Violet set her phone down with a satisfied grin, and Simms and Yulia couldn''t help but smile too.


    “Oh, right—Violet, didn''t you have something you wanted to say earlier?"


    Simms had been too distracted by McNeil''s absence to notice Violet''s earlier mood, but now that things seemed to be going well between her and McNeil, he finally remembered to check in.


    Violet picked up a piece of cake and took a bite, savoring its sweetness. "Nothing important," she said.


    Meanwhile, Victoria was working herself ragged at the office. Luckily, whether out of sudden generosity or because he''d promised Violet to take Gwh out, McNeil messaged her to say he''d handle their daughter''s pick-up for the next few days.


    Victoria could hardly believe her luck. She''d just started to pick up a lead on K- someone practically legendary at Quantum Core Technologies. Supposedly, K held thepany''s most critical algorithms in his hands, but unless there was a crisis, no one ever bothered him—and even then, seeing him in person was rare.


    She''d gotten a sliver of information from George: K was an entric. Nearly everyone who''d tried to meet him ended up frustrated or bewildered by his bizarre ideas.


    No one dared to talk much about him, either. K''s background was mysterious, and it seemed he only coded for fun-helping out when he felt like it, ignoring everyone when he didn''t. Not even the CEO could force him to do anything on a bad day.


    As George passed by her desk, Victoria called out to him.


    "George, about that favor I asked?"


    He looked at her and sighed. "If you insist on meeting him, you''d better prepare yourself."


    "I have no choice," Victoria said. "Without him, I can''t finish the next phase of the program. He''s got thetest algorithm, and if I can master it, it''ll save us tons of time and make our product nearly impossible to crack."


    She knew that once a product became a hit, copycats were inevitable. That kind of damage was nearly impossible to undo.


    She''d been watching K for a long time now. There was no way she could write that kind of code herself. Her only hope was to find him and convince him to teach her.


    George shrugged. "Alright. I know where he lives, but whether you seed or not is up to you. The guy''s a total wild card. He only does what he wants, when he wants."


    Victoria''s lips curled slightly. "As long as he''s human, that''s enough for me." Everyone has desires, everyone has a weakness. Victoria didn''t mind a drawn-out battle of wills—the only thing that mattered was eventually winning.


    George nodded. "Well, good luck."


    He handed her a note. Victoria unfolded it and found an address in Starfall City''s most exclusive residential district-where property prices started in the tens of millions.


    No wonder K acted so untouchable. Even among business elites, few could afford to live there unless they were truly powerful.


    For the first time, Victoria felt uncertain. This man wanted for nothing-money definitely wasn''t his Achilles'' heel.


    With her evenings free now that McNeil was handling Gwh, Victoria suddenly had plenty of time.


    After work, she grabbed a quick bite near the office and then called Yasmine, asking her to drive her to K''s building.


    Victoria had dressed with extra care, scrutinizing her appearance in the mirror to make sure she looked polished and professional-nothing out of ce.


    When she arrived at the gatedmunity, the security was intense.


    No ordinary visitor could get in without a solid reason or a call from a resident to the front desk.


    At the gate, Victoria gave her phone number and said, “I''m a resident here. Just got back from a trip abroad. Could you let me in, please?"


    After confirming her identity, the guard''s demeanor changed in an instant.


    "Wee home, Ms. Turner-please drive in."


    Yasmine''s car rolled through the gates without a hitch.


    Thest time Ms. Turner had shown her deed to this address, Yasmine had been stunned. You couldn''t buy a ce here with money alone.


    "Wait for me in the car," Victoria said as they parked. "I need to do this alone."


    George had warned her: K was unpredictable, and if she annoyed him even once, she''d never get another chance.


    Victoria discovered, to her surprise, that K lived on the same floor as her own apartment.


    Unfortunately, her ess card only allowed her to reach her own floor. To get to K''s, she''d have to climb nearly fifteen flights of stairs.


    She sighed. For a genius like this, she''d go the extra mile-literally.


    Thankfully, she was fit, and fifteen floors didn''t faze her.


    Atst, she reached K''s door and rang the bell.


    No answer. She waited, then pressed her ear to the door, wondering if anyone was home.


    Just as her cheek touched the wood, the door swung open.


    "Who are you looking for?" asked a young man with a strikingly handsome, boyish face.


    The only thing that didn''t fit the picture was his wild, messy hair. He looked half- awake—even though it was already 6 PM, he seemed like he''d just rolled out of


    bed.


    He eyed Victoria warily. She blinked in surprise. "Excuse me, is your father home?"


    The boy''s lips curled into a smirk. "My dad? Been dead for years. Wrong grave,dy."


    He started to close the door, but Victoria wedged her foot inside.


    "Sorry to intrude," she said quickly. "I''m here to see K. Is he in?"


    She figured it was just a prank-maybe the kid was trying to mess with her.


    Resolved, she decided to be upfront about her purpose.


    The boy studied her for a long moment.


    "Come in. Sit wherever you want. Who sent you?"


    Victoria hesitated. This was K? She''d imagined someone nearly thirty—a genius programmer at the top of his game. Yet here he was, looking more like a teenager.