The Lopez Estate
Elsewhere, in the heart of the Lopez estate, a man burst into the living room, pale and breathless.
"Turn on the TV!" he shouted.
The family exchanged confused looks but obeyed.
A live broadcast filled the screen. The anchor, beaming, announced breaking news: A revolutionary code had just been launched by a mysterious figure named Dexter. The code was already being hailed as the most important digital breakthrough of the decade.
Joseph Lopez rose from his chair in horror. His lips parted. His face turned white.
And then he collapsed.
At the hospital , the Lopez family gathered outside the operating room.
When the doctor emerged, drenched in sweat, everyone fell silent.
"I'm, sorry," he said. "We tried everything. But with his prior condition, the shock, we lost him."
Wails erupted. Vivian collapsed into a chair. Lilian screamed into her palms. Damian stood frozen.
After a moment, Damien finally found the strength to approach the doctor, his heart pounding.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "This isn't the first time my dad had suffered a heart attack. Why did he die?"
The doctor's expression shifted to one of deep concern. "I understand how difficult this is for you," he began, his brow furrowed. "We performed the surgery, and everything seemed to go well. But then, it was like the life just slipped away from him. I was genuinely surprised. I thought we had stabilized him,"
Damian's eyes searched the doctor's face for answers. "But he was doing better, wasn't he? How could this happen?""The doctor placed a gentle hand on Damian's shoulder, offering a small measure of comfort. "Sometimes, the body reacts in ways we can't predict. I'm truly sorry for your loss. Take heart; he fought bravely." The doctor walked away while Damien grinds his teeth firmly, while narrowing his eyes, it was very obvious he was pained.
The mansion was draped in silence, thick and oppressive. The great hall usually alive with staff and echoing footsteps was now a mausoleum of grief.
The entire Lopez family sat together in the formal sitting room. Leather chairs circled a central fireplace, its flames crackling quietly, like a whisper trying to fill the hollow left by Joseph Lopez's absence.
Lilian Lopez, Damian's younger sister, was the first to break the silence.
"I still can't believe any of this," she said, voice low but sharp. "First, someone steals Dad's life's work. Then he dies because of it. Meanwhile, some fraud named Dexter is out there being hailed as a tech savior."
Vivian, Damian's cousin, folded her arms tightly across her chest. "That man is parading around with glory that never belonged to him. Daddy bled for that code."
Damian's aunt leaned forward. "Can't we do something? There must be a way to expose him. Are we really going to let this slide?"
Damian sat back, running a hand over his face. "What I don't understand," he said, "is how anyone managed to get inside the Code Room. It's supposed to be impenetrable."
His mother snapped her head toward the security detail stationed at the door.
"Explain," she barked. "How does someone waltz into one of the most secure homes in the country and walk out with everything we've built?"
A senior guard stepped forward in a crisp black suit. He bowed slightly before speaking.
"Ma'am, we've reviewed all access points. No external breach. No irregular entries except for Friday, during the welcome reception."
"The day Damian brought that girl," Vivian said sharply, her voice suddenly cold.
The guard nodded. "Yes, ma'am. The only guest outside the family was Mr. Damian's fiancée. All security protocols were intact until precisely 8:46 p.m., when our internal CCTV system malfunctioned for five minutes."
Lilian's eyes narrowed. "That's oddly specific."
"We believe it was deliberate," the guard admitted. "Someone timed it perfectly. Just long enough to gain access to the vault."
Silence blanketed the room like snow.
Vivian stood. "Are you saying someone inside this house betrayed us?"
"Not a member of the family," Lilian said quickly. "No one else would know how to bypass Dad's lockout protocols."
The guard hesitated then spoke with grim finality. "Sir, Ma'am, after a thorough investigation, we believe the person responsible is the young woman introduced to us as Mr. Damian's fiancée."
The room erupted.
"You're out of your mind!" Damian shot to his feet. "You think Tyler did this?"
But even as he defended her, his mind was already splintering. His chest felt hollow.
The guard pressed on. "The timeline matches perfectly. At the exact moment of the system crash, she excused herself to use the restroom. A patrol guard reported movement near the restricted corridor but dismissed it he said she looked too innocent. Too fragile."
Vivian's expression darkened. "Innocent like a fox."
Damian's aunt turned toward him, voice trembling with betrayal. "Damian… did you bring a thief into this house?"
Damian's jaw clenched, but he said nothing.
Because apart from the fact that he hadn't heard from her since he lost his dad, a memory had also just punched him in the gut.
Two Months Earlier San Francisco
He had been in the city for a quiet acquisition deal, planning to leave unnoticed.
Then she appeared.
A girl with oversized glasses, messy curls, and a handmade placard that read: "You Are My Dream Man."
His bodyguards moved instantly, stepping forward to usher her away but she'd burst into tears before they could reach her.
"All I did was tell the truth," she said through sobs. "I've spent my whole life hiding… People told me to speak up. Be brave. So I finally did and I still got rejected."
Damian had stared at her, frozen. She was shaking so violently, he thought she might collapse right there.
"Please," she'd whispered, "just let me talk to you. For five seconds."
He'd told his men to stand down.
Looking at her then trembling, broken, earnest he felt something crack inside him. She looked nothing like a threat.
Nothing like a liar.
And that's exactly what made her so dangerous.