Novel-novel oleh Jennifer

Julius leaned forward, his voice low and venomous. “No, Bella. It’s all true. Jesse’s sister, Emma.” I shook my head in disbelief, unable to process what he was saying. “This doesn’t make sense. Jesse would never—”Julius cut me off with a harsh laugh. “You still don’t get it, do you? I’ve got the evidence. And so do you now.”He brought out another folder and gave it to me. Inside were more documents—police reports, coroner’s photos, and a handwritten confession. I flipped through them in a daze. Each piece was more damning than the last. My mind felt foggy, the words swimming in front of my eyes. The confession was chilling.I slammed the papers back onto the table, my breath coming in ragged gasps. “No. This isn’t true. You’re just trying to manipulate me, Julius. Why? What do you want from me?”“You think this is manipulation? You think I’m the bad guy here? I’m trying to protect you, Bella. You’re too blind to see what’s right in front of you. Jesse isn’t who he says he is. He’s

“I outplayed you,” I corrected. “If your system was so good, it wouldn’t have crashed from a few keystrokes.”His fists clenched.I couldn’t help the satisfaction bubbling inside me. I’d done it. I’d won. And now, it was time to let him know just how thoroughly he’d been outclassed. But I wasn’t prepared for what he did next.He grabbed me by the arm, pulling me toward him with a grip so tight it almost hurt. I yelped, trying to pull away, but his hand was like iron.“Let go of me, Julius!” I screamed, trying to wrench myself free from his grip.But he didn’t let go. His face was twisted with a mixture of anger and desperation as he leaned in close. “You have no idea what you’ve done, Bella. I’ve worked for years on that technology—years! And you, you come in and steal everything right out from under me!”I could feel my pulse quickening, adrenaline flooding my veins. “I deserve it, Julius. You can’t even begin to understand what I’ve put into this. Stratosphere One isn’t just technol

The investors leaned forward slightly, intrigued. I smiled inwardly, knowing they were now hooked.I zoomed in on the global map. “Here, we can see live data streams from multiple international sources, processing billions of transactions per second. This is real-time data aggregation from diverse sectors—finance, health, retail, government. It doesn’t just sit in one database. It integrates seamlessly into various networks worldwide.”I glanced at their faces—curiosity was beginning to replace skepticism.The woman in the navy-blue suit, who had been the most critical so far, raised an eyebrow. “Live data? So this system adapts dynamically?”“Exactly,” I said, clicking through to another screen. “But it’s not just about gathering data. It’s about interpreting it. This is an AI-powered engine that learns from every interaction. The more it works, the smarter it gets. Predictive algorithms adjust in real-time to forecast market trends, consumer behavior, even weather patterns.”I could

Reluctantly, they nodded.Ten minutes passed. Then twenty.Nothing.Dallas returned, and the look on his face said it all.“Sir,” he whispered in my ear, “someone’s tampered with the software. They disabled key files. It wasn’t an internal glitch.”My jaw clenched. “Who?”“We’re still checking logs, but… it looks intentional.”I looked back at the table. The representatives were gathering their briefcases and standing up.“Gentlemen, please,” I said, desperate now. “Give me until tomorrow. I promise I’ll have this fixed.”One of them raised a brow. “You expect us to delay international schedules because your system is unprepared?”“Unprepared? No,” I shook my head. “Sabotaged.”Their expressions shifted slightly—but not with sympathy. Disappointment. Annoyance.“Mr. Julius,” the lead representative said, “this was your opportunity to show us your technology. And unfortunately… this has been a complete waste of our time.”They filed out one after the other, their silence louder than an

The moment I saw the news explode across every gossip site, I knew the bomb had landed perfectly. Joan’s name was trending for all the wrong reasons—affairs, scandalous photos, and sordid voice notes with a certain married socialite. It was delicious.But something was missing.I wanted her to know. I wanted her to hear it from me. Let her know I’m responsible for her downfall.So I grabbed my phone, took a deep breath, and dialed her number. She picked up almost instantly.Joan: (panicked) “Hello?! Who is this?!”Me: (sweetly) “Why so anxious, Joan? Afraid someone might’ve dug up all the skeletons in your closet?”There was a pause. Then, her voice turned sharp.Joan: “Bella? You’re the one that released those articles about me!”I let out a low chuckle. “Oh, Joan. You should really work on your password security. ‘QueenJoan123’? Really?”Joan: “You hacked me?! You—”Me: “Careful how you speak to me. I haven’t even released everything yet.”Her breath hitched. “You lying little—”Me:

I got tired of the game at some point and flopped onto the couch with a sigh, the bright lights of the screen flashing lazily against my face.“Ugh, Daniel, I gotta go,” I mumbled.He chuckled over the phone. “Alright, Bella. But admit it—we make a good team.”I smiled faintly. “Yeah, we do. Thanks for playing with me.”He hung up, clearly pleased with how far we’d climbed in the rankings. But as the silence of the penthouse closed in, I realized how hollow it felt without Jesse.Minutes passed. Maybe an hour. I stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the city blur beneath a veil of twilight. Then—Click.The door opened, and Jesse stepped in, his silhouette cutting against the fading sun.“Baby,” he said, his voice low and warm, “Did I take too long?”I didn’t answer. I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face into the crook of his neck. I had missed him more than I realized in those few hours.“Yes, you did,” I whispered. “What’s happening, Jesse? Wh