Chapter 237
No.1
Two days later.
The violent storms had finally passed, leaving the Manhattan night sky clear and glowing with the ambient red light of the city.
Elisa stood on the massive, wrap-around terrace of the Penthouse. She wore a pair of loose, faded gray cotton sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. She looked completely out of place in the multi-million dollar architectural masterpiece, and she didn't care.
She had her wireless earbuds in, talking to Jewel.
"The Chambers Group's hidden subsidiary servers-the ones August is using to secretly absorb Vanguard's remaining IP-are completely exposed,"Jewel's voice crackled through the earpiece,vibrating with excitement. "Our new Al algorithm bypassed their firewall in three seconds. We are ready to execute the data wipe and leak the transfer records."
No.2
Elisa leaned against the glass railing, staring down at the city traffic. "Good. Keep the backdoor open, but don't pull the trigger until the Chambers annual shareholder meeting next week."
Ding.
The sharp,crystal-clear chime of the private elevator echoed from inside the living room.
Elisa stopped talking. She turned her head, looking through the massive floor-to-céiling glass doors.
The steel elevator doors slid open.
No.3
A group of people spilled out into the pristine living room. They were loud, carrying heavy designer duffel bags and custom snowboards.
August walked out first. He wore a heavy, dark navy cashmere turtleneck and a tailored wool overcoat.His jaw was clenched tight, his handsome face shadowed with exhaustion and dark fury.
Allena was clinging to his arm, wearing expensive,fur-lined après-ski boots. Devon and Cyprian followed closely behind, laughing about something that happened on the private jet.
Elisa's phone call had worked. August had aborted the Swiss trip and flown back to deal with the crisis.
Elisa stood in the shadows of the terrace. She didn't hide. She watched them parade into her prison.
No.4
"I have rats in the house," Elisa murmured into the microphone. "I'll call you back." She tapped her earbud,cutting the connection.
Inside, Allena dropped her designer bag on the sofa.She stretched her arms over her head, complaining loudly about the turbulence. She turned toward the glass doors to look at the city view.
Her eyes scanned the dark terrace.
Allena froze. Her mouth dropped open. A high-pitched, blood-curdling scream ripped from her throat.
"Ahhh!" Allena shrieked, stumbling backward and throwing her arms around August's waist.
No.5
The entire group stopped dead. Devon dropped a snowboard. Cyprian's head snapped toward the glass.
August's dark eyes locked onto the figure standing
on the balcony. His pupils dilated rapidly.
Elisa pushed the heavy glass door open. She stepped out of the cold night air and into the brightly lit living room. She kept her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her cheap sweatpants.
Her face was a mask of absolute, chilling indifference.
No.6
"What the hell are you doing here?" Allena screamed,pointing a shaking finger at Elisa. She looked up at August, her eyes wide with panicked jealousy. "You said she was gone! Why is she in our house?"
August didn't look at Allena. He puled her arms off his waist and took three long, aggressive strides toward Elisa.
He stopped two feet away from her. His massive frame towered over her, radiating a suffocating,violent heat. He looked at her casual clothes, at her relaxed posture.
"What kind of sick game are you playing, Elisa?"August demanded. His voice was a low, dangerous rumble that vibrated in her chest.
He was furious. He genuinely believed that her phone call about the decree was a desperate, pathetic lie designed to ruin his vacation and force him to come back to her.
No.7
Elisa looked up into his angry, arrogant eyes.
A slow, razor-sharp smile spread across her face. It was a smile completely devoid of warmth.
"A game?" Elisa asked, her voice calm and crystal clear, echoing through the silent room. "Mr.Chambers, you severely overestimate your own charm."