Jay's POV
As soon as I entered the mansion and parked my car in the underground parking lot, the familiar chill of marble and steel wrapped around me like a second skin.
The engine went silent, but my mind didn't. It never did.
The moment I stepped inside, the staff lined up almost instinctively. Every maid bowed in perfect synchronization, years of training and tradition etched into their movements.
"Good evening, Ms. Mariano," they said together.
"How are you, Ms. Mariano?"
I paused for a second, letting their voices settle, then offered a small, composed smile—the kind that reassured without revealing anything.
"I'm fine," I replied calmly. "Please bring me a cup of coffee."
They dispersed immediately, soft footsteps echoing through the grand hallway. I walked into the living room, my heels clicking against the polished floor, and sank onto the couch like a queen reclaiming her throne.
The mansion was quiet—too quiet—but that silence had always been my ally.
As I leaned back, my phone vibrated lightly in my hand.
And that's when it hit me.
Edrix.
A sharp memory flashed through my mind—his casual smile, his overconfidence, the way he always believed he was ten steps ahead of everyone else. I unlocked my phone, fingers moving faster than conscious thought, and scanned the system.
There it was.
Hidden deep within my phone's framework—masked as a harmless background process—a secret software. Surveillance-grade. Clean. Clever.
I let out a soft scoff.
So this is what you're playing at, Edrix
I didn't hesitate. I bypassed the encryption, cracked the security layers one by one, and entered the core of the program like it was an open door. A few precise commands later, the software lay exposed—powerless.
I unlocked it.
I dismantled it.
And then I deleted it.
Completely.
No traces. No echoes. Nothing left behind.
"If you think you're the best hacker," I murmured to myself, a faint smirk touching my lips, "you should remember one thing."
I straightened slightly, eyes cold and confident.
"I'm not any less than you."
Right on cue, a maid returned and placed the coffee on the table beside me. I nodded in thanks, wrapping my fingers around the warm cup, letting the bitterness ground me back in the present.
This wasn't a war I could fight alone—not anymore.
I opened my contacts and scrolled past countless names until I reached the ones that mattered. The ones who knew me before the empire, before the Mariano name became a weapon.
Chloe.
Aurora.
Sebastian.
Mateo.
Old friends. Trusted minds. Dangerous allies.
I pressed call.
Because if Keifer had decided to cross lines, then it was time to remind him—
I never play alone when things turn serious.
.....