A chill snaked up Eliza’s spine. Her gaze darted to the antique drawing spread across her desk, then to the partial decryption on her laptop screen. Vesta Corp. The name echoed, a ghostly whisper from a forgotten past. Dominic Thorne. The connection felt like a punch to the gut. Her career-ending mistake, a deliberate setup. A low rumble vibrated through the floor, a deep thrumming that felt more like a vibration in her bones than a sound. Initially, she dismissed it as a passing heavy vehicle, a common occurrence in the city's heart. Then, a sharp crack echoed, distinct and alarming, seemingly originating from above her. Dust began to sift down, fine particles swirling in the light from her window, landing on her dark hair and the open files. Shouts erupted from outside her office, muffled at first, then growing in urgency. A woman’s panicked scream cut through the building's low hum. Peering through the glass wall separating her space from the main corridor, Eliza saw a chaotic scene. People were moving, not walking, but scrambling, their faces etched with a fear that tightened her stomach. Panic flared, cold and sharp. This wasn’t a drill. This was real. Grabbing her laptop, the one containing the precious decryption, she shoved it into her messenger bag. Every instinct screamed to run. Another violent tremor rocked the tower. The entire structure groaned, a sound of immense stress, like a giant beast in its death throes. Alarms shrieked, piercing and relentless, adding to the cacophony of shouts and crumbling sounds. Running into the corridor, Eliza found a scene of utter pandemonium. Employees stumbled over each other, a desperate surge towards the emergency exits. Debris rained from above, small chunks of plaster and ceiling tiles clattering to the polished floor. A sudden lurch threw her off balance, sending her crashing against a structural pillar. A sharp pain shot through her shoulder. Scrambling to her feet, she pushed through the thinning crowd, her heart hammering against her ribs. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ceiling directly above her, expanding with horrifying speed, like black lightning striking plaster. A sickening groan tore through the concrete, louder than anything before. The building felt like it was tearing itself apart. Footsteps pounded down the hall, coming from the direction of Elias’s penthouse office. Strong, decisive steps, cutting through the general panic.

Chapter 21: Fatal Flaw