Chapter 6 The Mask Begins To Crack

• The hum of the servers filled the empty office, the glow of the monitors casting shadows on the walls. Mariana’s fingers moved quickly over the keyboard, her pulse steady despite the tight grip of tension in her chest. She had bypassed the first layer of security, but this was the hard part, the restricted files buried deep in Montero Global’s encrypted system.
• Her screen flickered as data flooded in. Offshore accounts. Large, untraceable transactions. Someone was laundering money through Diego’s company, but something felt off. These payments didn’t match his signature. They were deliberate but not reckless, crafted by someone who understood the art of deception.
• Mariana narrowed her eyes, scrolling through the records.
• If this was Diego, he was careful. Too careful. But what if he wasn’t the one pulling the strings?
• Her breath caught. A name, Santillán.
• She barely had time to process it before her screen glitched, the data disappearing in an instant. A red warning box popped up.
• ACCESS DENIED. USER ALERTED.
• Her stomach turned to stone.
• “Shit.”
• A sound, a faint beep from the hallway. Someone was accessing the main entrance.
• She slammed her laptop shut, heart hammering against her ribs. The office door was locked, but how much time did she have?
• Gathering her files, she erased her digital trail, every keystroke precise, erasing evidence of her intrusion. Footsteps echoed outside.
• A voice. Low. Familiar.
• Diego.
• She barely made it to the storage closet when the office door swung open. From the sliver of light through the vents, she saw him. His jaw was tense, his body rigid with controlled energy. He looked around, eyes scanning for anything out of place.
• Mariana held her breath.
• For a moment, he stood still. Then, he exhaled, his voice sharp as he muttered to himself.
• “Someone’s in my system.”
• She pressed her back against the wall, swallowing the knot in her throat.
• She had seconds before he figured it out.
• The next morning, Mariana walked into Diego’s office with a calm facade, the stolen information burning in the back of her mind. She placed a folder on his desk, meeting his gaze with the same cool confidence she always wore.
• Diego sat at his desk, his expression unreadable. His fingers tapped against the mahogany, slow and deliberate, his eyes fixed on her.
• He was colder today. Sharper.
• "Your reports," she added, trying to maintain a calm tone.
• Diego didn’t take the file. He didn’t even glance at it. Instead, he leaned back, tilting his head slightly.
• “People who dig too deep tend to get buried.”
• Her pulse spiked, but she didn’t flinch.
• “Good thing I like to live dangerously.” She met his stare with an unwavering gaze.
• Something flickered in his eyes. Suspicion. Curiosity. A challenge.
• “You’re not afraid of me.” It wasn’t a question.
• She tilted her head. “Should I be?”
• The air between them thickened, an unspoken battle playing out in silence.
• Diego smirked, but there was no amusement behind it, only calculation.
• He leaned forward, his voice dropping lower.
• “Careful, Mariana. Some games don’t have winners.”
• She turned, her steps even as she exited the office. But the second the door closed behind her, she let out a shaky breath.
• She had played it off.
• But Diego was watching.
• And this time, she wasn’t sure if she could stay ahead of him.
• Mariana sat on the edge of her bed, her laptop open, the blue glow illuminating her pensive expression. The offshore accounts, the hidden transactions, the name Santillán, it was all beginning to form a picture, but the edges didn’t quite align. If Diego was behind it, why did the trail seem so… disjointed?
• She exhaled sharply and dialed. Camila Soriano answered on the second ring, her voice laced with exhaustion.
• "Tell me you’re not calling me at midnight because you did something reckless," Camila groaned.
• Mariana bit her lip. I did something reckless two hours ago.
• "I think there’s someone else inside Montero Global manipulating the finances," she whispered. "Diego might not be the mastermind."
• There was silence on the other end before Camila sighed. "You’re starting to sound… sympathetic."
• Mariana tensed. "That’s not what this is."
• "Isn’t it?" Camila’s voice softened. "You’re getting close to him, Mari. Closer than you should be."
• Mariana closed her eyes. She could still feel the weight of Diego’s gaze from earlier, the way his voice carried an edge that sent a thrill through her.
• She mumbled, "Don't be ridiculous," as she ran her fingers through her hair.
• "You’re falling for him," Camila pressed.
• "No," Mariana snapped, but it lacked conviction.
• Because the truth was, Diego Montero wasn’t just a target anymore. He was a question mark. A man wrapped in contradictions. A threat she couldn’t quite define.
• "Be careful," Camila warned. "Because if he’s not the one pulling the strings… then someone even worse is."
• Mariana stared at her screen, the flickering records taunting her.
• She wasn’t sure what was worse, Diego being the villain, or him not being one at all.
• The archives were silent, the scent of aged paper mingling with the faint hum of the security system. Mariana moved with precision, flipping through files until she found the one marked CONFIDENTIAL.
• Her pulse pounded.
• This was it.
• She slid the file out, tucking it neatly into her bag.
• And then…..
• The elevator dinged.
• Her heart stopped.
• He’s back early.
• Diego’s footsteps were unhurried, deliberate. A predator surveying his territory.
• Mariana shoved the file deeper into her bag, straightened her blouse, and turned just as Diego entered.
• He didn’t look surprised to see her.
• "I didn’t peg you as the type to work overtime," he said, his voice unreadable.
• Mariana smiled, forcing her posture to stay casual. "Trying to meet your impossible standards, sir."
• Diego stepped closer, his gaze flicking over the desk, the partially opened drawers. "Is that so?"
• She didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.
• "Of course," she said smoothly.
• He tilted his head slightly, as if searching for cracks in her armor.
• The silence stretched.
• Then, Diego let out a low chuckle. "You’re full of surprises, Mariana."
• He turned to leave, but as he did, he glanced at the security cameras.
• Mariana’s blood ran cold.
• He knows something’s off.
• Mariana sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. The encrypted files she had stolen from Montero Global burned a hole in her thoughts. She wasn’t sure what was worse, the secrets hidden in them or the undeniable fact that Diego Montero wasn’t as guilty as she had believed.
• Her phone vibrated.
• A single, chilling message appeared on the screen:
• He’s watching you. Don’t slip.
• Her breath hitched.
• Her fingers gripped the phone, rereading the text. The sender was anonymous.
• Her gaze darted toward the window. The city pulsed below her, but her apartment was high enough to make spying impossible, unless someone had eyes inside.
• She shut the laptop, her mind racing. Who had sent the message? Diego? A third party? Or someone inside Montero Global who knew what she was doing?
• A sharp knock on the door shattered her thoughts.
• She froze.
• Three slow, deliberate knocks.
• Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she crept toward the door. Peering through the peephole, she inhaled sharply.
• Mateo Villarreal.
• Diego’s head of security. A man who had built a reputation for handling problems quietly and effectively.
• Her hand tightened around the doorknob.
• She schooled her expression and opened the door.
• Mateo stood there, dressed in his usual dark suit, his sharp eyes scanning her apartment over her shoulder. His stance was neutral, but she knew better. Mateo was never neutral.
• “Mr. Montero wants to see you,” he said. His voice was a flat command. “Now.”
• Mariana forced a smirk. “A little late for office hours, isn’t it?”
• Mateo’s jaw tightened. “You’d rather he come here himself?”
• She didn’t answer.
• Because behind his casual words, there was an unspoken warning.
• Diego knew something.
• And whatever this was, it wasn’t just a meeting. It was an interrogation.