Chapter 108: Who are you going to pick up?
Chapter 108: Who are you going to pick up?
(Olivia’s POV)
The taxi pulled up to the villa community entrance just as my phone rang. Alpha Asher White’s voice crackled through the speaker, urgent and excited.
“Olivia, the defense company found the suspect’s IP address!”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Someone had beaten me to it? My own system was ready to deploy tomorrow morning.
“I’ll be right there,” I said, already leaning forward to redirect the driver.
Twenty minutes later, I burst through the doors of the Council Hall. The computer room buzzed with activity, technicians hunched over glowing screens.
Alpha White rushed to greet me, his face a mixture of hope and frustration. “They located a regional IP, but it’s useless for pinpointing an individual.”
I studied the data on the main screen. Just as I suspected – amateur work.
“Alpha White,” I said, moving to an empty workstation. “Based on the habits of these cyber thieves, I’ve created a trap system.”
His eyes lit up with desperate hope. “What kind of trap?”
My fingers flew across the keyboard as I explained. “Once they trigger it, the system will follow them all the way to their source. No matter how many servers they bounce through.”
“Good! What do we do now?”
I pulled up the bank’s network architecture. “We install the system into the bank’s network and wait for it to be triggered.”
The room fell into tense silence. All eyes fixed on the main screen as we waited.
Suddenly, a blue dot flickered to life on the digital map.
The phone rang immediately. “Council Hall, this is Stonehaven Central Bank. We’re reporting a theft of over one million dollars!”
Instantly, a red dot appeared on screen – my system, locking onto the blue dot’s trail like a predator stalking prey.
“Are we close to catching them?” Alpha White asked, the weight of the half–month investigation heavy in his voice.
“Not yet,” I replied, watching the intricate dance unfold. “They’re routing through tens of thousands of servers, covering half of Americas‘ internet!”
The blue dot weaved through the digital landscape, creating a maze of false trails. But my red dot followed relentlessly, learning, adapting.
The tension mounted as the blue dot circled back, drawing nearer to its source.
In a flash, the red dot shot forward in a straight line, striking and consuming the blue one.
My hands moved with practiced speed. A 3D model materialized on screen – a towering office building clearly labeled:
Mooncrest Industries.
“It’s the 21st floor!” I announced.
(Alpha Asher White’s POV)
“Move out immediately!” I barked, mobilizing everyone in the room.
As my team prepared to leave, a subordinate approached cautiously. “Alpha, that’s Alpha Caelan Mooncrest’s company. His connections run deep…”
I cut him off with a sharp gesture. “I don’t care what powerful Alpha he’s relying on. Call the United Council’s law enforcement and our warriors to join us!”
Olivia stepped forward. “Alpha, I should come with you to prevent the suspect from destroying evidence.”
We stormed through the lobby of Mooncrest Industries, pushing past bewildered security guards. The elevator ride to the 21st floor felt endless.
Olivia pointed to a corner office. “The signal was tracked from the first–floor server room and disappeared here.”
She froze, her face draining of color as she stared at the nameplate: “Computer Manager – Silvanus Thorne Jr.”
“What is it?” I demanded.
“This name…” she whispered. “It’s sickeningly familiar.”
My warriors broke down the door with a thunderous crash. Olivia rushed inside, connecting her laptop to the computer with swift, practiced movements.
“These computers are definitely the source,” she confirmed, her voice tight. “The stolen funds were deposited into Silvanus Jr.’s bank account.”
“Arrest him now!” I ordered.
But as my team began to move, I noticed Olivia’s expression change. Something was wrong.
(Olivia’s POV)
An uneasy feeling enveloped me like a suffocating blanket. My mental power, usually sharp and clear, felt restricted within this building.
Something was preventing me from investigating deeper.
I looked up and met a pair of cold, calculating eyes. Caelan Mooncrest stood in the doorway, his presence like ice water in my veins.
I recognized him from the Kane family gathering – Matthew’s political rival.
He approached with a disarming smile that never reached his eyes. “Isn’t this Matthew’s mate? What are you doing working with Uncle Asher?”
His voice scraped like rusted silver on stone.
“She’s a consultant here,” Alpha White said dismissively, then turned his attention to Caelan. “We need to discuss your employee, Silvanus Thorne Jr.”
Caelan maintained his gentle demeanor, tilting his head with false concern. “I haven’t seen little Silvanus in two days. Quite troubling, really.”
“He’s stolen over a million dollars from the central bank,” Alpha White pressed.
“Perhaps he had accomplices,” Caelan suggested, his smile turning morbid and strange. “I wouldn’t know about these things. I only understand business.”
Alpha White’s jaw tightened. “We’ll uproot any and all culprits involved in this scheme.”
*15 PONES >
Caelan’s response was nothing but a faint, chilling laugh that made my skin crawl.
(Third–person’s POV)
After Olivia and Alpha White’s team left, Caelan returned to his 88th floor office. He walked to the liquor cabinet and picked up a crystal glass.
His fingers tightened around it until it shattered, blood dripping from his palm.
A shadow emerged from behind the bookshelf – Silvanus Thorne Jr., trembling like a cornered animal.
“Alpha Caelan, I’ve been exposed. What should I do next?”
Caelan pulled out his phone, showing Olivia’s photo on the screen. His eyes gleamed with malicious intent.
“Kidnap her. Kill her. Throw her into the river.” His voice was calm, businesslike. “I’ll give you five million dollars to help you escape afterward.”
Little Silvanus nodded eagerly and slipped away into the shadows.
Meanwhile, at The Vance Athenaeum, Theodore had been waiting outside Killian’s villa for hours. His hope drained away like water through a sieve.
His sentinel’s voice crackled through the radio. “Alpha, the case was solved by an expert. Our help is no longer needed.”
A dark, dangerous aura enveloped Theodore like a storm cloud. His patience had finally snapped.
He strode to the villa and rang the bell with violent force.
A frightened young nurse named Selena opened the door, her eyes wide with terror. “Who are you looking for?”
“Where is Killian Vance? Tell him to come out and see me,” Theodore commanded, pushing past her into the foyer.
Selena scurried upstairs, her footsteps echoing in the silence.
Killian was still on the phone, his voice gentle and concerned. “You’re too tired. Find a place to rest for a while. I’ll pick you up now.”
A cold voice cut through the air like a blade. “Who are you going to pick up? My mate?”
A year apart had made Theodore’s presence much stronger and more terrifying than before. The very air seemed to vibrate with his barely contained rage.
Killian froze upon seeing him, the phone trembling in his hand.
Theodore snatched the device away, pressing it to his ear. The voice he had been dreaming of for months filled his
senses.
“Then I’ll rest for a bit.”
