I reached Alexander’s table.
He was already looking through some documents when he pushed something toward me.
A newly designed company ID card.
“Your ID has arrived.” I looked down at it.
Finally.
My own official Westbridge ID.
I picked it up carefully and looked at it.
It felt strange.
Until now, I had only been carrying the temporary card they had given me during my first days.
But this…
This made me feel like I truly belonged here.
I placed the strap around my neck and looked at the card again.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
“What should I do with the previous card they gave me?” I asked, referring to the temporary company card.
Alexander didn’t even hesitate.
“Keep it.” I looked at him.
“It might come in handy during the investigation.” I immediately understood.
Of course.
The temporary card was the one that helped me notice the similarity with Eugene’s letter.
I nodded.
“Okay.” Before I could say anything else, Alexander stood up.
He picked up a few files from his desk.
“Let’s go.” I blinked.
Go?
Before I could even ask where we were going, he had already started walking toward the door.
I quickly grabbed my things and followed him.
By the time I reached the elevator, the doors were already closing.
Thankfully, he stopped them.
I stepped inside, slightly out of breath.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Being alone with Alexander in an elevator still felt strangely intimidating.
Finally, I broke the silence.
“Where are we going?” I looked at him.
His eyes remained forward.
“To investigate the printed cards.” That was it.
A simple answer.
But for some reason…
I felt relieved.
A small smile almost appeared on my face.
Because he actually meant what he said.
Yesterday, when he asked me to accompany him for the investigation, a small part of me had wondered if he would change his mind.
After what happened at my apartment…
I thought maybe he would avoid the topic.
Maybe he would act differently around me.
But he didn’t.
He was treating me exactly as he always did.
And somehow…
That made me feel better.
Maybe I had been overthinking everything.
The incident yesterday was just an accident.
Nothing more.
I needed to stop replaying it in my head.
Especially because I had an investigation to focus on.
The elevator doors opened.
Alexander stepped out first.
And I followed behind him.
Ahead of us, I looked up at the sign on the main door.
Corporate Administration Department.
I had visited only a few departments in Westbridge so far, but this place immediately felt different from ESSPU.
It was chaotic.
People were moving constantly from one desk to another.
Phones were ringing.
Employees were carrying files while discussing tasks.
Unlike the quiet and controlled atmosphere of our department, this place felt like the center of endless activity.
I followed behind Alexander, trying not to get in anyone’s way.
But the moment people noticed him…
The atmosphere shifted.
Heads turned.
One glance.
Then another.
Some people whispered quietly while others simply watched us pass.
And of course…
Because I was walking beside him, the attention eventually shifted toward me too.
I tried my best to ignore it.
By now, I should have been used to it.
Ever since joining ESSPU, I had learned one thing.
Being associated with Alexander, Damian, Adrian, and Julian automatically made people curious.
But unlike me…
Alexander didn’t seem affected at all.
He walked through the department with the same expression he always carried.
Calm.
Unreadable.
Almost as if the entire world around him didn’t exist.
He didn’t slow down.
Didn’t acknowledge the whispers.
Didn’t even glance at the people staring.
He simply reached the end of the corridor and stopped in front of a door.
Without knocking…
He opened it.
I followed him inside.
The room was much quieter than outside.
Behind the large desk sat an elderly man.
His hair was mostly silver, his face marked with years of experience, and his glasses rested low on his nose as he looked through some documents.
But the moment he looked up and saw us…
His expression changed.
Especially when his eyes landed on Alexander.
He did not look surprised.
He looked irritated.
Almost as if our arrival was something he had been hoping would never happen.
“Alexander.” His voice carried a clear lack of warmth.
Alexander didn’t react.
“Mr.
Whitmore.” He greeted him calmly.
The old man leaned back in his chair, looking between Alexander and me.
“And what brings ESSPU to my department?” “I need the records of the materials used for printing the employee cards that were issued to the new employees.” Alexander’s voice was calm but firm.
He placed his hands on the desk, waiting for Mr.
Whitmore’s response.
But the older man’s expression didn’t change.
Not even slightly.
“May I ask why you need that information?” Mr.
Whitmore asked.
His tone wasn’t disrespectful.
If anything…
It was too calm.
I looked between them.
There was something strange about the way they interacted.
It didn’t feel like a normal conversation between a department head and someone from another department.
It felt more like two people carefully measuring each other’s words.
Alexander’s expression remained unchanged.
“I don’t think you have the authority to question ESSPU’s requirements.” His voice became colder.
“It would be better if you comply.
We don’t have much time.” Anyone else would have reacted badly to those words.
Even I felt slightly tense hearing him.
But Mr.
Whitmore didn’t get angry.
He simply leaned back in his chair and folded his hands.
“I am not questioning your authority, Alexander.” He replied calmly.
“But we maintain records for such requests.” A brief pause.
“If I provide you with the information, I need to mention the reason for accessing those records in the log.” His eyes met Alexander’s.
“You know the rules better than me.” The room fell silent.
I looked at Alexander.
For the first time since entering this office…
He didn’t immediately respond.
Not because he didn’t have an answer.
But because Mr.
Whitmore was right.
Even someone like Alexander couldn’t simply ignore company procedures.
“I know the rules well, Mr.
Whitmore.” Alexander’s voice remained steady.
“But as you know, every year we conduct an audit of the imports and exports of materials inside Westbridge.” He paused briefly.
“I only need those records to prepare a report regarding the budget spent on them.” I looked at him quietly.
Of course.
He didn’t mention the investigation.
He couldn’t.
The fewer people who knew about the leaked projects, the better.
And somehow, watching him handle the situation so naturally made me realize why he was the head of ESSPU.
He knew exactly what to reveal.
And what to hide.
Mr.
Whitmore stared at him for a few seconds, as if trying to figure out whether there was more behind his request.
But eventually, he simply nodded.
“I see.” He turned toward his computer and pressed a button.
“Please arrange the required records.” A few moments later, one of his assistants entered the room.
“Take them to the archive room.” The assistant nodded.
“Of course, sir.” We followed him through the department.
The further we went, the quieter the surroundings became.
Finally, we stopped in front of a large metal door.
The assistant unlocked it.
The moment the door opened…
I immediately understood why they needed someone to guide us.
Inside was not an ordinary storage room.
It was an archive.
Rows and rows of shelves filled the room.
Boxes were stacked everywhere, each one labeled with different years, departments, and categories.
Files filled almost every corner.
The smell hit me immediately.
Old paper.
Dust.
Books that had been untouched for years.
It felt like walking into a place where the history of Westbridge had been stored away.
“This way.” The assistant guided us toward a table.
He searched through the records before bringing a few files toward us.
“These are the material records related to employee card production.” He placed them carefully on the table.
Alexander nodded.
“Thank you.” Before touching anything, he walked toward the logbook placed near the entrance.
I watched as he picked up the pen and signed his name.
We both started going through the records.
The files contained everything related to the production of the employee cards.
The supplier details.
The materials used.
The dates of delivery.
The quantities.
Everything looked completely normal at first glance.
Too normal.
I carefully turned each page, trying to find something that didn’t fit.
Something that would explain how the same material used for our company cards ended up being used for Eugene’s final letter.
That was when my eyes wandered toward a file placed slightly away from the others.
The label immediately caught my attention.
Records of Old Materials.
My fingers paused.
Old materials?
Why would it be kept here?
Maybe it was nothing.
Maybe it was just another archive file with outdated information.
But something inside me told me to look closer.
The problem was…
The assistant was still inside the room.
He wasn’t directly watching us, but he was close enough that any suspicious movement would be noticed.
I couldn’t simply pick it up and start searching.
That would raise questions.
So I did the only thing my panicking brain could come up with.
Something completely ridiculous.
I intentionally moved my arm across the table and made the stack of documents fall.
The papers scattered across the floor.
“Oh no.” I immediately crouched down.
“Sorry.” I started collecting the papers, making sure my movement looked as natural as possible.
But my actual goal was the file.
I quickly opened it while pretending to organize the fallen documents.
Before I could even check properly— A shadow covered me.
I looked up.
Alexander was crouching beside me.
His tall frame blocked the view completely.
“What are you doing?” His voice was low.
I leaned slightly closer and whispered.
“Cover me up.” for a second, his expression showed confusion.
But only for a moment.
Then he understood.
Without asking another question, he shifted closer.
His broad shoulders blocked the assistant’s view completely.
From anyone else’s perspective, it probably looked like he was simply helping me collect the fallen documents.
But in reality…
He was protecting my little investigation.
My heart skipped slightly.
Not because of the situation.
At least, that was what I told myself.
I quickly pulled out my phone and started taking pictures of the pages inside the old materials file.
I captured as much information as I could before anyone noticed.
After a few more clicks, I finally collected all the pictures I needed.
I carefully closed the file and placed everything back in order.
The documents that had fallen were now neatly arranged on the table again, exactly as they were before.
No one would be able to tell that anything had happened.
At least…
I hoped so.
Alexander and I left the archive room with the records in our hands.
As we walked back through the department, I tried to calm my racing heart.
Not because I was scared of being caught.
But because of the thrill.
The excitement made me so distracted that I didn’t even notice when Alexander stopped walking.
Until— I collided straight into his back.
I immediately snapped out of my thoughts.
“Oh.” I quickly stepped back.
“Sorry.” Alexander turned around.
For a few seconds, he simply looked at me.
His expression was unreadable as always.
I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed, confused, or just silently judging my lack of awareness.
But surprisingly…
He didn’t say anything.
He only turned back around and continued walking.
I followed him quietly.
A few moments later, we reached the elevator.
The doors opened, and we stepped inside.
The ride was silent.
I stood beside him, holding the files tightly.
My mind was still occupied with the old material records.
What exactly was in those files?
Why were they separated from the current records?
And why did I have the feeling that we had just discovered something important?
I was so lost in my thoughts that I barely noticed the elevator moving.
Until suddenly— Everything went dark.
The lights flickered once.
Twice.
And then completely disappeared.
The elevator stopped.
My body immediately tensed.
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Then the emergency light turned on, casting a faint red glow inside the small space.
My heart started beating faster.
No.
No, no, no.
Of all the places…
The elevator?
A sudden wave of fear rushed through me.
I looked around, realizing the reality.
We were stuck.
Inside an elevator.
Alone.
With Alexander.