Episode 8 - Someone's Watching
Jasmine stared at the message on her phone like it might explode.
"You shouldn't be dining with him. He's not who you think he is."
Her breath caught. Her instincts screamed to ignore it—just some sick prank. But something about the timing, the precision, made her uneasy. No name. No number. Just… a threat, veiled in warning.
She looked around the street outside the restaurant. The night was calm. Peaceful, even. But under the surface, her skin crawled. Someone was out there. Someone knew.
---
The next morning at Phoenix Corp felt different.
Jasmine kept checking over her shoulder, eyes scanning corners, elevators, even her office. She didn't tell Callum. What would she even say?
"Hey, someone's watching me and warning me against you. Do you know anything?"
No. She needed proof first.
But as fate would have it, Callum found her first.
"You're late," he said when she arrived at her desk.
She blinked. "It's 8:59."
"And the meeting started at 8:45."
Jasmine looked at the schedule in her planner—no meeting listed.
"You didn't tell me—"
"You're my assistant. You should know everything I know."
Something in his voice was off. Strained. Controlled.
"I didn't get any update, sir," she said, emphasizing the last word with just enough ice to sting.
Callum gave her a long look, jaw tight. "Let's not do this here."
But she was already walking past him. "Don't worry. I'll take notes on the meeting I didn't know existed."
---
In the conference room, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Board members whispered, eyes flicking between Callum and Jasmine. She kept her gaze down, scribbling notes, not really hearing anything.
Until she heard one word: "Takeover."
Her eyes snapped up.
A woman from the finance department was speaking. "If the numbers continue like this, we might risk exposure. The board is growing nervous."
Callum's tone turned sharp. "The company is stable. What we need is silence, not panic."
The woman frowned. "Silence won't protect us from what's coming."
Jasmine's heart skipped. She wanted to ask what was coming—but she stayed silent.
After the meeting, she cornered Max near the elevator.
"What was that about? A takeover?"
He hesitated. "It's confidential."
"So is my job, but I still do it."
Max sighed. "Let's just say… Phoenix isn't as unshakable as it looks. And not everyone on the board is loyal."
Her thoughts immediately jumped to the text she'd received.
He's not who you think he is.
Was this connected to the company? Or to her?
She turned to leave, but Max stopped her.
"Jasmine. Be careful who you trust in this place."
---
That night, she found herself pacing her apartment, the message still burned into her brain.
She had to know who sent it. Why.
So she replied:
Who are you?
The response came within seconds.
Someone who's trying to help you. He hurt you before. He'll do it again.
Her hands trembled.
How do you know him? she typed.
Silence.
Then—
Check his past. Start with the night he disappeared.
She stared at the screen, her mind racing. That night. The night he vanished from her life five years ago with no explanation.
She'd cried. Waited. Suffered.
But she never asked questions.
And now, someone was daring her to.
---
The next morning, Jasmine logged into her old email—the one she hadn't used in years. She scrolled, fingers stiff, until she reached the folder labeled "Callum."
There, buried deep, was a message she'd forgotten.
Sent: 5 years ago.
Subject: I'm sorry.
From: Callum Reed
She opened it. The message was brief.
> I'm sorry I left. There are things I can't explain, not yet. But please know it wasn't your fault. You deserve better than this. Better than me.
I'll find you again someday. When it's safe.
—C
When it's safe.
Jasmine's hands fell to her lap.
What had he meant? Safe from what?
And why had she never received a follow-up?
She stared at the screen, suddenly unsure if the man she was working for now… was the same one who had sent that message.
Just then, her phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number:
You've started digging. Good. But be careful, Jasmine. Not all truths will set you free.