Chapter 257 - 257: Two Can Play The Game

<🎧 Song Recommendation: Party Girl by StaySolidRocky>

...

The silence in the kitchen stretched for a couple of seconds.

Von stood by the island, watching Emily closely and waiting to see how she would react.

But she simply replied:

"Los Angeles."

Von blinked.

Whatever answer he had braced himself for, a direct and immediate admission wasn't it. His mind stumbled for a second, caught off guard by how easily she confirmed traveling.

"Los Angeles?" Von repeated, keeping his tone calm. "Why were you in LA, Emily? We have night two in Miami today, and you flew across the country without telling anyone."

Emily unbuttoned her dark trench coat, slipping it off her shoulders and hanging it over the back of a barstool, while saying:

"Because if I told anyone, the entire reason for going would have been ruined."

She reached into her small duffle bag on the floor, unzipped the side pocket, and pulled out a slim manila folder. She slid it across the marble counter toward him.

"It was about the leak."

Von went completely still. "The leak?"

"Do you think I was just going to sit back and wait while whoever stole your music walked away clean?" Emily asked. "David is great at running arena logistics, but his answer to the leak was to let the lawyers handle it eventually. Zack has taken down most stuff, but takedowns don't tell us who took the files."

She tapped the folder on the counter.

"Zack put me in touch with Nathan Hayes yesterday morning. Hayes runs a private digital forensics firm in downtown LA. He specializes in corporate IP theft and high-profile leaks. If you want to check, call Zack right now. He set up the consultation himself."

Von didn't reach for his phone. He opened the folder.

Inside were several printed pages containing server access logs, timestamped file extractions, and network routing paths from the Pinecrest estate and Katseye Arena during rehearsal week.

"Hayes traced the upload," Emily continued, leaning forward. "The file was routed through a proxy to hide the origin, but the master audio had a digital fingerprint from our local export session. That means it came directly from inside the house. Hayes needed me to sign a physical retainer and non-disclosure agreement in his office before handing over the preliminary drive analysis. He refused to create a digital trail over email."

Von stared at the technical sheets, then back at Emily.

Every trace of the dark scenario that had started forming in his head began to dissolve.

She hadn't gone behind his back or snuck off for some personal secret. She had flown across the country, taking on the stress of hunting down a mole so he wouldn't have to worry while prepping his tour.

A wave of guilt pressed down on Von's chest.

He slowly closed the folder and set it back on the island.

Emily noticed the shift in his expression, her eyes softening with curiosity.

"Why were you waiting in the kitchen, Von?" she asked gently. "What did you think happened?"

Von ran a hand over the back of his neck, letting out a faint, self-deprecating laugh.

"Max," Von muttered.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "What did Max do?"

"When I got back from Toronto, I ran into him in the hall," Von admitted, looking at her with genuine remorse. "He had this whole theory in his head that you and I sneaked off on a secret vacation together. He said he called you while you were out, heard an airport intercom go off in the background, and caught you lying about being in a meeting. And then he told me you took a flight to LA."

He shook his head, looking down for a second.

"I knew you weren't in Toronto. And because you hadn't mentioned flying anywhere, my head started spinning. With the leak happening just a few days ago, and David saying it was an inside job... I let myself wonder."

Emily stared at him for a moment before pressing her palms against her face, letting out a groan.

"I swear, that boy's head is full of dramas."

She lowered her hands, looking up at Von with an understanding look.

"Well, I did lie to him," Emily admitted. "Every single device connected to the local network during rehearsals is technically on Hayes's preliminary list. That means the sound crew, the technicians, the stage managers... and yes, even Max."

Von looked at her. "Max?"

"Max is our good friend, and neither of us believes for a second that he'd ever do something like that," Emily said firmly. "I don't think he's guilty at all. But from an investigative standpoint, everyone on that network is a suspect until proven innocent and Hayes finishes clearing the drive logs."

She let out a dry breath and leaned back.

"When Max called me with those ridiculous riddles, the boarding call went off right behind me. So I had to make up an excuse on the spot."

"Oh," Von breathed, running a hand over his face. "That... actually makes a lot of sense now."

He looked up at her, the defensive edge in his posture completely giving way to remorse.

"I'm sorry, Em. I shouldn't have doubted you. After everything you've done for me, letting Max get in my head and assuming the worst was unfair to you."

"You're carrying all the pressure on your own shoulders," Emily said softly, stepping closer. "Anyone in your position would be on edge. You don't have to apologize for being cautious."

She smiled faintly, her thumb lightly rubbing the back of his hand.

"I'm the one who should apologize. I should have found a way to let you know without risking the investigation. But I didn't want you stressing over this combined with what you're going through. I wanted to handle it myself."

Von let out a quiet breath. "You take on too much by yourself, you know that?"

"That's literally what you pay me for," she replied with a small chuckle.

Then she glanced past him toward the microwave, noticing the plate of chicken and pasta sitting under the dim light.

"Now, are you going to finish eating your food, or are you going to keep standing here?" she asked gently. "It's past two in the morning, and you've still not gotten any sleep."

"I'll eat," Von smiled, leaning down and planting a soft kiss on top of her head. "Go upstairs and get some sleep too, Em. You look like you're about to pass out."

"I'm going," she murmured, picking up her duffle bag and holding the folder against her chest. "Thanks, and don't stay up late."

"I won't."

Von watched her head toward the stairs, waiting in the quiet hallway until her bedroom door clicked shut.

He walked back over to the counter, pulled his plate out of the microwave, and took a forkful of food.

Yet as he chewed slowly in the silent, dimly lit kitchen, his gaze lingered on the empty spot where the manila folder had rested.

'Well, it isn't really over yet.'

The story held together, Hayes was real, and the logs made sense, but Von still had a lot of doubts. He was an actor himself after all. .

'She's definitely hiding something from me... but I'll play along for now.'