’t say anything.”
Daniel continued.
“Does he feel the same?”
Evelyn’s fingers tightened around her glass.
“I don’t know.”
That answer wasn’t part of the plan.
Adrian leaned toward the speaker.
Daniel smiled.
“I think you do.”
“What exactly are you asking?”
“I’m asking whether Adrian Vale trusts you.”
There it was.
Evelyn relaxed.
“Professionally? Yes.”
“Enough to give you access?”
“To what?”
“Schedules. Contracts. Internal communications.”
Evelyn frowned convincingly.
“What kind of date is this?”
Daniel reached across the table.
“Evelyn, relax.”
She pulled her hand away.
“No.”
Daniel’s smile faded.
“I’m trying to help you.”
“By asking about confidential documents?”
“You don’t understand the people you work for.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.”
Evelyn pushed her chair back.
“I think dinner is over.”
Daniel’s hand closed around her wrist.
Inside the van, Adrian was moving before Mason could stop him.
“Boss—”
“Stay on comms.”
Adrian crossed the street.
Inside, Evelyn stared at Daniel’s hand.
“Let go.”
“Sit down.”
“You have two seconds.”
Daniel leaned closer.
“Sokolov wants one file.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You translated the Rotterdam ledger.”
Evelyn’s pulse jumped.
That wasn’t the false information.
The Rotterdam ledger was real.
And only four people knew it existed.
Daniel smiled when he saw her reaction.
“Thank you.”
Evelyn realized her mistake.
“You were checking whether it existed.”
“Exactly.”
He released her.
Then someone spoke behind him.
“You should leave.”
Daniel turned.
Adrian stood there.
No raised voice.
No dramatic movement.
Just Adrian.
Daniel went pale.
“Vale.”
Adrian looked at Evelyn’s wrist.
Then at Daniel.
“You touched her.”
Daniel stood.
“We were talking.”
“No.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“You were making a mistake.”
Daniel glanced around the restaurant.
“You won't do anything here.”
Adrian smiled faintly.
“Then why are you sweating?”
Daniel backed away.
Evelyn stood between them.
“Adrian.”
His gaze shifted to her.
“Outside.”
“I can handle this.”
“I know.”
“Then stop treating me like—”
“Evelyn.”
Something in his voice stopped her.
Not authority.
Fear.
Real fear.
She followed him outside.
Snow had begun falling again.
Mason approached.
“We have Reed.”
“Good.”
Evelyn looked between them.
“What now?”
“We find out who told him about the ledger.”
Her anger vanished.
Because that changed everything.
The Rotterdam ledger had never left Adrian’s private office.
Which meant Daniel wasn’t their biggest problem.
Someone inside Adrian’s organization had betrayed him.
And Evelyn suddenly remembered something.
“Mason.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“The night we signed Rotterdam, who collected the documents?”
Mason frowned.
“Theo.”
Adrian slowly turned.
Evelyn whispered the name again.
May you like
“Theo Grant.”
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