Page 35 of Vex
But lying to Vex? That felt wrong on a level she couldn't articulate.
Three hours since he'd stormed out, his final words echoing: "Don't ruin anything else." Three hours of pacing marble floors while their attendant moved through his duties with careful indifference, as if her world hadn't just imploded.
Vex had returned once, briefly, shoulders rigid as he'd activated the communication system. She'd caught fragments through the bedroom door, transport arrangements, departure times. He was getting her off the Mountain, away from Tallyer's threats.
Why was he protecting her? After everything she'd hidden, after manipulating him into bed to avoid his questions, why arrange her safe passage? It would be easier to let Tallyer have her. But instead, he was ensuring her safety while cutting her out of his life.
Was he really protecting her? Or the job?
One night in his arms had completely messed her up. The memory burned through her, the way he'd whispered her name like a prayer, hands mapping every inch of her skin.
She'd felt claimed beyond the physical, marked by something deeper than desire. The connection had been electric, like two shards of broken glass fitting together perfectly. For those brief hours, she'd belonged to someone who saw her as more than just a tool.
But it was as much a lie as her life.
She had to fix this.
The need drove her to her feet. She wouldn't leave branded as the criminal who'd sabotaged their mission. She was the best hacker in three systems, and she'd prove it.
Vex needed a clear connection between Maera Daxkar and the IDA data. Maera was dangling hope of some perfect match so he'd pay an exorbitant amount for his bride.
But where was she storing the data? And how had she gotten it?
The question pulled her to her equipment. The data she'd harvested scrolled across the screen: financial records, communication logs, transaction histories. All circumstantial. The real proof would be buried deeper, in systems requiring physical access.
The Mountain's private servers.
They’d be housed in secure levels below the casino floor, protected by digital and physical security. But she'd memorized the building's layout, the service corridors and maintenance access points. If she could reach the server room, she could plug directly into their network backbone.
She could fix this.
Luisa selected her outfit with precision. The midnight blue evening dress suggested she belonged in exclusive spaces. Matching heels added confidence, transforming her from nervous hacker into wealthy patron. She swept her hair up, applied makeup, and slipped Vex's emerald necklace around her throat.
The transformation was complete. Anyone who saw her would see a rich man's beautiful companion, slightly drunk on champagne and exploring where she shouldn't.
Harmless. Forgettable.
And if Vex saw her and felt regret? Well … Good.
The casino floor buzzed with evening energy. Luisa moved through crowds with ease, smile bright and vacant. A few heads turned thanks to the dress, but no one paid undue attention.
The employee corridor was tucked behind a service alcove, entrance disguised by decorative paneling. She slipped inside, footsteps muffled as she descended toward the secure levels.
She pulled her portable interface from her evening bag, connecting it to the lock pad's data port. The familiar steps centered her, focused her mind on the elegant puzzle of the Mountain's defenses.
She was in.
The server room hummed with quiet energy, banks of processing units creating a maze of blinking lights. This was the Mountain's digital heart. She found an access terminal and connected her equipment, losing herself in the dance of code and countermeasure.
Maera's private files were encrypted, but not beyond her skills. Layer by layer, Luisa peeled back the protection. Financial records showing payments from data brokers. Communication logs with buyers interested in purchasing romantic profiles. And then she found a directory marked with the IDA's encrypted signature, containing files that should never have left their secure servers.
Proof.
Luisa typed a command on her keyboard, executing a code right as the door opened with a hiss. "What are you doing in here?" Zymon, Maera's personal security guard, demanded.
Luisa whipped around, her mind scrambling for an excuse.
But Zymon looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Maera said there was something off with you."
