Twice Taken: 17. The Insider

The city lights stretched like a glittering net across the skyline, indifferent to the storm that raged in the apartment. Elena sat rigid in the secure room, every muscle taut, eyes fixed on the monitors as Max coordinated with the security team. The revelation of an insider had unsettled her more than any threat before; someone she had trusted, someone familiar, had been feeding information to an unknown enemy.

Max’s voice cut through the tension, sharp and controlled. “We’ve traced the leak to a single individual—Camila Ortiz.”

Elena’s stomach dropped. Camila—the assistant who had been with her for years, the one who had joked with her, shared confidences, helped manage schedules, even celebrated small victories with her—Camila had been betraying them. The word echoed in her mind like a punch.

“Camila?” she whispered, voice barely audible. “But… she’s been with us… for years.”

Max’s eyes softened briefly but his jaw remained set. “Betrayal isn’t about time, Elena.