𝐍𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐞

𝟎𝟕

["Late night devil, put your hands on me."]

❦

The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air as I stood there, staring at the lifeless body of a man. The silence was too loud at that moment, even his crash echoed in my ears.

As the door swung open, I got up from my knees and referred to the person who just entered. "I want an honorable burial for this man. Don't let your planning take more than two days."

"That will be the least of our problems." The man said and only then did I recognize who was standing in front of me. Luca swayed back and forth, his eyes were wide with urgency and I knew instinctively that something was wrong. "Aaron, we've got a major problem," he said, his voice laced with concern.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice calm despite the storm brewing inside me.

Luca hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "I received an alert from the bank. One of our team members flagged a potential security breach-someone is infiltrating our systems, proficiently siphoning funds. And they are good. Really good."

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure. "Shit." I cursed under my breath. "I'll meet you in the conference room."

With a determined nod, Luca rushed out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

It all happened too fast.

Everything becomes so real.

And I see how history repeats itself.

From Vladimir and Cassandra to me and Maria. I can't help but think that this is not just a coincidence.

I could care less about the money, but I fear what happens after.

❦

I called for a meeting with my top lieutenants. As I sat at the head of the table, the room slowly began to fill until the last person entered.

Calia was the one. Our eyes met in a split second. She acknowledged me with a slight nod before sitting a few places away from me.

But something else was in her eyes.

After today's conversation, I guess she came to her senses. Her behavior was nothing if not disrespectful for a woman in such a position.

But, as the only woman in my inner circle, Calia had proven herself time and again, her loyalty unmatched. I have no choice but to trust her.

"We have a situation," I began, my voice low and steady. I briefed them on the hacking attempts, the stolen money, and the urgency of the matter. "We need to find out who's behind this, and we need to do it fast. Our reputation is at stake."

Calia nodded, her mind already whirring with possibilities. "I have some contacts in the cybersecurity world. I'll reach out to them, and see if they can trace the source of the hack."

"Good," I said, my confidence in Calia unwavering. "And Nash, gather our best IT experts. I want every available resource focused on this. I won't rest until we track down the bastards responsible for this."

As the meeting ended, I retreated to my office, my mind ablaze with fury and determination.

Everything is falling apart so fast.

In the hours that came next, it was a whirlwind of concentration and chasing down leads. Calia and her crew put in non-stop effort, tracking digital trails and navigating a maze of encrypted connections. Meanwhile, my tech experts combed through our systems, beefing up our defenses and digging into the breach for any hints.