?Chapter 153:


    Cole had taken Paulina’s advice and decided to steer clear of the Evans family estate for now, giving Elliana some room to cool off. Last night, he’d burned the midnight oil at the office, crashing in the CEO’s swanky private suite when the hours got toote.


    Tonight was shaping up to be more of the same. Just as he was about to power down hisputer and call it a night, a red g popped up—the Evans Group’swork had been breached.


    In today’s world, cybersecurity was no joke, especially for a titan like the Evans Group. They had a crack team of cyber pros who could sniff out even the tiniest glitch in the system.


    But tonight? Someone had gotten into thework like a ghost, and the cybersecurity crew was none the wiser.


    Cole was ready to blow a gasket, itching to grill the team on how they’d dropped the ball so hard. But then he saw the intruder’s handle—Quinn—and his anger fizzled out.


    He knew Quinn’s reputation. The Evans Group’s cyber team was top-tier, but next to Quinn? They were small potatoes. Quinn’s hacking skills were like something out of a sci-fi flick—no surprise the team hadn’t caught a whiff of the breach.


    Instead of sounding the rm, Cole’s curiosity got the better of him. He plopped down, ready to tango with this intruder. He sent a message under his hacker handle—Jody—asking about Quinn’s motives, and got a quick reply. “How much does Cole pay you to work for him?”


    Cole smirked, typing back. “What do you reckon he shells out for me?”


    On the other end, Elliana’s brow furrowed as she read the response. Five years ago, her run-in with Jody was short but left a mark. Jody was all business—cool, direct, no fluff. No way they’d be trading yful jabs like this. Had five years turned Jody into some bored, chatty loner looking to chat?


    She wasn’t here to waste time, so she cut to the chase.


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    “With your skills, Cole’s gotta be paying you a fortune. No shade. I just want to make a deal.”


    Cole replied, “Oh? Lay it on me.”


    Elliana said, “Whatever Cole’s paying, I’ll double it. All you gotta do is step aside and let me grab what I need.”


    Cole shot back, “What, you some kind of big-shot tycoon now?”


    Elliana paused, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. No way could she admit to being a tycoon—that’d risk blowing her cover.


    “My boss is the big shot. If you stay out of my way, he’ll pay whatever you want.”


    Cole asked, “Your boss got deeper pockets than Cole?”


    Elliana froze, stumped. Was she richer than Cole? Not likely. Cole’s wealth was like an ocean—she couldn’t swim in that league.


    Cole added, “If your boss can’t outspend Cole, why would I ditch him for you?”


    Elliana stayed quiet.


    Cole pressed, “Why don’t you jump ship? Come work for my boss, Cole. He’s got an eye for talent and would match any offer you’ve got.”


    Elliana gritted her teeth. Jody was slippery as an eel! She shot back, “I don’t betray my boss.”


    Cole replied, “Sorry, pal. I’m not the backstabbing type either.”


    Elliana asked, “So, we’re settling this with a showdown?”


    Cole said, “Bring it on!”


    Elliana muttered a curse under her breath and unleashed her attack.


    The city slept, its usual hustle drowned in the quiet of the night. Nobody knew two world-ss hackers were locked in a digital cage match inside the Evans Group’swork. No rms went off, but the duel was pure fire. Their moves were lightning-fast, fueled by the thrill of facing a real rival. Eyes zing, they traded blows with relentless determination.


    After an hour of all-out warfare, neither had the upper hand. It was a textbook stalemate—two masters perfectly matched.


    Elliana was the first to tap out. The second she paused, Cole followed suit.


    Cole, still raring to go, typed, “Round two?”


    Elliana replied, “Nah.”


    Jody asked, “What’s the holdup?”


    Elliana said, “I’m beat.”


    Jody shot back, “Fair enough. Catch some Z’s. Night.”


    Elliana texted, “Goodnight.”


    After exchanging goodnights, Elliana bolted from the Evans Group’swork. In truth, she flopped onto her bed, exasperated. If it hadn’t been for the risk of tipping off Cole, she would have gone toe-to-toe with Jody until sunrise—or until one of them came out on top.


    But she couldn’t afford to y fast and loose. With Cole lurking behind Jody, one wrong move could spell trouble.


    After logging out, she mmed herptop shut and copsed onto her bed, frustration bubbling over. She hadn’t expected the Evans Group to have a cyber guard dog like Jody. Snagging Cole’s personal data was turning into a real headache.


    It only deepened her confusion. As Quinn, even she couldn’t easily crack Cole’s info. So how the heck had the mystery mastermind behind their marriage registration pulled it off? The more she chewed on it, the more it gnawed at her.


    Unable to resist, she flipped herptop open and dove back into the Evans Group’swork.


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