CHAPTER 233: CHAPTER 233 CAUGHT THE CUNNING RAT

Caroline’s POV

After greeting the receptionist, I hurried into Draven’s office where Ryan, Kyle, Arthur, and Clara were already waiting. Draven explained what had happened with Marcus and everything he had confessed.

"Capiberibe?" Arthur frowned. "That’s not a common surname. And it sounds familiar for some reason."

"Familiar how?" Clara questioned.

"I’ve seen it somewhere recently, but I can’t place where," Arthur replied, looking troubled.

"Caroline, you look distracted. What’s wrong?" Ryan asked, noticing my unease.

"I think I know who the informant hiding in our pack and company is," I admitted.

"What?" Everyone remained surprisingly stunned.

I spoke slowly, "I just had a strange encounter in the elevator."

"What kind of encounter?" Draven asked sharply.

"It was Leo from IT, the one who gave me my phone and tablet on my first day. He hit on me back then, and today his behavior was off." I hesitated. "And he knew about the quadruplets, which we haven’t announced yet."

Ryan continued, "And then?"

"I found him suspicious because this should be a secret. Then he kept bringing up how I rejected his date invitation, and he kept subtly implying that I only went for Draven because of his power and status, looking down on him. Of course, that’s not the main point. Later, I asked for his full name."

Before I could reveal it, Arthur exclaimed suddenly.

"That’s it!"

"Leo Capiberibe! I reviewed his file last week. I noticed his father was from Maplewood, but didn’t think much of it since Leo’s always lived here. And he played such a reliable role during our internal audits and Caroline’s kidnapping case that I never suspected him."

Kyle exclaimed, "We’ve always suspected the informant was from IT, but Leo always seemed so trustworthy and was closely involved in so many of our operations. How could it be him?!"

Clara said, "Exactly, but think about it again. It’s precisely because he was responsible for installing our phones and computers, handling the company’s network security, and being so highly involved in our operations that he knew our secrets and could escape our suspicion. Child, the most dangerous place is often the safest place."

Arthur said angrily, "I never noticed him at all! I even trusted him with most of our information security. God, I was fooled by his honest and hardworking appearance."

I spoke up to comfort him. "Arthur, it’s not your fault. After all, he was really well hidden. The important thing is that we’ve finally caught his tail."

"Finally!" Ryan sighed. "So what do we do now?"

"We corner him," Draven decided, eyes flashing dangerously. "I’m calling Investigator Magnus. Ryan, find a way to bring Leo here. We’ll keep him until Magnus arrives."

"On it." Ryan immediately called the IT department and asked Leo to check his computer, then notified the receptionist to let them know when he arrived.

Soon after, Leo was seated across from Draven, looking increasingly uncomfortable.

"So you hit on my mate, Leo?" Draven’s voice was deceptively calm.

"No way, Alpha Draven, absolutely not. Luna Caroline misunderstood me," Leo stammered.

"Let me make something clear." Draven leaned forward. "My mate is a stunning woman, BUT SHE’S MINE." His voice rose sharply. "You had the nerve to look at her like that?"

"Alpha, I swear—" Leo began, but Draven cut him off.

"Don’t swear, you treacherous little shit. We’ve been looking for Howard’s informant for quite a while, but you’ve been flying under our radar. Then you made the mistake of approaching my mate." Draven’s eyes flashed violet with fury. "When she told me about your strange behavior and mentioned your last name, everything fell into place."

"What are you talking about?" Leo’s nervousness was obvious now.

The phone on Draven’s desk rang, and he answered briefly before hanging up. Moments later, Investigator Magnus entered with Jace and two Council officers.

"Another rat in the trap, Alpha Draven." Magnus smiled grimly.

"He’s all yours, Magnus." Draven moved to sit beside me, gesturing for Magnus to take his chair.

"What’s going on?" Leo asked, panicked.

"Mr. Leo Capiberibe," Magnus said formally. "I arrested your cousin Kai twenty minutes ago. He’s been very cooperative."

"Shit," Leo slumped in his chair.

"Start talking," Magnus said calmly. "I’m patient, but my colleague Jace isn’t."

Jace stepped forward with a menacing expression that made Leo shrink visibly.

Over the next two hours, Leo confessed everything. Howard had approached him shortly after he joined Thorne Enterprises six years ago. What started as innocent conversations when Leo fixed Howard’s computer eventually led to Howard offering him money for information. From there, it escalated to helping Howard hide, installing spyware on company electronics, and passing along confidential information.

Finally, Leo gave us what we needed most—Howard’s hideout location.

As the Council officers led Leo away in handcuffs, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. We were getting closer to ending this nightmare once and for all.

Draven pulled me into his arms, his body finally relaxing after hours of tension. "It’s almost over, Carrie. We’re going to get him."

I nodded against Draven’s chest, allowing myself to believe, for the first time, that we might actually win this battle.