The CEO and the Country Wildflower chapter 51

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The CEO and the Country Wildflower
Chapter 51: The Clock is Ticking


The moment Lucas and Emelly burst through the doors of York Group’s headquarters, chaos greeted them. Employees scrambled between desks, voices rising in panic as monitors flickered with error messages.


The air was thick with tension, the hum of frantic keystrokes and hushed curses filling the space. Lucas’s jaw tightened as he took in the scene. His migraine, which had been kept at bay by Emelly’s presence during their escape, now threatened to return with a vengeance. But there was no time for weakness. “Status report,” he barked, striding toward the IT department with Emelly close behind. A harried technician looked up, sweat beading on his forehead. “The entire system is compromised, sir.


Firewalls are down, and someone’s siphoning data in real time. If we don’t stop it in the next two hours, we’ll lose everything—client contracts, financial records, proprietary tech.” Emelly’s fingers curled into fists. “Leo.” Lucas didn’t need confirmation. He turned to David, who had just arrived, breathless. “Find Tony. Now.” David nodded and disappeared into the fray. Emelly’s mind raced. She had memorized every line of code in York Group’s security protocols—Leo’s men might have infiltrated the system, but she knew its weaknesses better than anyone. “I can counter the hack,” she said, already moving toward a terminal. Lucas caught her wrist. “You’re not trained for this.” She yanked her arm free, eyes blazing. “And your IT team is clearly doing such a great job.”


A muscle in Lucas’s jaw twitched, but he didn’t argue further. He knew better than to doubt her when she had that look in her eyes. As Emelly dove into the system, fingers flying across the keyboard, Lucas turned his attention to the bigger threat—Leo’s endgame. If Tony had been forced to betray them, there was no telling what else Leo had planned. His phone buzzed. A message from Bruno: Leo has Serritary’s family documents. He’s using them as leverage. Be careful—he’s not just after York Group. Lucas’s grip on the phone tightened. This was no longer just corporate warfare. Leo was playing with lives. Across the room, Emelly let out a frustrated growl. “They’ve planted a worm. It’s replicating faster than I can isolate it.” Lucas was at her side in an instant. “What do you need?” She didn’t look up. “More time. And Tony. He knows the backdoors better than I do.” As if summoned, David returned, his expression grim. “Tony’s gone. His apartment was ransacked. Leo’s men took him.” Emelly’s blood ran cold. Lucas’s voice was steel. “Then we find him.”


Meanwhile, in a dimly lit warehouse on the outskirts of Lasmington, Tony groaned as cold water splashed over his face. He blinked up at the shadowy figure standing over him. Leo Brown smirked. “Did you really think you could double-cross me and walk away?” Tony spat blood. “I didn’t have a choice.” Leo crouched, gripping Tony’s chin. “Oh, you’ll have a choice now. You’re going to help me finish what you started—or your little girlfriend Jane pays the price.” Tony’s stomach twisted. Jane. Leo knew about her.


Back at York Group, Emelly’s screen suddenly lit up with an incoming message—an encrypted file. She decrypted it quickly, and her breath caught. “Lucas.” He was beside her in an instant. The file contained coordinates—and a live feed of Tony, bruised and bound. Leo’s voice crackled through the speakers. “Tick-tock, York. You have one hour to surrender your company’s core algorithms. Or your loyal employee dies.” The screen went black. Silence. Then— Emelly slammed her fist on the desk. “We’re not giving him anything.” Lucas’s gaze was unreadable. “We don’t have a choice.” She whirled on him. “There’s always a choice! You don’t honestly think he’ll let Tony go even if we comply?” Lucas’s voice dropped, dangerous. “Then what do you suggest?” A slow, determined smile curved Emelly’s lips. “We give him exactly what he wants—and then we burn him with it.”