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The male says something else, and Valentina lets out a cold laugh that sends a shiver down my spine.
“Trust me,” Valentina says in that same dangerously low voice. “There’s no obstacle I can’t handle here.”
My blood runs cold. Now that doesn’t sound ominous at all. And Valentina’s next words only make it worse.
“Believe me, Craig. I won’t fail.”
My head begins to swim. Craig. She’s talking to Craig. More than that, it sounds like she’s working for Craig.
Tarek had said they used to work together years ago. Maybe she’d been playing the long game all this time. Maybe she’d seen a successful young upstart and knew she could worm her way in and profit.
Her tone sounded so annoyed with Craig. But how many times had I talked to Tarek like that? Was it a professional taking offense to being questioned by the rich guy they’d been hired by?
I set the folder by the door and almost trip backwards trying to get away. Moving as quickly as I dare without drawing attention, I head for Tarek’s office. I don’t even knock before opening his door and quickly shutting it behind me.
From where he sits at his desk, Tarek looks up curiously. “What?”
“I think Valentina might still be working for Craig,” I whisper, almost as if she might hear me.
Tarek raises a brow. “I thought we eliminated her. You know, since there’s no way she was on the phone with Craig at the same time he called his spy.”
I shake my head. “What if he was only calling someone to relay a message to her? Tarek, I heard her talking on the phone to him. It sounded like they were planning something.”
“Oh? And what did they say?”
“Well, I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but Valentina kept talking about how she was handling things,” I explain. “How she could overcome any obstacle.”
Tarek narrows his eyes. “That doesn't prove anything.”
“It’s incredibly suspicious. We should look into her more,” I protest.
“Look, I don’t doubt you, but I think we need more to go on. I think maybe when we get nervous, paranoia can make molehills into mountains.”
I clench my fists. “Are you calling me paranoid? Because if I recall, you’re the one who put her on your list in the first place.”
“And then we crossed her off,” he reminds me.
White-hot anger burns through me, and I storm out. I get to my cubicle, bury my face in my hands, and let out a muffled scream.
“Are you okay?”
I look up to see Amber staring at me from over the cubicle wall. Right, she probably heard that.
“It’s just…” I try to find the right words without actually telling her what’s going on. “I’m doing everything I possibly can to do the right thing, except it always seems to be the wrong thing. And then I just get shit from Tarek.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “And then Tarek makes me feel about two inches tall after everything I’ve done for him. “
Amber’s face becomes solemn. “You know it’s not just you, right? Sure, he’s a good boss for the most part, but rich people just tend to lose touch with reality after a while. They begin to think they’re above being wrong.”
Her voice becomes a whisper. “Believe me, you’re not the problem. You do a great job here and you shouldn’t second guess yourself.”
Despite her not knowing everything about my situation, I still feel validated. I’m the Cyber Thief. I have a whole arsenal of knowledge he can’t even compare to. Why should he make me feel like dirt? I know what I’m doing.
I smile at Amber. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Her smile returns. “Anytime.”
CHAPTER 23
