The café was dark except for the pale glow of monitors.
Lines of code raced across the screens, reflected in the faint blue light that painted Lena Park's face.
Her hood was still up, her mask discarded beside the keyboard. Her eyes — sharp, focused, unreadable — darted between windows as data scrolled faster than the human eye could track.
A voice spoke through her headset, filtered through static.
"PX, I've got another path. If we dig deep enough, we might find something on Solaris Tech. Their offshore records aren't as clean as they pretend. If we leak that, we can bring them down."
Lena's fingers paused above the keys. For a moment, only the hum of machines filled the silence.
Then she shook her head. "No. We can't."
"Why not?" the voice demanded. "They're the reason Ethan Iver's life is falling apart! You said yourself—"
"I know what I said," she cut in, her tone sharp but calm. "But you don't understand what you're talking about."
She leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing as she opened a digital map of global corporate connections.
Names and numbers filled the display, each line representing influence, control, or hidden funding.
"Solaris Tech isn't just a company," she said quietly. "It's a branch — one of many — of the Vale network."
Her partner hesitated. "The Vale… as in—"
"The Vale empire," she finished. "They own casino chains across three continents, control private military contracts, and have direct influence over at least one state's economy in the U.S. The man behind all of it is untouchable. And Adam Vale's father is his cousin."
There was a low whistle on the other end. "So, we're talking about a family that could erase anyone who gets in their way."
"Exactly," Lena replied, her voice steady. "If Solaris Tech takes a hit, the Vale empire won't just defend it — they'll retaliate. And if they trace it back to me, the Park family will take the fallout. Both families have a pending business merger. Any scandal right now could collapse it."
Her tone hardened. "That means no direct attack. Not yet."
Her partner was quiet for a while. Then, softly, "So what's the plan, PX?"
Lena's eyes glinted as she opened another interface — St. Helens Academy – Administrative Network Access.
"The Vice Principal," she said. "Roland Halstrom. He's the one Adam bribed to ruin Ethan's academic record. If I can find what he's hiding, I can force him to fix what he broke."
"Blackmail?"
"Leverage," she corrected. "And insurance."
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, bypassing the first layer of encryption with ease. The school's database was outdated, its security built more for appearances than protection. Within seconds, she was inside.
[Access Granted: Administrative Level]
She opened Halstrom's private folder, scanning through expense reports and communication logs. Dozens of files filled the screen — each labeled, dated, and mostly mundane. But PX knew where to look.
"Come on, you coward…" she murmured, fingers moving faster. "What are you hiding?"
She found it fifteen minutes later.
Hidden behind a false file extension — Project Funding Report_2019.docx — was a record of offshore transactions. Money transfers, discreet and recurring, all tied to a private account under Solaris Tech.
"Got you," she whispered.
A few more keystrokes, and the files were duplicated to her private drive. She drafted a message and attached the evidence, her words precise and cold.
To: Vice Principal Roland Halstrom
Subject: Compensation and Correction**
I know about the payments from Solaris Tech. I also know which student's record you altered. You have 24 hours to reverse it and restore his academic standing. Fail, and this evidence goes to the education board, local press, and every online platform I can access. Consider this your only warning.
She hit send.
The message was untraceable — routed through dozens of proxy servers across three countries.
Leaning back, Lena exhaled slowly.
"That should buy him a future," she said quietly.
Her partner's voice returned. "You think he'll actually do it?"
"He doesn't have a choice."
Lena removed her headset and stood, stretching the stiffness from her shoulders. The screens dimmed behind her, returning the café's back room to shadow.
As she reached for her hoodie, her eyes drifted toward the window — the night sky glowing faintly above the city. Somewhere out there, Ethan was still fighting.
"Adam Vale…" she murmured, her tone colder now. "If you ever touch him again… I'll show you what PX can really do."
With that, she slipped out of the café, disappearing into the dark streets once more.
Downtown Park – The Same Time
The streetlights buzzed faintly overhead. The air smelled of dust and rain, sharp with tension.
Ethan's body was moving before he even thought.
The first man came at him with a straight jab — quick, efficient. Ethan ducked to the side, the punch grazing his shoulder, and countered with a sharp blow to the ribs. The man grunted, stumbling half a step back.
The second attacker lunged in from the right, foot slicing upward in a kick aimed at Ethan's side. Ethan twisted, letting the blow skim his shirt, and slammed his elbow into the man's knee before spinning low to deliver a sweeping leg kick.
CRACK!
The man lost balance and fell backward.
Ethan pivoted on instinct, catching the first man's next punch midair and shoving him back with a solid strike to the chest. The hit landed clean, the shock of impact reverberating through Ethan's knuckles.
They regrouped quickly — professionals — and attacked together.
Hands met hands, kicks met kicks.
Every movement echoed with the rhythm of controlled violence.
But Ethan was holding his own.
His body no longer felt sluggish or slow. His reflexes had sharpened; his strikes landed heavier. The stat increase had balanced the scales.
The first man swung low. Ethan stepped aside and used the opening to drive a knee into his opponent's abdomen. Air exploded from the man's lungs, his face twisting in pain.
The second rushed forward, aiming high. Ethan shifted his weight, blocked with his forearm, and spun — the motion fluid, instinctive — his leg cutting through the air in a clean arc.
THUD!
The spinning kick connected with the man's jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The other man tried to recover, pushing himself up, but Ethan didn't give him the chance.
He stepped in, twisted his hips, and launched another kick — a powerful left spin that caught the man squarely in the shoulder.
The impact lifted him off his feet and sent him crashing into the dirt.
Both men lay on the ground, groaning, barely conscious.
Ethan stood above them, chest heaving, his shirt torn and streaked with blood. His breathing was steady now, controlled.
He'd done it.
He looked down at his trembling hands. They hurt — badly — but they were steady.
Behind him, the woman he'd been protecting stared in shock. "You… you actually beat them…"
Ethan turned slightly, wiping sweat from his brow. "I told you, didn't I? I don't like losing."
He walked toward her and extended a hand. "Come on. We're leaving."
She hesitated for a moment, then took it.
Ethan helped her to her feet and guided her toward the park's entrance. His car waited under the streetlight — sleek, dark, engine purring softly.
He opened the passenger door for her, making sure she was inside before sliding behind the wheel.
As he started the car, he glanced once at the rearview mirror. The two men were still down, struggling to rise but failing.
He shifted gears. "Hold on."
The car rolled forward, tires crunching over gravel as they left the park behind.
The city lights stretched out ahead, a glowing river of gold and white.
Ethan's grip tightened on the steering wheel. He didn't know who those men worked for or why the woman had been targeted — but he had a feeling this was only the beginning.
He had a mission to finish.
And somewhere out there, someone — maybe Lena — was already moving against the same enemy.
The night deepened, wrapping the city in shadow as the car disappeared into the distance.