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Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: The Unmasking

The final day of the hackathon had the atmosphere of a battlefield. Teams huddled around glowing screens, last-minute debugging mixed with frantic whispering. For Tina, every keystroke felt like walking through quicksand. She was working, but the messages from Dev still played in the back of her mind like a malicious echo.

Ishaan, however, had been silent all morning — but his silence wasn't passive. His eyes burned with focus, scanning every corner of the room, every move Dev made.

When their team left for a break, Ishaan pulled Mira aside.

"Stay with Tina," he said. "I'll be back."

Mira frowned. "What are you—?"

"I'm done watching them destroy her," he said, voice tight. "Time to end this."

---

Ishaan found Dev near the back hallway of the lab, leaning against the wall with that infuriating grin. Riya stood nearby, pretending to scroll through her phone.

"Dev," Ishaan said, his voice low but razor-sharp. "We need to talk."

Dev raised an eyebrow. "About what? Your girlfriend's meltdown yesterday? She's… fragile, huh?"

Ishaan's fists clenched. "You're done messing with her. I know about the fake photos."

Dev laughed, slow and mocking. "Fake? Who says they're fake? Maybe people just see the truth when it's finally shown."

Before Ishaan could react, Riya chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, relax, hero. You can't protect Tina from the world. Some people just break easier. And honestly? Watching her squirm is kind of nostalgic."

Ishaan stepped closer, his voice now like steel. "You think you're untouchable? I've seen the metadata on those files. The IP addresses. The timestamp logs. I know you sent them, Dev. And I have proof."

Dev's grin faltered. "You're bluffing."

Ishaan pulled out his phone. "Am I? I recorded every message. Every threat. I even have screenshots of your cloud folder — courtesy of someone on the security team who's tired of your crap."

Riya's face paled. "You… you hacked us?"

"No," Ishaan said coldly. "I just know how to follow digital footprints. Something you're too arrogant to hide."

---

That afternoon, as the hackathon finals began, Ishaan made his move. Each team was allowed a short introduction before presenting their project. When it was Team 7's turn, Ishaan walked up to the mic with Tina and Mira beside him.

"We built an encryption system designed to protect people's privacy," Ishaan began, his voice steady. "But before I talk about our work, I need to say something important."

Tina looked at him, startled. "Ishaan—"

He glanced at her, and the look in his eyes said everything: Trust me.

"There's a reason this project matters so much to us," Ishaan continued, his voice carrying across the room. "Because some people think it's okay to weaponize data. To spread lies. To humiliate others for fun."

Dev shifted in his seat. Riya's perfect smile slipped.

Ishaan tapped his laptop, and the screen behind them lit up. A series of screenshots appeared — not the fake photos, but proof of the messages Dev had sent. The timestamps. The threats. The fake image files clearly tagged with Dev's account handle.

Gasps rippled through the audience.

"This is what our competitor did," Ishaan said, his tone sharp. "This is how he tried to break someone who deserved nothing but respect."

The professor looked furious. "Dev… is this true?"

Dev's face turned red. "This is… this is fake! He's lying!"

"Check the metadata yourself," Ishaan shot back. "Or ask Riya. She helped."

Riya's eyes widened. "I—I didn't—" She stammered, caught between denial and panic.

---

For a moment, the room spun around Tina. Part of her wanted to disappear, to curl into herself and let the noise drown her out. But something shifted — something in Ishaan's unwavering stance, in Mira's hand gripping hers tightly.

She stood up.

"Everything they tried to do," she said, her voice carrying, "is exactly why I built this system. Because privacy matters. Because people like them think they can control you with fear. I'm done being afraid."

Her words fell like thunder. The audience, stunned a moment before, erupted into applause — not just for the project, but for her.

Dev's protest was drowned out. Riya sat frozen, pale and trembling. Professor Shalini made a quick call to the organizers. Within minutes, Dev and Riya were escorted out of the hall, their chances of competing gone.

---

When the session ended, Tina stepped outside into the rain-soaked courtyard. The air smelled like wet earth and electricity.

Ishaan joined her. "You okay?"

She looked at him, really looked. "You didn't have to do that. You risked everything."

"Some things are worth the risk," he said quietly. "You're worth it."

Her heart stuttered. For a long moment, neither spoke. The rain dripped from the awning above, a slow rhythm against the chaos of her thoughts.

Finally, Tina smiled — small, tired, but real. "Thank you, Ishaan."

He grinned softly. "Always."

---

To be continued…

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