10 - Data Leaked

Ava Moreno’s office was a sanctuary of glass and steel, designed to project authority and composure. Outside the towering windows, the city sprawled out in a grid of glittering ambition. She stood at her desk, fingertips resting lightly on a holographic interface, scanning through the latest quarterly reports. The numbers were solid—growth had stabilized after the last PR incident, and stakeholder confidence was slowly recovering.

Then her phone buzzed—a subtle, pulsing vibration on the surface of the polished desk. Ava glanced at the display and frowned. It was from IT Security, marked urgent.

She tapped the screen. "Moreno."

"Ma’am, we’ve got a situation," said a tense voice on the other end. "There’s a data breach. Someone posted classified documents online—financial transactions, internal memos... it’s all over the network."

Ava’s jaw clenched. "Details."

"We’re tracking the leak back to a public data dump. The files are authentic—direct pull from corporate archives. The media’s already picked it up. It’s everywhere."

Her fingers tightened on the edge of the desk. "Secure the source. Start tracing the leak. I want names. Now."

"Yes, ma’am."

She disconnected and opened a news aggregator on her console. The headline flashed across multiple feeds:

"Eternity Corp Exposed: Secret Deals and Unethical Practices Revealed."

Her heart thudded with a sickening rhythm as she skimmed the article. Leaked documents showed bribes to influential figures to secure favorable legislation, secret payments to families to silence legal challenges, and the manipulation of digital assets to boost public image. Then she saw it—the name of the journalist: Dan Reyes.

That damned reporter had been sniffing around for months. She had thought they had him neutralized—his sources cut off, his career smeared with rumors of fabricating stories. Yet here he was, presenting ironclad evidence.

Her intercom buzzed. "Ma’am," her assistant said, voice tight with anxiety, "Mr. Brennan is on the line. Wants to speak with you immediately."

Ava exhaled sharply and tapped the console. Joseph Brennan’s face filled the screen, his expression grim.

"Tell me it’s not as bad as it looks," he demanded.

"It’s worse," Ava replied. "The files are authentic. Reyes got his hands on everything."

Brennan cursed under his breath. "How the hell did this happen? Weren’t we monitoring his communications? Who the hell is leaking this?"

"We’re still tracing it," Ava said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "Someone on the inside, clearly. IT is working on it. But the damage is done—the media’s already tearing us apart."

Brennan glanced off-screen, likely conferring with someone else in his office. "Get Patrick on damage control. We need an immediate statement denying any wrongdoing. Focus on discrediting Reyes. Call it a coordinated attack—competitor sabotage."

Ava hesitated. "Sir, Reyes has the documents. They’re solid. If we push too hard on denial, it could backfire."

"Then make him look unreliable," Brennan snapped. "He’s a conspiracy nut—play up his past. If we throw enough doubt on his credibility, it’ll at least buy us time."

Ava ground her teeth. "Understood. I’ll get Patrick on it."

Brennan leaned closer to the camera. "And find out who the hell gave him that data. I don’t care what it takes—get it done."

The call disconnected. Ava felt her composure crack for just a moment. Her mind raced through possibilities. Who could have pulled this off? She pulled up internal logs, accessing data on file movements, network breaches, and personnel activity.

A notification blinked—an email from Lara Grayson. Ava’s eyes widened. Lara had been one of their product strategists before her abrupt resignation last month. A flash of anger surged through her—had that snake betrayed them?

Before she could follow up, Patrick Lowe stormed into her office, his face flushed. "Damage control is going to be a nightmare," he announced. "Every outlet is pushing the story. Social media is on fire—people are calling for a full investigation."

"We focus on Reyes," Ava said sharply. "Discredit him. Make the story about his obsession with bringing us down. We spin this as an unsubstantiated attack."

Patrick raised an eyebrow. "And if the evidence is too strong to dismiss?"

She fixed him with a cold stare. "We make it about context. Highlight the complexities of corporate governance. Claim the documents are misinterpreted or out of context—say they’ve been manipulated or forged. We control the narrative by muddying the facts."

"Got it. I’ll draft the initial statement and get our media partners on standby," Patrick replied.

As he left, Ava returned to the logs. Her eyes narrowed as she saw traces of data manipulation—someone had covered their tracks well, but not well enough. One of the flagged terminals was registered to an upload technician named Wesley Holt.

Ava frowned, accessing his profile. Low-level employee. No known connections to the media. Why would a technician have access to high-level financial files? She tapped into surveillance logs and cross-referenced recent activity. Wesley had been seen meeting with Lara in a parking garage two weeks ago.

Her heart pounded faster. They had underestimated Lara’s reach. She dialed security. "Locate Wesley Holt. Now."

Another call flashed through—a direct line from the media relations team. Ava steeled herself and answered. "What is it?"

"We’re getting inquiries from major networks asking for an official response. They’re pressing hard for an on-camera interview."

Ava bit back a curse. "No interviews. Issue a written statement only. Emphasize our commitment to transparency and accountability."

As she ended the call, her phone buzzed again—a direct message from Reyes himself.

"Care to comment, Ms. Moreno? I’d love to get your thoughts on how Eternity Corp justifies exploiting grieving families while lining its pockets. Or how about the millions funneled to lawmakers to protect your digital monopoly? Let’s give the people some answers."

Ava’s hands trembled. She typed back tersely.

"We categorically deny your baseless allegations. Eternity Corp will pursue all legal avenues to address these false accusations."

Reyes replied within seconds.

"Then go on record. Face the public. Or are you afraid of the truth?"

Ava closed the message window, her jaw tight with suppressed rage. She knew they couldn’t avoid the fallout forever. Damage control could only buy them time—time to hunt down the traitors and regroup.

She opened the security feed to monitor the search for Wesley. In the pit of her stomach, she knew that exposing the leak wouldn’t fix the damage. The truth was already out, spreading like wildfire. Eternity Corp’s invincibility was cracked, and even the most masterful PR campaign couldn’t fully seal the wound.

She straightened her jacket and walked to the window, staring at the city below. In the distance, she could see protestors gathering—already holding signs demanding justice. She would fight this, but for the first time in her career, Ava felt the weight of something she couldn’t simply crush or manipulate.

The empire was crumbling, and the storm had only just begun.