I kept my eyes fixed on the digital floor indicator above the door.

3… 4… 5…

Marcus turned his back to me, his shoulders tense under his dark suit jacket.

“The board is already in the conference room,” he continued. “Victoria is on her way up. We start in thirty minutes.”

He paused, listening to the person on the other end.

“No, she’s not a threat,” Marcus said, his voice dropping slightly. “The secretary is probably hiding in some corner, terrified. Just make sure the servers are locked down.”

The elevator chimed as we reached the thirty-fourth floor.

The doors slid open to reveal the bright, polished hallway of the executive suite.

Marcus stepped out first, not looking back.

I waited a second, then stepped out behind him, my hand gripping my bag.

The hallway was filled with people in dark suits moving quickly between offices.

I turned toward the service corridor near the back of the floor, away from the boardroom.

I reached the heavy gray door marked “Authorized Personnel Only.”

I pulled my security badge from my lapel and held it up to the card reader.