~Lucian's House~
~Early Morning*
The pale light of dawn seeped through the tall windows of Lucian's austere, immaculate home. Lucian stood silently by the entrance, dressed sharply in a tailored black suit, his posture rigid and controlled. His gaze was fixed ahead, expression unreadable, as Ivy prepared herself to leave.Ivy moved with deliberate casualness, pulling on oversized, loose-fitting clothes—a hoodie, baggy pants, and scuffed sneakers—her demeanor unfazed by the contrast to Lucian's strict formality.
Lucian notices her outfit and raises an eyebrow in surprise—but it quickly fades as he recalls the fearless woman who hacked two major companies in one day. No more surprise. He silently follows her to the car.
During the drive to the company, Lucian remains calm and collected, while Ivy taps away on her laptop, preparing to tackle the hacker threatening Reign Dynamics.
~Reign Dynamics~
– CEO Office*
The office was quiet, filled only with the soft hum of electronics and the rhythmic scratching of Lucian's pen against paper. Ivy sat on the sleek leather couch, clad in a tomboyish black hoodie and cargo pants, her posture relaxed but focused. Her laptop rested on her thighs, screen glowing with lines of code she manipulated like second nature. Lucian barely glanced at her, but the awareness of her presence was constant, evident in the occasional twitch of his eyes toward her direction.
Victor stood near the bookshelves, occasionally peeking over Ivy's shoulder, clearly fascinated by what she was doing but too respectful to ask. The atmosphere was smooth, professional—until the doors flung open with their usual offending bang.
Adrian, Lucian's younger brother, entered like a whirlwind of energy and color. The contrast between him and the room was jarring—loose sweatshirt, tousled hair, casual smile. He strode in, already speaking, ignoring Lucian's icy glance and Victor's raised brow.
Adrian's eyes landed on Ivy. She didn't bother looking up at first, but his presence was hard to ignore. When she did lift her gaze, it was with the sort of detached sharpness she used to keep most people away. But Adrian wasn't like most people. Instead of backing off, he grinned wider and flopped down beside her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Ivy froze slightly. Then, unexpectedly, something shifted.
There was something about Adrian—his lack of agenda, his vibrant sincerity—that reminded her of someone else. Someone she had nearly buried beneath years of training and control: her younger brother. The resemblance wasn't physical, but the energy, the carefree mischief, the warmth—it made something in her chest ache.
Her fingers slowed on the keyboard. When Adrian leaned in curiously, Ivy didn't stop him. In fact, after a beat, she tilted the screen toward him and typed slower, letting him watch. A ghost of a smile touched the corners of her lips, barely there, but real.
Lucian, sitting behind his desk, noticed immediately. He looked up from his files and studied her. There was no irritation in her eyes, no wall between her and Adrian. Only a soft, distant kind of sadness—the kind born of memory—and a rare openness. The realization that she could be soft with someone was not lost on him.
Adrian, oblivious to the weight of what was unfolding, watched Ivy's screen with eager fascination, nodding along. Their shoulders were close. She even nudged his elbow once when he leaned too far, a touch that carried neither warning nor rejection—just gentle correction.
For the first time since Ivy had entered Reign Dynamics, the atmosphere in the CEO's office felt something almost impossible.
Warm.
Adrian glanced up from the laptop, eyes bright with curiosity. "So, how does this hacking thing even work? Like, what do you do first?"
Ivy paused, then answered quietly, her voice softer than anyone expected. "You look for weak points. Places where the system isn't watching closely enough."
Adrian nodded, leaning closer, fascinated. "And how do you stay undetected?"
Her gaze flicked toward him, calm and steady. "You move fast. Don't leave traces."
Lucian, sitting behind his desk, stiffened at the unexpected gentleness in her voice. He hadn't heard Ivy speak like this—so controlled yet so soft—ever before. His eyes narrowed, studying her carefully, a flicker of surprise crossing his otherwise impassive face.
Adrian, oblivious to Lucian's reaction, smiled wide. "I want to learn everything. You could teach me, right?"
Ivy's lips curved into the faintest smile, barely there. "Maybe."
The room fell into a quiet pause. Lucian's cold stare softened for a fraction of a second as he processed this new side of Ivy—a side he hadn't seen before.
Adrian's excitement was infectious as he settled back, eyes locked on Ivy's hands moving swiftly across the keyboard. "So, what's the toughest part about hacking into a place like Reign Dynamics?"
Ivy's soft voice broke the silence again. "Bypassing security without triggering alarms. Every system has layers. You have to peel them back one by one, carefully."
Lucian watched quietly, his mind calculating. This girl wasn't just a threat—she was something else. He felt the faintest pang of respect, though he'd never admit it aloud.
Adrian leaned forward again, genuinely eager. "Does it scare you? Doing all this risky stuff?"
Ivy looked up, eyes meeting his, unflinching. "Not if you have a reason."
Adrian's smile faded a little. "Yeah? What's your reason?"
Before Ivy could answer, Lucian cleared his throat sharply, reminding them both who was in charge. Adrian shot a quick, apologetic glance toward his brother, then back at Ivy, who simply nodded and returned to her work.
The tension in the room shifted—what started as a cold, business-like atmosphere had softened, layered now with unspoken understanding.
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