Corporate Espionage

The hotel pool glowed turquoise beneath the moonlight, but Maya couldn't appreciate the ambiance. She was here to work.

Three weeks ago, the FBI had approached her with a proposition: become a corporate spy, infiltrate her ex-husband's startup, and expose his Chinese investors. In exchange, they'd expunge her brother's gambling debts. She'd agreed, hating herself and the man she'd loved for seven years.

Now she waited in the shadows, watching Daniel step onto the pool deck. His hair was longer than she remembered, curling at the collar — just like the day they'd met at that dive bar in Austin.

"Maya?" He stopped, his expression unreadable. "I thought you'd never speak to me again."

"Business," she lied, her heart hammering. "Your investors want to discuss the acquisition."

He sat beside her, close enough that she could smell his cedar shampoo. "There's no acquisition. There's no Chinese investors either."

Maya froze.

"I know about the FBI, Maya. I know why you're really here." His voice cracked. "They approached me first. Wanted me to flip on my brother's smuggling operation."

The pieces tumbled into place. Daniel's startup had always been a front — for family, for loyalty, for the brother who'd raised him after their parents died.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered.

"I couldn't put you in danger. You have no idea what they're capable of." He took her hand. "But I'd rather destroy everything than lose you again."

A splash interrupted them. His goldfish — the one from his office, the stupid creature he'd rescued from a corporate prankster — leaped from its bowl, swimming furiously in the chlorinated water.

Daniel laughed, the sound desperate and broken. "Even the fish has better survival instincts than we do."

Maya's phone buzzed. Her brother: "They know. Run."

She looked at Daniel, really looked at him, and saw the exhaustion beneath his careful smile. This wasn't about corporate espionage or brothers or debts. It was about choosing your drowning carefully.

"My dog," she said suddenly. "I left him at home."

"We'll get him," Daniel promised, pulling her toward the exit. "Whatever happens, we'll get the dog."

Behind them, the goldfish continued its impossible swim, breathing water they couldn't offer each other.