Geneva – 02:06 AM
The alert echoed across the secure floor.
Unauthorized access attempt detected.
Target: Indian Strategic Military Network.
User profile being mimicked: Preyajeet Singh.
Akanksha's blood ran cold.
"They're cloning your credentials."
Preyajeet moved instantly to the command console.
"How deep?"
Adrian's voice came through the encrypted channel.
"They're not just spoofing identity. They're replicating behavioral patterns."
A pause.
"They're trying to make it look like you authorized something."
On-screen—
A pending command request blinked in red.
"Border readiness escalation – Level 3."
If executed—
Troop movement would begin automatically.
Regional tension would spike.
All traced back to Preyajeet.
The strategist wasn't just attacking reputation.
They were constructing a scenario—
Where he would appear to start a war.
Geneva War Room
Akanksha's fingers flew across the interface.
"They've mapped your decision history."
Preyajeet's voice remained steady.
"Then they think they know how I think."
Adrian responded sharply,
"They're using predictive behavior modeling. If your response fits past patterns, the system validates it automatically."
Akanksha looked at Preyajeet.
"They're betting you'll react the way you always do."
He understood.
Aggressive containment.
Rapid defense posture.
Logical military instinct.
If he followed pattern—
The AI trap would complete itself.
Unknown Location – Strategist Control Room
The strategist observed carefully.
"If he authorizes containment, escalation probability rises to 61%."
They leaned back.
"Soldiers act predictably under pressure."
Countdown timer: 04:12 minutes.
Geneva
Preyajeet stared at the blinking command.
Every instinct told him to secure the border.
But that instinct—
Was exactly what they were exploiting.
Akanksha stepped closer.
"Don't fight the system."
He looked at her.
"Then what?"
"Confuse it."
Adrian's voice cut in.
"She's right. Break your pattern."
Preyajeet exhaled slowly.
The strategist expected decisive military posture.
So instead—
He did nothing.
He issued a temporary diplomatic verification request.
A delay.
Manual human confirmation required.
The AI system hesitated.
Behavioral deviation detected.
Authentication confidence dropped.
Countdown froze at 00:37 seconds.
Unknown Location
The strategist's eyes narrowed.
"He deviated."
Authentication failed.
Escalation aborted.
For the first time—
Their probability model glitched.
"Emotional interference again."
They adjusted parameters.
But something was shifting.
Geneva – Aftermath
The military network stabilized.
Unauthorized access trace revealed a distributed quantum relay node.
Location masked.
Akanksha leaned back slightly, tension releasing.
"They tried to turn you into the trigger."
Preyajeet looked at her quietly.
"They underestimated one variable."
She smiled faintly.
"You?"
He shook his head gently.
"You."
Because without her—
He would have followed instinct.
And instinct would have ignited conflict.
Private Corridor – Minutes Later
The building was quieter now.
Preyajeet stopped walking.
She turned toward him.
"They're escalating personally."
He nodded.
"They'll try again."
Silence hung between them.
Then he said softly,
"If they ever make me choose between duty and you…"
She stepped closer before he finished.
"You won't have to."
He searched her eyes.
"You don't know that."
"I do."
Her voice was calm.
"Because loving you isn't against my duty."
It was the first time she said it so openly.
No hesitation.
No coded language.
Just truth.
His expression softened.
"They can clone my access."
He gently took her hand.
"But they can't clone this."
Alert – Secondary Intrusion
Adrian's voice returned urgently.
"They've shifted targets."
Akanksha frowned.
"To what?"
Adrian paused.
"They're attempting to breach the decentralized AI backbone."
The third option.
If corrupted—
Global cooperation collapses.
The strategist had learned something tonight:
If they couldn't manipulate soldiers—
They would corrupt trust itself.
Akanksha's eyes sharpened again.
"Then we defend it."
Preyajeet stepped beside her.
"Together."
Outside—
Thunder rolled faintly over Geneva.
Phase Three was no longer subtle.
It was becoming direct confrontation.
And somewhere in the shadows—
The strategist prepared something irreversible.
Not a simulation.
Not a bluff.
A real-world action.
One that would test whether love and trust could survive—
When the attack wasn't digital.
But physical.