No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 147

Alright, so Ethan, Sophia, and I had already discussed everything I needed to do, and right now, I was sticking to the minor tasks. The big ones could wait until I found the perfect opening. Timing was everything in this game, one wrong move and I could lose everything I am currently working for.

I had to play this right. If anyone even suspected that I was secretly feeding Black Corporation information from Hale Industries, I’d be finished. Not just fired, finished. People like Mr. Hale didn’t take betrayal lightly. I could practically already imagine the consequences: security escorting me out, my name smeared across every corporate blacklist, and worse… Ethan’s entire plan falling apart because of my mistake.

No. I couldn’t afford that.

Right now, I was walking a thin line between two worlds. Two paychecks, two identities, two loyalties, or at least, that’s what everyone believed. The bigger share came from Black Corporation, courtesy of Ethan, while the smaller but more “respectable” one came from my position here at Hale Industries. They weren’t exactly the empire I had once dreamed of, but it was still better than having to beg one side for scraps.

And honestly, there was something thrilling about it, the rush of doing something forbidden right under everyone’s nose. The danger made it exciting. Every risk was like a pulse of adrenaline in my veins.

I drew in a slow breath, steadying my nerves as I glanced around, I could already feel the weight of the room pressing on me.

I had known there would be cameras in here. There were cameras everywhere in this building, hallways, elevators, and even the damn break room. The only surprise was that there were just two cameras in this office. Lucky me. Two were manageable. Two made my job easier.

Now, I just had to find what I came for, Lauren Darrow’s file, along with a few other confidential documents.

I had already checked the manager’s office earlier today. Nothing. So naturally, the next best place would be here, in the heart of Hale’s private workspace, where he kept his most important papers.

As I continued playing it cool and naturally arranging the files into the drawers, it was time for me to take care of those cameras that were restricting me from getting what I wanted.

I paused.

Reaching into my purse, I pulled out a small, round, silver, and inconspicuous mirror and a tube of lipstick. Time to get creative.

To temporarily blind the first camera, I needed to use the reflection trick Ethan had told me about. It sounded simple enough: use the morning sunlight, angle the mirror just right, and bounce the light directly into the lens. If I did it perfectly, the footage would look like a random glare nothing suspicious. But I couldn’t afford to fumble. If I adjusted the mirror too many times, it would look deliberate.

I positioned myself near the window, pretending to check my reflection as I applied the lipstick. “Focus,” I muttered under my breath, tilting the mirror slightly. The sunlight hit the glass, bounced sharply, and… there. A perfect beam flashed straight into the camera’s line of sight.

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CHAPTER 0147

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I froze, watching the small red light of the camera blink once, twice, then dim slightly. Perfect.

Anyone reviewing the footage later would probably think it was just sunlight interference. I smiled faintly. One

down.

Now for the second one.

This one was trickier. The camera by the door didn’t get as much light, no direct reflections to work with. I’d have to rely on something else.

I reached back into my purse and pulled out what looked like an ordinary pen. It wasn’t. It was a compact red laser pointer I had picked up just for this purpose. I’d disguised it among my regular pens so that if anyone saw it, it wouldn’t raise suspicion.

The plan was simple: shine the laser directly at the camera lens. The sensor would react to the concentrated light, effectively “blinding” it for a few minutes long enough for me to get what I needed.

I carefully positioned the pen on the desk, aligning it toward the lens of the camera. A tiny red dot appeared, hitting the glass dead center. Good.

I could almost feel my pulse in my ears. Every second counted. Security rotated shifts around this time; if someone happened to glance at the monitors, they might notice both cameras glitching. I needed to move fast.

I began flipping through every file on Hale’s desk, scanning the tabs, the handwriting, the details. I wasn’t just looking, I was memorizing. Patterns, signatures, even color codes. All of it mattered.

And then, there it was Lauren Darrow’s file.

I opened it carefully, scanning the pages. Employee background forms, her address, contact information, performance reviews everything was here. I didn’t know why Ethan specifically needed her address, but that wasn’t my concern. My job was to collect, not to question.

Pulling out my phone, I started recording. I made sure to capture every page clearly, keeping my movements natural, as if I were simply organizing the documents. My fingers trembled slightly not from fear, but from focus.

Once I had all the footage, I returned the papers exactly the way I’d found them. Everything needed to look untouched.

But before I could pack up, another folder caught my attention, one with a dark blue cover, neatly labeled with a small sticker that read: Confidential: Upcoming Auction.

Curiosity prickled through me.

I flipped it open.

My eyes widened. It was a detailed list, a full inventory of the items Hale planned to acquire at an upcoming auction scheduled for next week. Artwork, rare tech prototypes, and some confidential patents that could easily

be worth millions.

So that’s where his attention was focused.

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CHAPTER 0147

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“This could be useful,” I murmured under my breath.

I quickly filmed every page of that list, making sure to include his handwritten notes and the auction details. Then, without wasting another second, I selected all the clips and sent them straight to Ethan’s encrypted line.

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