Hacker’s Heart

Return to Novaria

CHAPTER 2

✨Dante✨

“This is unacceptable.” I hissed as Earl delivered the news that for the first time in years, I'd be flying first class, not private.

“I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience sir.” He replied, bowing his head in a subtle manner.

“Earl,” I called which caused him to raise his head back. “How many years have you been working for me?” I asked, trying to contain my anger.

“Seven years, sir.” He responded in a professional tone.

“It’s been seven years and still, you let this happen? You know I hate anything that disrupts my schedule.” I let out an angry sigh. “You could have avoided this,”

“I apologize, I took this decision to avoid much disruption to your schedule for today. The private jet had to undergo emergency maintenance and you had to land in Novaria in time. So I quickly booked the flight ticket this morning because it was the best alternative we had.”

“When is the time for my flight?” I asked, trying to cope with the situation.

“9:00 am.” He said, taking a glance at his watch. “in about an hour.”

I sigh. “Alright then, I’ll be out soon,” I say, causing him to leave the room after a gentle and subtle bow.

I double-check a few things to make sure I am not leaving anything important behind. I finally checked myself out in the mirror, making sure my outfit was in place and order before exiting the apartment.

We finally made it to the airport, did some little security checks, and boarded the plane.

After many hours of flying, a voice finally breaks my attention away from the iPad in my hands and the silence in the suite. “Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the entire crew, we’d like to thank you for flying with us today, we hope you…….” a middle-aged man in a pilot’s suit said to indicate that we had finally landed.

I tuned out all that he was saying and was finally happy to find out that I could finally leave this place.

I alighted from the plane, Earl behind me, and the heat of the runway bit at my skin as I walked down the jet bridge. The memory of boarding the plane felt like a fresh insult.

“Never again,” I said under my breath, adjusting my cufflinks with a little disdain.

I walked out of the airport and took a few breaths of Novaria air. It’s been 13 years since I had set foot in this country. I was just a child and could barely understand or remember why we left the country in the first place.

Earl brought me out of my reverie by ushering me into a booked airport vehicle. Earl entered the vehicle and sat in the seat next to the chauffeur’s. The chauffeur said some greetings which I ignored before he finally drove out of the airport.

Earl passed me the iPad he had collected from me when we were alighting from the plane.

“Sir, here's your schedule for the month. The first official thing on your list is meeting with your new employees.”

I stared at the filled-up digital calendar with its dates marked with different colors and highlighters.

I didn’t respond to Earl and took a few breaths closing my eyes for a quick moment of solitude.

“We have almost arrived at your destination, sir,” Earl said, disrupting my solitude. We had been on the road for about two hours now and I didn’t notice how fast the time went.

I stared out of the car’s window as the familiar, yet foreign streets of my hometown blurred past my view. I was a child then, but even now as an adult, everything felt distant yet familiar. Like a dream, I could not fully remember.

I was headed towards a place I hadn’t remembered in years……. My childhood home.

As the car finally pulled up to an old estate, my heart clenched involuntarily. The house had been renovated, the old worn-out building now standing tall and pristine. But despite the newly painted look and updated exterior designs, the memories locked within its walls remained.

I stepped out of the car, and passed the iPad to Earl, my trusted right hand.

“Everything has been arranged for you, Dante. The meeting has been set, and the other are waiting for your word.” Earl said in a calm manner.

I didn’t reply immediately. Instead, I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the old neighborhood mixed with the faint smell of newness. It was strange to be back, to stand here as an adult and not as the boy who’d been forced to leave so abruptly.

I nodded. “Cancel all my plans for today, I need to finish a few things.”

I actually needed to gather my thoughts before proceeding with anything. The things I have come to deal with need careful planning and preparation.

Earl did not argue, he knew when to give me space.

As I walked up the pathway, the memories flooded back—the laughter of my younger self, running through these halls with no worries, and then the sudden, harsh reality that tore me from this life. My parents, were always secretive, always training me for something bigger. They’d told me it was to protect me, to prepare me for what the mafia world demanded. And now, here I was—back to where it all started.

But the memories were incomplete. It was like looking at a picture with pieces missing, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember everything. My parents had kept much hidden from me, and now it seemed like those secrets were returning to haunt me.

I stood at the front door for a moment, just staring at it. My hand hovered over the handle, hesitation gripping me unexpectedly. Could I really face everything that came with this place? Could I face the ghosts of the past?

With a firm resolve, Dante pushed the door open. The inside was unrecognizable—modern furniture replaced the old, dusty relics of my childhood. Yet, despite the changes, a sense of nostalgia washed over me. This was still home, no matter how different it looked.

I walked slowly through the halls, letting his mind wander. Why had he come back? The obvious reason was the deal—the mafia business that had pulled him in since his youth. There was trouble brewing, a deal that could ruin everything if not handled properly. The rival mafia was already making moves, taking over territories, and Dante’s family was at risk of losing everything.

But there was more to it than that. Something deeper, something personal, lingered in the air, just out of reach……..Maya

As he made his way to what had once been his father’s study, the room where so many secrets had been kept, Earl entered, his face grim.

“Dante, there’s an emergency,” Earl said in a tone of urgency.

I turned to face him, my calm demeanor slipping slightly. “What is it?”

“The Marcellis’s… they’ve made a move. They’re making a deal that could take us down if we don’t act fast.”

My jaw tightened. This was exactly what I had been afraid of. My return wasn’t just about nostalgia—it was about survival. The enemy was closing in, and the stakes were higher than ever.

“Then we stop them. I didn’t come back here to lose.”

Earl nodded, but his expression remained tense.

“It’s worse than we thought. They’ve already infiltrated some of our trusted allies. The deal is a sham, a setup to dismantle everything your family built. They also seem to have the upper hand, due to their tech-savvy skills”

“Okay then, we will deal with this. But, I need you to run a check on Maya as soon as possible……….. I plan on taking care of all my unfinished business including Maya.”