Chapter 9:The server room
653 Words
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*Monday, 7:58 PM. B2 Level. Kelvin Corp Tower.*
The elevator opened to cold air and blue light.
Server room.
No windows. No art. Just walls of machines humming like a heartbeat.
He was already there.
Kelvin. Black shirt. Sleeves rolled. No tie.
He didn’t look up from the terminal.
“You’re early.”
“Two minutes.” I stepped in. The door hissed shut behind me. Locked.
No cameras. He said so.
Good.
“Where’s the file?”
He finally looked at me. Eyes dark in the server glow.
“You came alone.”
“You said alone or you burn it.” I didn’t blink. “So? IP address. IT guy. Proof.”
He stood.
The room felt smaller.
“You want to burn me, Jenna?” He walked to a rack. Fingered a hard drive. “Then understand what you’re burning.”
He slid the drive into the dock.
Screen lit up.
*LOG: ACCESS 12.03.2023. 02:14 AM. USER: h***:://K.KELVIN. FILE: HALE_MERGER_FINAL.PDF*
My breath caught.
*IP: 192.168.0.1 - PRIVATE RESIDENCE.*
His house.
Proof.
“Print it,” I said.
“No.”
I took a step forward. “Why?”
“Because once you have it, you’ll leave.” He turned the screen to me. “And 364 days becomes 1.”
The machines hummed louder.
“So this is about the contract?” I laughed. “Not Dad?”
“This is about you.” He shut the lid. Black screen. “You’re the first person in 10 years who looked at me and didn’t flinch. Even with the gun. Even with Michael.”
My chest hurt.
“Don’t.”
“Why?” He was 3 feet away now. “Because it sounds like a confession?”
“Because it sounds like a trap.”
He smiled. No humor. “It is.”
The air was hot. Too hot for a server room.
“You’re trying to make me feel sorry for you.”
“I don’t need sorry.” He took another step. 2 feet. “I need you to stay 364 days. Because when you have the file on Day 365, I want you to choose to use it.”
“Choose?”
“Not revenge because you’re hurt.” His voice dropped. “Revenge because you’re done.”
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
*“Jenna. It’s Michael. We need to talk. About Kelvin. Don’t trust him. -R”*
Rose.
She got to him.
I looked up.
Kelvin saw my face.
“Problem?”
“Michael texted me.” I held up the phone. “Rose found him.”
Kelvin’s jaw locked.
“Delete it.”
“No.”
“Jenna—”
“Or what?” I stepped into his space. 1 foot. “You’ll lock the door? You already did.”
He didn’t move back.
“You think Rose is your ally?” His voice was steel. “She wants you out so she can crawl back in.”
“Maybe.” My phone buzzed again. Another text.
I didn’t look.
“Or maybe she’s right. Maybe you’re using me.”
Kelvin’s hand came up.
I flinched.
He stopped.
His fingers hovered 1 inch from my cheek. Not touching.
“I’m not using you,” he said. Low. “I’m keeping you.”
The machines whirred.
I should’ve slapped him.
Instead I whispered, “Then give me the drive.”
His thumb brushed air. Not skin.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if I give it to you now, you’ll hate me forever.”
“And if you don’t?”
“I’ll hate myself more.”
Silence.
Then the door buzzed.
Security.
“Mr. Kelvin? We have an intruder alert. B2.”
Rose.
Kelvin didn’t look away from me.
“Decide, Jenna. The file. Or the door.”
I made my choice.
I grabbed his wrist. Hard.
“Open it.”
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- Writer
