The Corporate Courts

Elena had been running from her past for three years, and the padel court at the Omni-Pharm retreat was the last place she expected it to catch up.

She adjusted her visor, watching Julian serve. His orange shirt blazed against the blue court—her signal. Three months undercover as a senior analyst, and today was extraction day.

"You're distracted," Julian called, smashing the ball toward the glass wall.

Elena lunged, returning with a backhand that sent it skimming past his outstretched arm. "Just conserving energy."

"Thirty-love," he smirked, wiping sweat from his brow. "Still on for drinks later?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

She'd been feeding his competitor—Vitalis Corp—everything from Omni-Pharm's upcoming synthetic vitamin line to their secret merger negotiations. Julian, head of R&D, had become her unwitting source. Dinner conversations, padel matches, those late nights "analyzing data" together. She'd played the role of the slightly overwhelmed, brilliant colleague perfectly. Maybe too perfectly.

The money didn't matter anymore. Not after she'd started seeing Julian as more than a mark.

He retrieved the ball, tossing it up with practiced ease. "My mother's visiting next week. She keeps asking about you."

Elena's heart stuttered. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Thinks we'd make a cute couple."

The ball hung in the air. This was her chance—return it, finish the game, collect the final payment, disappear. But Julian's expression was soft, unguarded. He wasn't playing corporate politics anymore.

She let the ball drop.

"Julian," she said, stepping toward the net. "There's something I need to tell you."

His orange shirt seemed brighter suddenly, or maybe it was the way the light hit the court. Three years of running, and for the first time, Elena considered standing still.

"What is it?"

"I'm not who you think I am."

The silence stretched between them, heavier than any serve.

"I know," Julian said quietly. "I ran your background check last month. I was hoping you'd trust me enough to tell me yourself."

Elena froze. "You knew?"

"I also know Omni-Pharm's vitamin trials are falsified. That's why I haven't stopped you from gathering evidence." He smiled without humor. "I've been running from this place for five years, Elena. I was waiting for someone worth running with."

The ball lay forgotten between them.

"Drinks later?" she asked.

"Drinks," he agreed. "And then we burn this place down together."