Chapter 227: The Setup

Meanwhile, in New York, Elena Skies was in her office, oblivious to the trap that had been set for her. She believed that her plan was proceeding smoothly and that it was only a matter of time before she had the Medipod schematics in her possession.

Her confidence would soon be shattered.

"Mrs. Skies, you have to look at the news," her assistant was saying urgently as he entered her office, holding a tablet. "It's about Aegis Pharmaceuticals."

Elena frowned, taking the tablet from her assistant. "What is it now?"

There, Elena watched as the news anchor read out the news.

"Industrial espionage seems to be unfolding at Aegis Pharmaceuticals. Sources indicate a major security breach, with sensitive information about the company's strategic plans leaked. Speculations are rife about internal sabotage, raising questions about the company's operational integrity."

Elena's heart sank as she read further. The article detailed how plans to acquire proprietary technology from Reyes Corporation had been exposed. The media was already speculating about internal sabotage and the potential fallout for Aegis Pharmaceuticals.

"This can't be happening," Elena muttered, her confidence wavering for the first time. "How did this get out?"

Her assistant shifted nervously. "It seems like someone within the company leaked the information. We're still trying to identify the source."

Elena's mind raced. She had been so careful, to the point that only the board of directors and others knew about the plan. Could one of them have betrayed her? Or was there a mole she hadn't anticipated?

"Get me the IT department," she ordered. "I want a full investigation into this leak. Find out who's responsible and how this happened."

"Yes, Mrs. Skies," the assistant replied, hurrying out of the office to carry out her orders.

Elena paced the room, trying to calm her racing thoughts. This was a disaster. If the board found out about this, her position as CEO could be in jeopardy. She needed to act fast to contain the damage.

Minutes later, the head of IT, a wiry man named Thomas, entered her office. He looked concerned but composed.

"Mrs. Skies, we're already looking into the breach. Nothing conclusive has come up yet, but we have identified several possible sources. It's going to take some time to narrow it down," Thomas reported.

Elena nodded, her expression tense. "I understand, but time is something we don't have. The stock is plummeting, and the board is breathing down my neck. We need results, Thomas, and we need them fast."

"We're facing a serious breach," Elena began. "Our primary goal right now is damage control. We need to identify the source of the leak, reassure our investors, and stabilize our stock. I want everyone working around the clock until we get this under control."

The executives nodded and immediately started discussing strategies and delegating tasks.

As the meeting continued, her assistant entered the room, looking more anxious than before.

"Mrs. Skies, there's something else."

"Is it urgent?"

"Yes."

"Everyone, I'll excuse myself," Elena said, standing up and motioning for her assistant to lead the way.

They stepped out into the corridor, and her assistant handed her a different tablet, a look of concern on his face.

"Mrs. Skies, there is something wrong with this issue. It all doesn't add up."

"How can you tell?"

"Well...Mrs. Skies, you are a meticulous person so whenever you do underhanded tactics to gain an advantage over your competitor, you keep it a secret from others well except from the rest. But the documents that have been released, I don't think match one of our classified documents."

"So you are saying?"

"The documents are falsified. We went into a panic without verifying the documents. However, as I was reading through all the documents, one of them stood out."

"What does it say?"

"It's one sentence. "We got you, Aegis Pharmaceutical. It's like a puzzle because of the redacted names and other details, but it's clear someone wanted us to see this."

Elena's eyes narrowed as she processed the information. "So, this isn't just a leak. It's a setup."

Her assistant nodded. "It appears that way. And I think the Reyes Corporation knew about everything."