Leo said, "Hurry over, my mom's already tidied up your room. The bedding's been washed and sun-dried."
Anya sighed, "Alright then."
Anya, albeit reluctantly, went to pack her bags.
Leo watched her from the roadside, "Don't bother with heavy coats; I'll get you some when winter comes. And pack fewer socks; I can always buy you more. Babe, why are you taking that blanket? Our house... Hello?! Ugh, hung up on me again."
Frustrated, Leo put down his phone.
He couldn't shake the feeling that their roles had reversed since he last saw Anya.
Tired of Chad's incessant nagging, Anya ended the video call and continued packing with newfound efficiency.
Resigned to the situation, Leo noticed a location shared in his chat group. Putting his phone aside, he drove to the usual hacker hangout.
"Look who's here! Leo, where's that fancy McLaren of yours? Why the switch to a sedan?"
Curiosity buzzed among the group.
Leo walked in, joking, "Girlfriends are expensive, had to sell the car to keep up."
"Is that the girl from last time? She's all over your profile pic."
Leo nodded with a grin, "Yeah, she's got an appetite, costs me a fortune."
Sensing Leo's reluctance to share more, they teased him before getting serious. "Leo, we've got a gig for you, interested?"
"What kind of gig?" Leo asked.
Lowering his voice, a man leaned in, "We're talking about hacking the dark web. The payout's fifty million. If we pull it off, we split it."
Leo's smile faded to a skeptical look, then forced a grin, "Taozi, you're joking, right? That's the dark web. It's not like we can just waltz in and out. I'd love the cash, but I'm not that good."
The man, an IT guy at Leo's company, nudged him, "Rumor has it someone did it solo, like a cyber god. The whole dark web's on edge looking for them. It's a good time for us to move. Fifty million split ten ways is five million each. That's more than ten years' salary. Let's give it a shot, and if it doesn't pan out, no harm done."
Leo shook his head, "I'm worried we'll get traced and end up in trouble."
"Plus, with the salary you're pulling in, why not play it straight? The dark web's risky."
Some were tempted, others unsure.
Taozi continued, "Look, none of us are here to play it safe. Leo, you've got to take risks while you're young. If we make it, I'd quit my job in a heartbeat."
Leo firmly declined, "I should go. My girl's gonna freak if she can't reach me."
A guy grabbed Leo's wrist, "Leo, we all know your skills. You have to be in on this."
Leo replied, "I'm not good enough to pull it off."
"Just try it." The guy insisted, refusing to let Leo go.
The group looked at Leo. "Forget the dark web. Let's test ourselves against Cedillo Inc. If we can crack it, then we'll consider the dark web. If not, we drop it, deal?"
Leo: "... Hacking my own company?"
"Pick another one."
The group was puzzled. "Why?"
Leo explained, "You really want to mess with someone like Andre? The dark web might just send a warning, but Andre won't tolerate any nonsense on his turf. Have you thought about the consequences?"
"Why hasn't anyone dared to hack Cedillo Inc.? Because those who tried vanished without a trace."
"Think it over. Is risking everything for an unlikely fifty million worth it?"
Leo's words made everyone reconsider the idea of hacking Cedillo Inc. Messing with Andre seemed more terrifying than the dark web.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Please edit seems like a nice novel but not readable...
the novel status is showing as completed but it is not and what About the left over chapters...