Free Web NovelChapter 50: Chapter 50 The Recording Trap
Sylvia’s POV
When I stepped out of the manager’s office, the first thing I noticed was Lily pacing near my desk like a kettle seconds away from boiling.
Her arms were crossed, her brows furrowed, and her usually chirpy expression had curdled into a scowl.
"Lily?" I raised a brow. "What happened? Did someone switch your coffee to decaf?"
She stalked toward me and leaned in, her voice sharp with urgency. "You need to keep an eye on Sunny. I’m telling you, that woman is not just shady—she’s radioactive."
My pulse didn’t quicken, but my wolf stirred in mild curiosity.
Lily then launched into her report like a soldier giving field intel.
"While you were with the manager, Sunny walked over to your desk like she owned it. She started clicking around your files—your Vertex pitch folder was open! I asked her straight up: ‘Did Sylvia give you access to her computer?’"
"And?"
"She gave me this passive-aggressive smile like I’d just interrupted her charity work. Said she was ‘helping’ so you wouldn’t lose unsaved work if the system timed out. Can you believe that?"
"Oh, I believe it," I murmured, jaw tight.
"That’s not the worst part," Lily added, visibly fuming now. "When I wouldn’t back off, she accused me of spying on you. Said I must be jealous because you got the Vertex project and maybe I was trying to sabotage you through her."
I blinked. "Creative. Paranoid, but creative."
Lily tossed her hands in the air. "She ended it with: ‘Whatever you say. You know what’s really in your heart.’" She rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might stick. "Like she’s some morally superior oracle."
I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out.
That was Sunny’s strategy—throw enough smoke until people forget there’s no fire.
But this time, she was playing with the wrong Alpha.
Just then, Lily approached from across the office, her eyes shimmering as if she’d just stepped out of an emotional drama. She clutched a printout to her chest like a security blanket.
"Sylvia... do you have a moment?" Her voice trembled like wind through dry leaves.
I nodded and gestured for her to sit. "What’s going on?" ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"I just—" She looked down, fiddling with her fingers. "I want you to know... I have no interest in the Vertex project. I swear on the Moon Goddess. If you get it, I’ll be happy for you."
I sighed and reached out, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Lily. Breathe. You don’t have to swear celestial oaths—I believe you."
Her eyes immediately filled again. "I’m sorry," she whispered, voice cracking. "It just... it feels so good to be believed."
Of course it did. Lily was the team’s unsung Luna—quiet, loyal, forever helpful. The type who brewed coffee for everyone and never asked for credit.
But it was a war zone lately. And in war zones, even the healers get nervous.
"I know who I can trust," I told her quietly. "You’re not the one I’m worried about."
Her mouth twisted into a small frown. "Then... it really is Sunny?"
I nodded once. My wolf had already scented deceit on that woman days ago, but now it was confirmed in technicolor.
"What did the manager want earlier?" Lily asked after a beat, trying to sound casual.
"Oh, just a check-in," I lied easily. "Status update on the Vertex deck."
From across the room, I felt Sunny’s stare stabbing into my back like dull knives. My skin prickled with her smug anticipation.
She thinks she’s winning.
My wolf gave a low, amused growl. Let her.
That evening, I didn’t head straight home. I lingered at my desk, made a dramatic show of "finishing touches," then left late with a tired yawn and a pointed glance toward Sunny’s workstation.
Let her think the fortress was unguarded.
At precisely 11:36 PM, my phone buzzed.
The camera feed flickered to life.
There she was.
Sunny.
Hunched at my desk in the ghost-lit office, her hair tied back like some mission-ready hacker, inserting a sleek USB stick into my workstation.
And then—
"Let’s see how you recover from this, Sylvia."
Oh honey, I already have.
From the comfort of my couch, I took a sip of red wine and saved the footage to three backup drives. The wolf inside me purred in satisfaction.
Morning came, and with it, the performance of a lifetime.
I walked into the office like I hadn’t watched my rival commit corporate treason the night before. My stride calm, my face neutral. Sunny was already at her desk, posture stiff, eyes following my every move.
I didn’t give her the satisfaction of meeting her gaze.
Instead, I powered on my computer and feigned mild confusion as I "discovered" the file inconsistencies.
Nothing blatant.
Just enough breadcrumbs to suggest sabotage—if I wanted to go that route.
Lily rolled over in her chair, whispering, "Sylvia... is it just me or is Sunny acting weird?"
"She’s acting like herself," I replied dryly.
Lily frowned. "But... she’s staring at you like she’s expecting you to burst into flames."
"She’ll be disappointed," I said with a shrug. "I’m not made of paper."
Lily’s eyes twinkled. "Well, you’re still hot enough to ignite jealousy."
That made me laugh, even as my mind stayed razor-focused on the real game.
"Alright," I said, slipping into leader mode. "Let’s wrap that budget summary for the meeting. You good?"
She saluted with a grin. "Absolutely."
When she rolled away, I leaned back in my chair and took a long breath. The air smelled wrong. Someone had moved my chair by exactly three centimeters. The scent of vanilla-and-bitter-ambition perfume still lingered.
Sunny had tried to steal the Vertex proposal.
Tried.
I opened my presentation folder—not the real one, of course—and found exactly what I’d planted there: a decoy deck. Incomplete. Subtly wrong. Designed to collapse under scrutiny if anyone tried to pass it off as final.
The real proposal?
Encrypted. Archived. Untouched.
Waiting.
Today was the big meeting with the board. Sunny would try to strike. I would let her. And then, like any good Alpha, I’d bare my fangs.
