Adrian’s POV “The company is undergoing a major crisis, something all of you are already aware of,” Victor said, his voice carrying the weight of the situation.
“And because of this crisis, one of our biggest international projects is now at risk.” The atmosphere around the table immediately became heavier.
For the past few months, we had all been dealing with the same problem.
Someone within Westbridge was leaking confidential information to our competitors.
At first, we believed it was a small issue.
A few employees were identified as possible suspects, and after thorough investigation, they were removed from the company.
But the leaks continued.
Which meant the problem was far deeper than we initially expected.
“Initially, we thought eliminating the suspects would solve the matter,” Victor continued.
“But it has become clear that there is a much bigger hand involved.” His expression hardened.
“Someone with access.
Someone powerful enough to hide their actions.” Silence filled the dining hall.
“We still haven’t been able to uncover their identity.” “The Bellamay Project is extremely important for us,” Marcus spoke from his seat, his expression serious.
“If we lose this, the consequences won’t be limited to one failed project.
We could lose much more than that.” Everyone at the table understood what he meant.
The Bellamay Project was not just another business deal.
It was one of Westbridge’s biggest international ventures, one that could strengthen the company’s position globally.
My father, Sebastian, adjusted his glasses before speaking.
“We have already placed our own people throughout the company to investigate the matter, but nothing has given us a promising lead so far.” A heavy silence followed.
Finding a traitor inside Westbridge was proving to be more difficult than anyone had expected.
Victor slowly placed his hands on the table.
“That is why I have decided to create a specific division dedicated to investigating this matter.” Everyone’s attention shifted toward him.
“This division will operate under ESSPU.” His gaze moved toward Alexander.
For the first time that evening, Alexander’s expression changed slightly—not enough for anyone unfamiliar with him to notice, but enough for those of us who knew him well.
He understood exactly what Victor was implying.
“This investigation will remain confidential,” Victor continued.
“Only those who need to know will be informed.
We cannot risk the person behind this discovery becoming aware that we are looking for them.” The responsibility was clear.
And judging by the way Alexander remained silent, he already knew what was coming next.
ESSPU had always handled the most complicated matters within Westbridge.
But this time, they weren’t just solving a business problem.
They were hunting someone from within.
“Yes, Uncle.” Alexander nodded toward Victor, accepting the responsibility without hesitation.
Then his gaze moved toward the rest of us.
One by one, he looked at Damian, Julian, and me.
We all understood what was expected of us.
Without a word, we nodded in agreement.
“We’ll start making the arrangements from tomorrow onwards,” Damian said calmly.
Victor simply nodded.
After that, the dinner continued for another half hour, though the atmosphere had shifted completely.
The conversation moved between business strategies, possible risks, and the steps we needed to take regarding the investigation.
By the end of the evening, everyone knew what was at stake.
When the meeting finally concluded, we all rose from our seats.
My parents approached me before leaving.
My mother hugged me tightly, while my father placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t forget to spend some time at home,” my mother reminded me.
I smiled.
“I won’t.” After saying our goodbyes, the four of us made our way toward my car.
However, before we could leave, Julian’s mother called out to him.
“Julian.” He immediately stopped.
From the look on his face, he already knew what was coming.
“Can we talk for a moment?” Julian looked toward us, silently asking for help.
None of us moved.
We all knew better.
He gave a reluctant sigh before walking toward her.
One stern look from Vivienne was enough to make him surrender.
I couldn’t help shaking my head.
Poor Julian.
Whatever conversation was about to happen between them, we all knew one thing.
He was definitely going to be complaining about it for the next few days.
After a full fifteen minutes of listening to his mother’s lecture, Julian finally returned.
But the Julian who had walked away was not the same Julian who came back.
His usual confidence was gone.
His shoulders were slightly slouched, the playful spark that was almost always present in his eyes had disappeared, and for once, he looked genuinely defeated.
None of us said anything.
Not because we didn’t notice, but because we knew Julian well enough to understand that comforting him would only make things worse.
He would rather pretend he was unaffected than admit that his mother’s words had actually reached him.
Besides, this wasn’t new.
Julian would be back to his usual self soon enough.
A few drinks, a night of complaining about how unfair his mother was, and he would return to being the same annoying person we all knew.
I unlocked the car and got inside.
Without wasting any more time, I started the engine and drove us toward my house.
The night had been longer than expected.
And tomorrow, the real work would begin.
I woke up the next morning to the loud, unbearable sound of Julian’s phone alarm.
I opened my eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds.
Why does he even set an alarm if he has no intention of waking up?
With a tired sigh, I dragged myself out of bed and walked toward his room, still half asleep.
His door was already open.
And, unsurprisingly, Damian was standing beside his bed, trying to wake him up.
“Julian, get up.” No response.
“Julian.” Still nothing.
Damian looked down at him, his patience clearly disappearing.
“You have ten seconds before I throw water on you.” Julian only shifted slightly, still looking half dead and completely unwilling to return to reality.
I shook my head and walked away.
Some things never changed.
I headed downstairs toward the kitchen, already knowing exactly what I would find.
This wasn’t a new sight for me.
I lived alone, but whenever we had late meetings at the Callahan Estate, the three of them ended up staying at my house for convenience.
At first, it was supposed to be temporary.
Just a couple of nights when things got too late.
But somehow, those couple of nights turned into a habit.
And eventually, a tradition.
My house had stopped feeling like a place I lived alone.
It had become a second home for the four of us.
When I reached downstairs, I found Alexander already sitting at the dining table.
He had a cup of coffee in his hand, his attention focused on his phone as he went through something work-related.
Of course.
Even in the morning, Alexander was already working.
“Good morning,” I said, taking the seat opposite him.
“Morning.” He finally placed his phone down and looked at me.
A few moments later, the sound of footsteps came from the staircase.
Damian appeared, dragging a half-asleep Julian behind him.
Julian looked like he had no idea what year it was, let alone what was happening around him.
I couldn’t help smiling.
Some things were truly predictable.
Once all four of us settled around the table, Alexander took another sip of his coffee before speaking.
“I’m thinking of involving Meave in our investigation.” The moment her name left his mouth, Julian immediately became more awake.
“Why?” His question came quicker than expected.
Alexander looked at him calmly.
“She will become our outside source of investigation along with you, Julian.” Julian’s sleepy expression vanished instantly.
A familiar charming smile appeared on his face.
“I knew nobody was better than me at handling outside networks,” he said confidently.
“Having an extra pair of hands will definitely make things easier.” Damian gave him a side glance.
“You mean having someone else do the work while you take credit.” Julian placed a hand over his chest dramatically.
“That’s a very unfair accusation.” “It’s accurate,” Alexander replied without hesitation.
I tried to hide my smile.
Even with a serious investigation ahead of us, some things about our group would never change.
But behind Julian’s teasing expression, I knew he understood the importance of this decision.
Bringing Meave into ESSPU was one thing.
Bringing her into this investigation was something entirely different.