Chapter 5 - The Offer.

Alessandro

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I stood up, watching Freckles squirm against the ropes. The sight was oddly satisfying. Hatred and rage swirled in her hazel eyes and I couldn’t deny the thrill of overpowering her. She was a hell of a fighter; she probably learned it in prison.

Little thief.

I reached out and trailed a finger down her cheek, my touch light, “Now, you'll do as I say or I will be taking Felicity with me. It's either her or money."

She jerked her head away, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes that told me she wasn’t entirely unaffected.

Of course she wasn't unaffected. Women like her could only dream of a man like me, I could imagine her level of shock, the disbelief that someone like me was giving her attention, even if it was the wrong kind.

I grabbed Freckles by the back of her shirt and yanked her to her feet. She glared at me, defiant, while the kid—named Felicity—made a soft, anguished sound deep in her throat.

I’ve killed, tortured, and dealt with people far more twisted and dangerous than Viviane Kane. She was a tiny little rabbit compared to them. But fuck, she gave me a real workout.

Most people break quickly. They see the darkness in my eyes and crumble and if that doesn't work, my last name alone brings them to their knees.

I wasn't used to this kind of resistance from someone who looked so... harmless. It was almost amusing how she thought she could take me on. Almost.

I tightened my grip on Freckles, jerking her roughly. “I know about your run-ins with the cops, two arrests by twenty-three,” I sneered, sucking in air through my teeth mockingly. “Imagine how long you'll rot in prison for stealing nearly ten million.”

“You stole?” Felicity’s voice trembled, her eyes wide with disappointment as she looked at her aunt.

Viviane glared at me, still struggling in my grip. "Save your threats, Costello. If you were going to the cops, you'd have done it already. But you can't, can you? You've got too much to hide. If they investigate my theft, they'll dig into your accounts too. Don’t insult my intelligence by pretending you earn your living honorably."

I smirked at her as she leaned closer to me, a sardonic smile playing on her lips.

“You don't want the cops involved any more than I do. Because once they start sniffing around, they'll find more than just my little heist."

I stared down at her, disgust etched into my features. I had never encountered a more psychopathic woman in my entire life. “You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

“Oh, I know exactly who I’m messing with,” she shot back.

I shook her roughly, and she tried to headbutt me in return. “How did you pull it off?” I demanded, “How the hell did you crack into my system?”

She met my glare with a smug look. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her tone dripping with false innocence and she had the audacity to bat her eyelashes, "I haven't done anything."

I clenched my jaw, Viviane Kane was exactly the kind of person I couldn't stand. People who thought they could force their way into my life, take whatever they wanted, and walk away without consequences.

I pulled her closer, my face inches from hers. "Don't play dumb with me," I hissed.

She laughed, a low, mocking sound that made my blood boil. "You’re overestimating yourself if you think I’m scared of you."

I tightened my grip on the back of her shirt, the collar pressing hard against her throat, then released her with a shove. She stumbled backward, hitting the floor with a wince. Felicity dashed towards her to help her but I snatched the little girl out of the air, holding her in front of me.

Exploiting weaknesses was my specialty.

I clicked off the safety and pressed the barrel of the gun against Felicity’s temple, feeling her small body shiver in my grasp.

I wasn’t planning on hurting her, but Freckles didn’t need to know that.

Her eyes narrowed with rage, her chest heaving up and down.

“Got your attention now?” I asked, a smug smile creeping across my face. Grabbing Felicity’s hair, I pulled it back, as I shoved the barrel of the gun into her neck, “Now, get up and show me how you hacked into my accounts. Be a good girl for once.”

Viviane’s eyes flared with rage, but she didn’t move, “It was like taking candy from a baby. Didn’t expect it to be so easy.”

I breathed out a laugh, "I don't buy it. No one's ever breached my setup. My security protocols are airtight, fortified with layers of encryption and custom firewalls. Every potential vulnerability is monitored and patched immediately. I've got intrusion detection systems running 24/7, and any unauthorized access attempts are neutralized before they even get close. My encryption keys are rotated regularly, and I employ advanced obfuscation techniques to keep my data invisible to any prying eyes. Simply put, hacking my systems is a fool's errand. So, Freckles, how did you do it?"

She shrugged, “Guess your setup wasn't as perfect as you thought.”

I pressed the gun harder into Felicity's neck, making her wince and that caught Viviane's attention once more, “You’re not as clever as you think you are. Tell me the truth, or things will get very unpleasant for you. Starting with a bullet to your niece’s carotid artery. She won't even have time to scream. Instant death, less painful for a child."

She gritted her teeth as Felicity sobbed at my words, tears dropping onto the ground, “Fine, fine! I’ll tell you and give you your money back. But I’ve already used at least five grand… just let her go.”

I smiled, coldly, “Do you take me for an idiot? As long as I don’t get every last cent back, my gun stays pressed against her artery. This setup seems to keep you cooperative.”

She struggled against the ropes, her frustration evident. “At least untie me first. How am I supposed to do what you’re asking?”

I reached over, snagged her gun, and slipped it into my waistband. Then I pushed Felicity toward Viviane, gesturing for the little girl to untie her aunt. “Get to it, Freckles."

I helped Felicity loosen the ropes around Viviane’s wrists. As soon as the ropes were loose enough for her to finish the job, I yanked Felicity away, keeping her close. Viviane’s eyes tracked our every move.

“One wrong move, and she’s done for,” I warned, letting my threat hang in the air, earning another dark glare from her.

Freckles sat up, untying her ankles before standing and walking toward her bedroom. I followed closely, keeping Felicity in tow.

When we entered the room, her setup came into view, a complex array of monitors and tech that made my curiosity peak.

“I told you to not do a dangerous job! I don't want your stolen money," Felicity sobbed, “I don’t want anything from you!”

Viviane cast a pained glance at her niece, but she didn’t let it slow her down. With a resigned sigh, she powered up her system and started typing in her passwords. I noted them in my mind immediately—“Flissfly” and “2408,” probably a date of significance.

“Hack into my system again, step by step, just like you did before," I ordered her, "And don’t even think about pulling any tricks. I’ll be watching every move you make, and if you so much as glance away from the task—.”

She cut me off, "I won't!"

Freckles moved with practiced ease, her fingers dancing across the keyboard as if she were born to do this. She got into my system through my e-mail, there was some weakness in my email servers to plant custom malware that granted her full admin access. She steer through encrypted layers of data, decrypting sensitive information while slipping through my security undetected.

Her method was flawless. She utilized secure, encrypted channels for data extraction, masking her intrusion with proxy servers and altering logs to leave no trace of her presence. Every move she made was precise, clearly showing her skill as she extracted all the data from my accounts.

At that moment, I wasn't just focused on the money—though it was significant. What truly caught my attention was her skill set.

I’d be impressed if I weren’t so damn furious with myself for missing such minor detail.

She finished transferring the funds, the remaining $5,000 not worth mentioning. She stepped back from the computer, her gaze flicking between me and her niece.

"Done," she said, her voice tight, looking anxiously at Felicity.

I signaled for her to step away from the chair. As she moved, I pulled out a flash drive from my pocket. It was a cyber bomb, designed to obliterate data. I handed it to Felicity, instructing her to approach the system.

Freckles eyes widened in horror. “What are you doing?”

I cast her sideways glance, “This little device is programmed to execute a full-system wipe. It’ll deploy a series of highly destructive malware payloads once connected. Every file, every piece of data—gone. Not just deleted, but completely erased beyond recovery. Think of it as a digital nuclear option. So, if you want to keep your precious setup intact, I suggest you take a good look at it now because in a matter of moments, it will be nothing but a dead, empty shell.”

Her eyes shot to the flash drive, her face draining of color. “You can’t be serious,” she said, her voice trembling.

I savored the look of loss in her eyes, "Felicity, plug the drive in."

Felicity’s hands shook as she approached the computer, tears streaming down her face. Viviane lunged forward, trying to stop her, but the clicking of my gun held her back.

“No! Don’t do it!” she screamed.

I watched Felicity insert the flash drive and activate the malware. Within moments, Viviane Kane’s entire system went dark, vanishing like a mirage in a desert.

Her face twisted with disbelief and rage. “What the fuck?! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO?!” she shouted, her hands flying to her head as if she could somehow pull the disaster out of her mind. “I returned your money! You’ve destroyed everything! How the hell am I supposed to recover from this?!”

I took a step closer, enjoying her pain more than I should, "Think of it as a lesson in what happens when you mess with the wrong people.” I shrugged nonchalantly, “You wanted to play the game; now you’re learning the rules the hard way."

I watched as she had a complete mental breakdown in a matter of seconds.

Freckles started this game, but I intend to be the one who’s going to finish it.

She was breathing heavily, struggling to keep her composure. She was no longer a threat, and I had what I wanted, so I nudged Felicity toward her. The little girl fell straight into her aunt’s arms, and Freckles held her immediately. Felicity pushed her away and bolted out of the room.

Viviane tried to go after her, banging on the door and calling for her, "Fliss, I can explain!"

As she was busy banging on her niece's bedroom door, I dragged out another flash drive—a micro USB stick with a sleek, black casing.

I inserted it into the port of Viviane’s now-disabled computer, allowing it to silently implant a dormant backdoor into her network.

It was a custom implant, a stealthy little trojan named Specter. It’ll lie low and wait for the right moment to reactivate. If she decides to rebuild her computer—it will be already embedded in her system and I’ll be able to access everything. She won't know a thing.

After a few moments of fruitless banging, she stormed back toward me, her face flushed with fury.

I should have walked away, but something about her—her resilience, her talent—made me pause. This thief had skills worth a fortune. With the right motivation, she could be a formidable asset.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" she snapped, "You probably had that money just sitting in your account for kicks while it could have saved my niece's life. That's the only reason I did it," she spat, her eyes flicking back to her destroyed setup. "You've ruined everything. How the hell am I supposed to get the money for her kidney transplant now? Do you have any idea how much that costs? The medication alone is worth thousands, you arrogant prick!"

"Maybe instead of stealing money, you could try earning it," I suggested, sinking into her chair, one leg casually draped over the other. I watched her, enjoying the way her face twisted in confusion.

"What?" she snapped, clearly not expecting my response.

I merely lifted a shoulder, "I've seen what you can do. You've got serious skills, Freckles, a good head on your shoulders. If you stopped wasting your talent on petty theft and put it to legitimate use, you'd have the money for her transplant in no time."

She glared at me, "And what, exactly, are you suggesting?"

I reclined in her seat, "I'm saying, you could work for me. With your abilities, you could make a fortune, and it wouldn't take long to get what you need for your niece."

Her frown deepened, but I could see the wheels turning in her head. "Why would I ever work for you?" she asked.

I chuckled, "Because, you won't find that kind of opportunity anywhere else. And let's be honest, you need me. You need the money, and I could use someone with your talent."

I could see the conflict in her eyes, the way she wanted to reject me outright but couldn't ignore the practicality of my offer.

"You've got twenty-four hours to decide. Accept my offer, and I'll train you. Refuse, and I’ll make sure that one way or another, you land behind bars. Your choice."