Steven sat at the corner of a dimly lit private dining room, high above the bustling city, in a seven-star restaurant that catered to the elite. The luxurious atmosphere did little to ease his nerves.

  His hands rested tensely on a leather bag placed beside him on the table. Inside that bag was everything the LaRues had demanded of him, and now, with his family’s life hanging in the balance, Steven was trapped.

  He stared at the polished marble table, his thoughts swirling in a relentless storm of doubt. Was he making the right choice?

  Betraying Ethan, his boss, and his colleagues at Nova Tech went against everything he stood for. But the LaRues didn’t care about morals or loyalty—they only cared about power and control. If he didn’t do what they asked, his family would be dragged into their twisted games or worse.

  Steven rubbed his temples, exhaling heavily. ‘I don’t have a choice.’ He repeated the thought over and over, but it did little to calm him.

  His mind flashed to the threats he received—images of his wife and children under constant surveillance, their lives in danger every second he delayed. This was the reality he now faced.

  His internal conflict was abruptly interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open. Steven’s eyes shot up, and immediately, the tension in his body doubled.

  A tall and bald, well-dressed man walked in first—Taison, one of the two bodyguards of Lucien LaRue. His presence alone was enough to make anyone feel insignificant, with his sharp eyes and cold demeanor.

  Behind Taison came Lucien LaRue, the man who had been a rising star in Arland’s corporate world for years, now fully revealed as one of the family’s most dangerous players of the younger generation. Lucien was dressed in an immaculately tailored suit, his eyes burning with the kind of cruel ambition that chilled Steven to the bone.

  And finally, Mike, Lucien's other bodyguard, followed them inside. His gaze was unreadable, but Steven had heard the stories of Mike’s terrifying strength and expertise in combat despite his look. He wasn’t just a brain—he was a strategic weapon.

  Steven’s heart raced as they approached the table, and for a moment, he wished he could just disappear. But that wasn’t an option.

  Lucien took a seat directly across from Steven, his predatory eyes locking onto him. “Steven,” Lucien began, his voice calm but laced with venom. “I trust you have what we asked for?”

  Steven swallowed, his throat dry. He glanced down at the bag. “Yes… I have it.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

  Lucien’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Good. Very good.” He leaned back in his chair, motioning for Taison to take the bag from Steven.

  As Taison reached for the bag, Steven couldn’t help but reflect on everything that had led up to this moment. He had been an early member of Nova Tech. He still remembers how excited he was when he told his wife that he was offered a position at Nova Tech with a salary triple of what he had before. But now, Lucien was hell-bent on tearing that down, not just because of business rivalry but because of his insatiable thirst for revenge.

  Lucien’s fury towards Ethan had been boiling ever since their previous encounter. He wanted to test his own abilities against Ethan in a one-on-one fight to prove that he was superior in every way. But when the moment came, it wasn’t Ethan who stopped him. It was Mike—Lucien’s bodyguard—who had intervened.

  Mike had put Lucien in his place with a single chop to the neck, knocking him out cold before the fight could even begin. When Lucien woke up back at the LaRues’ residence, Mike had coldly informed him that he would have stood no chance against Ethan.

  “Impossible,” Lucien had growled in disbelief, but Mike’s expression never changed. “You don’t have the power to defeat him,” Mike had said plainly. “Not as you are now.”

  That statement had haunted Lucien ever since, his rage simmering beneath the surface. It wasn’t just about personal pride anymore—it was about his image, his reputation. Lucien LaRue could not afford to be seen as weak, not when he was supposed to be the heir to the LaRue empire. He needed to prove himself. And if he couldn’t defeat Ethan in combat, he would destroy him in other ways—by undermining everything Ethan was building with Nova Tech.

  Lucien had vast financial resources, and he intended to pour them all into outclassing anything Nova Tech produced. Whatever Ethan planned, Lucien would make something bigger, better, and more advanced. His smirk deepened as he thought about it. He was still unaware of the true extent of Ethan’s wealth and the backing of his Unlimited System.

  If Lucien knew the real power Ethan had access to, it would crush him. But for now, Lucien was confident in his ability to humiliate Ethan and sabotage Nova Tech at every turn.

  Taison handed the bag to Lucien, who unzipped it and peered inside. His expression remained impassive as he sifted through the documents, data drives, and sensitive information that Steven had been forced to bring. This was only the beginning of what the LaRues demanded of him.

  “This is a good start,” Lucien said, looking up at Steven with that same cold smile. “But it’s not enough. We’re going to need more. Much more.”

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Steven felt the weight of his decision crushing down on him. He had crossed a line that he could never return from. The path ahead was dangerous, and there was no turning back now.

  But as he looked into Lucien’s eyes, Steven knew one thing for sure—he had made an enemy of Ethan Cole. And that, more than anything, terrified him.

  Lucien leaned back, feeling only half satisfied. "You need to do better than this, Steven," he said, his voice taking on a threatening tone. "You should know what's best for you...and your family."

  Steven swallowed hard, tension etched in his eyes. "Don't you dare do anything to them!"

  At that moment, Lucien's bodyguards stood up almost in unison. But Lucien raised his right hand, and everyone immediately stopped and stayed seated.

  "Give me some more time," he said quietly. "And make sure no one finds out about this. If Ethan ever realizes I've been leaking information..."

  Lucien's smile turned cold, his gaze piercing. "As long as you keep providing what I need, there's nothing to worry about. But remember, Steven—my patience has its limits. Keep up your end, and you'll be well compensated. Fail me, and you know what will happen."

  Steven's face turned pale as he nodded, his gaze dropping to the table. He knew he was far past the point of no return.

  Lucien stood up, calm and composed. "We'll be in touch," he said. "Keep an eye on things at Nova Tech. I want to know about every update, every change, and every opportunity."

  ***

  At Nova Tech's headquarters, Ethan sat in the conference room, facing Jessica and David. The room was brightly lit, and its modern décor starkly contrasted the weight of the conversation. David had just finished a report, but Ethan's calm demeanor suggested he had something important to discuss.

  “Anything to share, Ethan?” David asked in curiosity.

  For now, David tried his best not to bring up the topic of Jordan’s missing. Luckily, Jordan’s family said that whenever he felt that he was taking too much, he would disappear for a while. That was their take on this. But all of them here knew well. It must have something to do with what happened the other day.

  “I have a reason why I didn’t call the others,” Ethan said.

  He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled as he glanced between the two. "We have a problem," Ethan said calmly. "Someone in our company is being a mole."

  Jessica's eyes widened in shock while David's brows furrowed in confusion. "How can you be sure?" David asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

  Ethan's gaze remained steady. "I've been monitoring our system's security protocols and noticed something odd. There were traces of unauthorized access—a digital signature embedded deep within the data files."

  Jessica frowned, leaning forward. "A digital signature? Couldn't it be a glitch or an accidental breach from someone inside?" She had learned a lot about this ever since she was offered the position as Ethan's personal assistant.

  Ethan shook his head, his expression unwavering. "No. This was intentional. Someone accessed files they shouldn't have and left a trace. What's more concerning is that the files in question were related to Quick’s core framework."

  David's eyes narrowed, alarm spreading across his face. "Wait, you mean the custom algorithms and security measures?"

  "Exactly," Ethan confirmed. "And here's the thing—even the most advanced tech leaves a fingerprint when someone makes a copy of the framework. It's subtle, but there's always a trail. I found evidence of a digital copy made offsite."

  Jessica's face turned pale. They just started with their company, but now, they need to face such a thing already. "But how is that possible? Wouldn't our systems detect an offsite copy?"

  "They should," Ethan replied. "But whoever did this was careful.”

  Ethan added, “They bypassed our main monitoring systems using a covert data extraction method. They probably thought no one would notice, but I built redundancy—a hidden layer within the code that marks any unauthorized duplication."

  David looked both impressed and worried. "You anticipated this?"

  "Not exactly," Ethan admitted. "But I've always been cautious when it comes to proprietary information. If someone attempts to copy sensitive data, my hidden security layer embeds a unique identifier within the files. It's practically invisible but allows me to trace where the data has gone."

  Jessica looked at him, admiration mixed with worry. "And you found a match?"

  "Yes," Ethan said. "The identifier shows that a copy was made and removed from our internal servers. Someone inside our company might be planning to leak Quick's core data."

  David's face turned grim. "Do you have any idea who it could be? A developer, an analyst, someone with high-level access?"

  "Not yet," Ethan said calmly. "But I've narrowed it down. I set up a trap with false data files and monitor who will access them in the coming days. It'll lead me to the culprit."

  Jessica's voice was tense. "And what do we do in the meantime? This could be catastrophic if our competitors get hold of everything we've worked for."

  Ethan's eyes softened, which confused the others. "We keep moving forward as planned. Don't change anything in our operations—if the mole senses we're onto them, they'll go to ground, and we'll lose our chance to catch them.”

  “Is that all we can do?” David asked. His voice was full of concern.

  Ethan nodded before adding, “I'm reinforcing our internal security with a new layer of encryption. If anyone tries this again, they won't get far."

  David's jaw tightened. "What about the data they already have? What if they sell it or use it against us?"

  "They won't," Ethan said with a smile. "The moment the recipient opened the copied framework, the decoy activated. It triggered a video I prepared."

  Jessica's brows furrowed in confusion. "A video?"

  Ethan chuckled. "Yes. It's a prank video—a little 'gift' for our competitor.”

  David's jaw dropped, a mix of disbelief and laughter bubbling up. "You did what?"

  Ethan's grin widened. "I wanted to make sure they knew exactly how futile their attempt was. Trust me—they won't be happy. But it gets better. The decoy files they receive are programmed to auto-delete and corrupt their servers within twenty-four hours if they try to dig deeper or share the data. It's a little insurance policy to keep them out of our way."

  Jessica was stunned, a smile breaking across her face. "So, you let them think they got away with it, only to hit them with a prank and then ruin their day?"

  "Exactly," Ethan said, his tone light. "They didn't realize I had layered security. I also wanted to teach our competitor a lesson. Don't mess with Nova Tech."

  David leaned back in his chair, laughing. "I would have paid to see their faces when they opened that video. You're a genius, Ethan."

  Jessica exhaled slowly, clearly impressed. "You really thought of everything, didn't you?"

  Ethan smiled.

  David and Jessica exchanged a glance, both understanding the stakes. "Alright," David said, his voice firm. "We'll follow your lead. Just tell us what you need."

  Ethan nodded before adding, "For now, keep things normal. But be ready—I'll need your support once we find out who's involved. We can't afford any mistakes."

  Jessica and David agreed, a tense silence settling over the room as the gravity of the situation took hold. They knew this betrayal was only the beginning of a larger game being played in the shadows, and they would have to be ready for whatever came next.

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