Page 143 of Mine Again
“It matters, Isa.” The words come out sharper than I intend, tight with everything I’ve never said. I force my tone lower. “Because it meant he knew who I was. And he found the one thing he could use to hurt me.”
She blinks, taken aback.
“Him getting to you, Isa… it was, and is, my worst nightmare. And he came so fucking close.”
She places a hand on my chest, gently, as if trying to steady both of us.
“I don’t understand, Luca,” she says softly, like she’s trying to soothe a wild animal.
I take a breath. Not to calm down, but to organize the chaos in my head.
“When I started gaining traction in the hacker world, a quiet, invite-only competition was announced. No rules, no mercy. A hundred million in prize money. Winner takes all.”
Her eyes widen.
“Of course I entered. That kind of money would set us up for life. But more than that, winning meant prestige. People like the Jackal live for that kind of glory. And in the end, it came down to him and me. The Jackal versus the Venom.”
“And you won.”
“I didn’t just win. I humiliated him. Out-hacked him clean. No bragging, no trail, no fanfare. That’s what burned him most.
“He’s loud. Flashy. Territorial. Getting beaten in his own arena by a ghost with a name he couldn’t trace drove him over the edge.”
I pause. My hands curl into fists at my sides.
“The day the funds hit my account, he sent a message. Just one line. No threats, no swearing, none of his usual dramatic bullshit.
“No one makes me look like a fool.
“That’s when I knew. He wasn’t just angry. He was out for blood.”
Isa’s hand tightens over my chest.
“He treats hacking like a hunt. Once he marks his prey, he doesn’t stop. And that day, he became obsessed with destroying me.”
She swallows. “But how did he find me?”
I shake my head slowly. “Because he’s good. The best at finding ghosts. At digging into the dark corners no one else can reach. And back when I first started, I made mistakes.
"After we left Sicily, I thought I was being careful. But I wasn’t as skilled at covering my tracks as I am now. He followed the crumbs. Pieced together who I really was. And then… he found you.”
Isa’s lips part in semi-shock.
“I did everything I could to trace him in return. Every node, everyalias, every burner account. I didn’t sleep. I hunted. But then the third year rolled around. And that’s when I got proof he had his eyes on you.”
Her brows pull together, concern written all over her beautiful face.
“The chocolates,” I tell her.
She still doesn’t understand.
“I sent them, like I did the previous two years. But that time… they didn’t reach you.”
Her eyes shine. “I thought you might have moved on or, worse… were dead.”
“How could I ever move on from you, Isa? You are my everything.”
Something in her shifts. Her lashes lower for a second, like she’s holding back more than tears.
