Page 8 of Corrupt Me

Mia rolls her eyes at me. We share the same silver eyes and black hair. “That will never happen. He’s with Bailey, but I thought I’d greet you.”

Something unpleasant unfolds in me. Bailey trusts Blake. She listens to him. All she gives me is attitude—but I’d take that over her silence any day. I hated that silent battle we had going on for weeks.

“I worry about you.”

“Sis, I’m fine.”

“You haven’t been fine since Mom died,” she whispers.

“Don’t.”

“Please talk to me.”

No, I will never tell my sister how weak I was. No one will ever know.

Ever since I was a child, if something interested me, I learned it by myself. My parents never showed interest in teaching me, and the governesses Grandmother hired focused more on instilling good manners. Meanwhile, Grandmother constantly reminded us of our roles and duties.

Every Friday, we had to sit at the dinner table while Grandmother drilled into us that Family comes first, and we come second. All we had to know by heart was to respect and follow the rules. That also implied excelling in school.

I forgot when exactly my fascination with hacking awakened, but once I discovered there’s a whole other world behind the regular web, I was intrigued. Deciphering the language of coding opened a new universe, and I crawled deeper and deeper to uncover its mysteries. Once I felt that addictive power at the tips of my fingers, everything changed. Plus, I loved the anonymity it provided me. It’s never about gender, your last name, or even where you come from. You’re known by a handle, which becomes your identity and reputation.

I learned some things by observing others, and some I stumbled upon and had to learn on my own.

I am studying for a dual degree in IT and media. As I sit in class, the professor drones on about the advancement of digital technology and multi-platform news publication. Meanwhile, I’m focused on implementing a security program for my next class. The course is advanced, and the professor handpicked twenty students, and I’m one of them, even though I learned how to do this years ago.

Maybe it was my own hubris, thinking I was untouchable behind the screens—until I got hacked. That was one hell of a shove, jolting me from my comfort zone.

Sitting beside me in class is Eric Whitney, heir to another media mogul. My father has been trying to overtake the Whitney’s company for years but has been unsuccessful. I steal a glance at him. With his impeccably styled brown hair and polished appearance, he oozes an old-money vibe. I really don’t want to believe he’s the one who betrayed me, but I can’t ignore the fact that he’s the only one in my vicinity who could have. It wouldn’t be the first time a guy tried to befriend me just to get information. But while I trust Hunter’s motives—keeping us safe and following a code—it’s not the same with Eric.

It could be paranoia or my gut instinct, but after two months of diligently planning, I needed to get closer to him. While we have known each other for years, there was nothing more on my part.

I avoided letting anyone near me. Having a weakness meant the Family could use it against me and take it away. My friends’ torturous initiations only proved that. And I was content, not needing more than my group of friends and my laptop. It has been enough for me. Relationships demand effort, and I wanted to use my time to hone my coding skills.

Hacking Eric’s phone and laptop would be easier, but I don’t want to raise any alarms. If he was the one who did it, he must have safety protocols in place. I refuse to ever be fooled again.

That’s why I take my sweet time when the class ends. Once in a while, Eric asks me if I’d like to go out. My answer has always been, “Maybe another time.”

“This is the first time you’re not rushing out of class,” he says, sounding pleased.

Quiet people are often seen as dense—a fallacy, really, because when everyone talks around you, you can catch what’s important. It’s easier to pick up their reasons and motivations. That’s a skill I perfected.

I shrug, not wanting to make it too easy or make him suspicious.

“It’s just a lot, you know.” While I am not a damsel in distress, I have no problem playing that part, knowing it would give him the occasion to swoop right in like the knight in shining armor he so badly wants to be. He’ll be so screwed if he messes with me.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“I wouldn’t want to . . .” I bite my lip in a faux coy gesture, and his attention shifts there.

“Nonsense, I’ll pick you up at eight.”

“Okay.”

He grins at me, not a flicker of doubt in his mind. I’ve been steadily watering that seed.

He walks away with a pep in his step. Oh, if he’s the one who betrayed me, I am going to ruin his life. He’ll never be able to show his face in public again.

The moment I leave the lecture hall, I see Hunter. Our eyes meet across the main campus. We never walk side-by-side. We exist in this strange alternate place where nothing happens while everything happens.

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