Fingers trembled, hovering over the laptop screen. Amelia's eyes scanned the cryptic email, every word a coiled spring of tension. The successful thwarting of Croft’s timberland acquisition now felt like a distant, almost naive victory. Her gaze darted to Elias, who stood beside her, his silhouette framed by the city lights outside the penthouse window. He hadn't moved since the email arrived, his posture rigid, shoulders squared. Elias leaned closer, his brow furrowed. The glow from the screen painted his face in stark relief, highlighting the grim set of his jaw. He reread the short message, a low hum of skepticism rumbling in his chest. "Anonymous," he murmured, the word laced with suspicion. "'Game-changing evidence against Croft.' That's a bold claim." A cold dread settled in Amelia's stomach. Croft didn't leave loose ends. Anyone with genuine dirt on him would be too terrified to speak, or already silenced. Minutes stretched, filled with the hum of the laptop and the frantic beating of Amelia's heart. Was this another one of Croft's ploys? A distraction? A way to lure them into a false sense of security? Another notification pinged, startling them both. Amelia flinched, her hand flying to her chest. It was a reply, almost instantaneous, as if the sender had been waiting for their reaction. This time, the sender’s identity was revealed. Not a random ghost, but a name that made Amelia’s blood run cold. A name Elias recognized immediately, a ghost from Croft's corporate past. Amelia's breath hitched. "Mark Rourke?" she whispered, the name a fragile thread connecting them to a dangerous history. Rourke had been Liam Croft's Chief Strategist years ago, before vanishing without a trace, rumored to have either retired wealthy or been disappeared. "Liam Croft's former Chief Strategist," Elias stated, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the screen as if trying to decipher the true meaning behind the pixels. "Rourke was Croft's right hand for a decade. He knew everything." Rourke had disappeared from public view almost five years ago, leaving behind a perfectly clean slate and no forwarding address. Everyone assumed he’d simply taken his ill-gotten gains and vanished. But now, he was back. Now, he wanted to talk. Not just talk, but exchange. His email detailed a trove of information,

Chapter 31: A Risky Gambit