Avery

The days that follow are a whirlwind of activity. Each day, we dive deeper into Emily Harper's background, tracing her movements and uncovering her connections to Zephyr Kane's inner circle. The more we learn, the more convinced we become that she is a key player in the unfolding scandal. She could be the missing piece of this puzzle.

While Maverick learns more about Emily's professional life, I manage to track down Emily's last known address: 237 Willow Lane. I look it up. It's a small, rented house in a quiet neighborhood, on the edge of the city. With a mixture of anticipation and fear, we decide to pay her a visit.

Emily's house is a few blocks away from a beautiful park, a stark contrast to the bustling downtown where Kane's empire is headquartered. As we approach the house, I just can't shake the feeling that we are about to step into the next part of this dangerous game.

When we knock on the door, Emily Harper answers, her eyes immediately widening in surprise. She's a petite woman with short, fiery red hair and a no-nonsense demeanor. Her expression softens when she recognizes us.

"I wasn't expecting visitors," she says, stepping aside to let us in.

We explain our mission, she is surprisingly receptive. After talking for a while, I make the conclusion that she has been waiting for someone to reach out to her, specifically about Zephyr Kane.

Over the next few hours, Emily fills us in on her side of the story. She'd been working for Kane for several years when she started noticing irregularities in the company's financial records. Her suspicions deepened when she discovered the shell company transactions and the offshore accounts.

"I tried to bring her concerns to the attention of my superiors, but they dismissed me as a troublemaker. I was scared I was going to lose my job, so I kept everything to myself. I was afraid of what Kane might do to me," she tells us, fidgeting with her fingers.

Her words echo the fear we've both been feeling, and the idea that we're playing a dangerous game really sinks in. As we leave Emily's apartment, Maverick and I exchange a knowing glance. We have a lead.

"Emily Harper might be the key to bringing down Zephyr Kane and exposing his criminal empire," I eagerly tell him.

"But now, the risks are higher than ever. Kane's a dangerous man, and he would not hesitate to protect his interests. We're playing a dangerous game," Maverick points out.

A rare smile spreads across my face.

"Well, I'm planning to win."

Maverick

I return the smile.

"Never would I have thought I would see you smile," I confess, smirking.

The smile disappears in a flash.

"You always ruin everything," she grumbles under her breath.

"Geez, Ice Queen, I didn't mean to," I start, raising my hands in surrender, "I was just being honest."

"Ice Queen?"

My face flushes with heat as I mumble, "Just a nickname."

"Well, in that case..." she trails off.

"What?"

"In that case, I get to call you Fox."

"Fox?" I ask, bemused.

"It's because of your clever and resourceful nature," I explain, barely containing a smile. "You always find a way to get things done, no matter how tricky the situation."

"Back on topic please," I command almost desperate to stop thinking about Avery calling me Fox.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Avery asks.

A clear plan forms in my head, ideas floating out of the mess of stuff I have stored there.

"First, we need to gather more evidence against Kane," I say, my voice firm. "Then, we need to find out who else is involved in his operation. Finally, we need to find a way to expose him without putting ourselves in danger."

"And how do we do that?" Avery asks, her tone skeptical.

"One step at a time," I reply with an eye roll. "First, we need to dig deeper into Emily Harper's past. She might know something that could be useful to us."

"I'll take care of that," Avery replies. "I'll try to find out more about her connections to Kane and his organization."

"Good. In the meantime, I'll focus on gathering more information about Kane's financial dealings. I'll try to find evidence of his money laundering and other illegal activities."

We agree to meet up again the following day to discuss our findings. As we walk away from Emily's house, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement and determination. We're getting closer to bringing down Zephyr Kane and exposing his criminal empire.