The Next Day, October 29th, 10 AM, CET, Somewhere in Marseille, France
A faint hum echoed in the dim, musty room as the pale light from a battered desk lamp flickered erratically. The walls, peeling with age, absorbed the murmur of the mechanical symphony unfolding before him.
His fingers flew across the keyboard, clicking and clattering in a rhythmic frenzy. On the screen, lines of code scrolled faster than the eye could follow, the hacker’s grin widening with every new command. His gaunt face was bathed in the faint glow; his features sharp and his focus unwavering.
……
An Hour Later, 6 AM, EST, Data Dynamics HQ, Falls Church, Virginia
The alarm’s shrill ring sliced through the security operations center, cutting through the early morning haze. Analysts, still groggy, snapped to attention. The screens flickered and the green lines of data suddenly scrambled, now flashing with a warning.
A collective breath was drawn, and Drew Jameson’s command cut across the room. “We’re under attack! Isolate the servers! Now! I want the breach contained and countermeasures implemented! Trace the source!”
The center erupted with urgency. Fingers flew over keyboards, the team working in unison. It was a high-stakes battle in the digital realm, each move critical in determining the outcome of the cyber onslaught. But as the minutes passed, frustration tightened Drew’s jaw. No matter what they did, the hacker kept slipping through, bypassing firewalls and countermeasures.
Beads of sweat formed on Drew’s forehead, her expression grim. “We can’t let this escalate.”
Without hesitation, she dialed the president’s direct line. The phone rang. And rang.
Finally, on the fifth ring, a calm but husky reply came. “Ami Gilani speaking.”
Drew’s words came in short bursts. “President Gilani, this is Drew Jameson. We’ve encountered an intrusion. The hacker has bypassed our security layers. It’s Code Yellow now, but if we don’t act fast, it’ll escalate to Code Red. Please advise.”
Silence stretched on the other end. Then, Ami’s voice crackled through. “Hold them off as long as possible. I’ll be there ASAP.”
Ami ended the call, her pulse quickening. She darted into the walk-in closet, slipping out of her delicate negligée and pulling on a knitted cashmere maxi dress. There wasn’t time to waste.
She tore through the hallway, passing the mansion’s grand foyer. Her mind raced, but her movements were fluid and purposeful. She dialed Seven’s cell phone, but it went to voicemail. As she reached Sana’s door, she heard muffled sounds from within. Grunts. Pants. A series of sharp breaths that were suggestive.
Ami’s eyes widened, her thoughts spinning wildly. What the hell is going on in there? Are they having sex? No! How dare he!?
With one swift move, Ami pressed the button on the wall. The door slid open with a soft hum, revealing a scene that completely defied her expectations.
Seven was shirtless, his muscles rippling as he executed a series of complicated calisthenic moves on the floor. He didn’t even flinch at her intrusion. Sana, meanwhile, lay peacefully in her hospital bed, the steady rise and fall of her chest the only sign of life.
Ami exhaled in relief. Phew! I overthought this!
Seven paused mid-push-up, glancing toward the door. “Good morning, Aunt Ami. Is something wrong?”
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Ami swallowed hard, composing herself. “Data Dynamics is under attack. The team’s struggling to contain it. We’ve got maybe 30 minutes before a complete breach of our servers. We need to go. Now.”
Seven stood up smoothly, wiping sweat from his brow. “Let me throw on a shirt and grab my key.”
Seven’s Sport tore through the empty streets, the engine purring as if it understood the urgency. Less than 12 minutes later, they arrived at the building.
The heavy glass doors of the security operations center slid open, and every head in the room turned in sync, drawn to the sound.
“It’s VP Kavanagh and President Gilani,” someone muttered under their breath, the room buzzing with whispers and curiosity.
Seven wasted no time. “I need a terminal.”
Drew nodded quickly, her face pale with the pressure. “Right over here.”
Seven moved without hesitation, his mind already working through counterattack strategies. He was familiar with the game. But no matter who was on the opposing side, he wouldn’t let them get away with it. He settled in front of the terminal, fingers dancing across the keys, lightning-quick yet precise.
Everyone held their breath, watching as the screens flickered and lines of code filled the monitors, scrolling faster than any human could process. Seven’s expression was focused, his jaw tight in concentration. He was in his element.
Minutes passed. The air grew thick with expectation.
And then he hit the return key, and the screen stilled. He was done. He leaned back, a quiet smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
“I got him,” Seven muttered. “Now he gets to taste defeat.”
As the seconds ticked away, the hacker still hadn’t realized he had been thwarted. Drew and her colleagues watched the screens with growing optimism. “It’s working!”
“Yes, based on the hacker’s code signature, I realized that it’s Heister, one of the top ten hackers on the Dark Web. I’ve sparred with him previously when he tried to breach the Pentagon’s network.”
……
Somewhere in Marseille, France
Heister, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of the 5-million-dollar payout for this mission, looked intently at the screen, waiting for the last packet of code to arrive.
Poof!
A spark. A puff of smoke. The whiff of burning electronics filled the air.
Heister stared, stunned, as his monitor flickered one final time.
His hands trembled; the image of five million dollars slipping from his grasp played in his head. The CPU, the heart of his battle rig, now lay smoldering. He glared at it in silent fury.
Putain! Mes cinq millions!
……
Back at Data Dynamics HQ
In the aftermath of the virtual clash, the tension began to ease. The hack was circumvented, the crisis narrowly averted. But as the team regained their composure, attention turned to the man of the hour.
Secretive glances were exchanged, and finally, Drew stepped forward, putting out the question that was burning in everyone’s minds. “President Gilani, how did you get VP Kavanagh here so fast?”
Before Ami could respond, Seven blurted, “We’re neighbors.”
Did this succinct reply lay inquisitive minds to rest? That remains to be seen!
……
As they drove off, Ami, her heart finally calmed, turned to Seven, her tone thick with gratitude. “Seven, you saved the day.”
“Anytime, Aunt Ami.”
She reflected on the morning’s events, and the guilt gnawed at her. With a hesitant breath, she spoke, her voice quieter now. “Seven, I owe you an apology.”
He turned his head slightly, his eyes still focused on the road. “What for?”
Ami dove right into it. “When I got to Sana’s door this morning, I heard unspeakable sounds from within. My immediate thought was that you were having sex with her. So, I barged in.”
The shell of Seven’s ears flushed crimson, but his calm exterior remained intact. “Aunt Ami, should I move out of her room?”
“No! No, that’s not what I meant!” Ami sputtered, flustered. “My mind was just all over the place! I didn’t think about it properly.”
A tense silence fell between them before Seven spoke again. “Aunt Ami… I don’t know the extent of Sana’s PTSD, and I didn’t want to ask her about it, in case it triggered a relapse. But… I do want to know. Was she… was she sexually assaulted when she was trafficked?”
Ami met his piercing gaze, the weight of his words settling over her like a heavy cloak. “What if she was?”
Seven’s response was immediate, steadfast. “If she were, I want to talk to her psychologist. PTSD is tricky… anything can set it off.”
The simplicity of his answer—direct and unwavering—eased the heaviness in Ami’s chest. She smiled, feeling reassured. This is the man Sana deserves. I thought he’d use it as an excuse to bail on her! Looks like Princess really hit the jackpot this time!
“Well,” Ami continued, her voice warm, “I’m glad to inform you Sana wasn’t assaulted. She’d just been captured at the time. They drugged her to make her compliant, but… nothing worse than that.”
She took a deep breath, her words full of sincerity. “I threw out the question to test you. I needed to know if you’d be there for her, under any circumstances. Based on your answer… I’m convinced. You’re worthy of my daughter.”
