Present Day
The restaurant's soft lighting catches the rim of Marcus Webb's wine glass as he leans forward, completely absorbed in what Aria is saying.
"So the quantum entanglement creates what's essentially an unbreakable communication channel," she explains, her green eyes bright with excitement. "But the real breakthrough isn't the encryption itself, it's the way the system anticipates attacks before they happen."
Marcus sets down his glass, his expression one of genuine fascination.
"That's brilliant. You're not just defending against known threats, you're predicting unknown ones."
Aria nods, her smile radiant in a way that transforms her entire face.
"Exactly. Most security systems are reactive. Ours is intuitive."
Across the dimly lit restaurant, hidden in a corner booth, Leon
