A Billionaire's Mistake

50|The Footage

Lincoln

When Archer shows up at my office with his laptop in hand, not even bothering to call, I knew it was important. Through the glass windows of my office, I watch his fingers repeatedly drum on top of Margo's desk, but then he glances my way and sees me wave him in. He stalks quickly toward the door, and when he enters, he's breathing heavily.

"You got the footage?" I ask, taking a wild guess.

He nods and brings the empty chair opposite my desk to sit next to me, placing the laptop in front of us. "It wasn't clear, but whoever broke into Sienna's apartment wasn't her ex. It was someone else."

I furrow my eyebrows together. "How do you know that if the footage isn't clear?"

With a click of a few buttons, he pulls up the video for me to watch, and I quickly understand what he's insinuating. The figure breaking into her home isn't male. The tunic hugs a pair of breasts snugly, making it obvious that the person working for Travis is a woman. But since she's wearing a ski mask and her hair is tucked inside, it doesn't give us much more. The footage is blurry enough that we can't make out the color of her eyes.

But the most shocking part of the video is when the woman enters the code to her townhouse like it's second nature to her. Whoever this is, whoever is working with Travis... She knows Sienna, too.

"I know it's not helpful enough, but it's something," he says. "I came over as soon as I realized."

I nod. "It is helpful, Arch. Thank you." I don't know who Travis hired to help him with his little task or who is lying to Sienna's face, but I promise on everything I've ever loved that I'll find who's terrorizing Sienna and torture them until they're begging for mercy.

A mercy they won't receive.

Archer sighs and shakes his head, a red strand of hair falling into his eyes. "For now, I'm checking over every security camera at the nearby airports, bus, and train stations. I'll catch these fuckers for you, Linc. Any man that harms a woman like that is..." He shakes his head again. "I just couldn't imagine if it was Carmen—"

"I know," I finish for him. "We'll have to keep an eye out and up our security even further at my apartment." But if it's someone she knows... Even worse... If it's someone we both know? How are we supposed to figure this out? Who's the traitor? "I had Cal phone tap all of Travis' known friends and relatives."

Archer's eyes widen. "You what?"

"Look, if the footage can't get us answers quickly, this will. I have the money to do it, so I'm doing it. You can't tell me you wouldn't do the same if Carmen were in danger."

His shoulders slump slightly, dipping his chin in agreement, but something is off. I know my best friend like the back of my hand. "What is it?" I ask.

The laptop closes in front of us before he rises from the chair, giving me another shrug. "I don't know," he replies. "I wish I could tell you. Carmen is just acting off lately. Since we've started dating, she's been weird about hanging out. She claims it's because of her busy schedule with the shop and all, but... These past few weeks, she's been different."

Both of our eyes drift to the laptop, and I gulp.

"I don't think she's the one betraying Sienna," he says tightly, reading my thoughts. "But things between us have changed, and not for the better. She won't spend the night with me, she never responds to my messages past ten, and when I try to bring it up, she shuts down. I'm not getting anywhere."

"You are a cop, you know," I tell him.

He forms his lips together in a thin line. "Carmen is a strong, independent woman, Linc. If I track her... If I follow her... You know as well as I do that I'll lose her trust and her for good."