UNMENDED

THE IMPOSSIBLE TARGET The apartment was never truly silent. Even before Elara Ashcroft opened her eyes, the gentle hum of processors drifted through the penthouse like a familiar lullaby. Rows of ultrawide monitors glowed softly against charcoal walls, displaying encrypted network maps, security dashboards, and lines of code that updated every second. Hidden beneath the sleek design were servers powerful enough to protect multinational corporations and expose cybercriminals halfway across the world. This wasn't just an apartment. It was a cyber command center disguised as a luxurious home. Golden sunlight filtered through floor-to-ceiling windows, painting streaks of light across polished wooden floors. Beyond the glass, London was already awake. Cars crawled through the streets below while the city's skyline disappeared into the morning haze. Elara stretched lazily beneath a soft cream duvet before pushing herself upright. Her oversized charcoal nightshirt slipped loosely over one shoulder as she tied her dark hair into a messy bun. She smiled faintly. Another day. Another opportunity. Unlike most people, she never woke up worrying about money. Years of building cybersecurity systems, consulting for global companies, and ethically infiltrating impossible networks had earned her more than she had ever imagined. Still, success had never made her lazy. Discipline had built her life. It would keep it. She walked barefoot into the kitchen, where warmth replaced the cool glow of technology. Cream cabinets, marble countertops, fresh herbs, and bowls of fruit softened the modern design. She opened the refrigerator. "Eggs... spinach... mushrooms... perfect." Cooking was one routine she refused to skip. Many of her colleagues survived on coffee and energy drinks. Elara preferred real food. She chopped vegetables with practiced precision before whisking eggs into a bowl. Butter melted quietly in the pan as the aroma filled the apartment. For a few peaceful minutes, nothing existed beyond breakfast. She placed a neatly folded omelette onto a plate beside toasted sourdough and poured herself a mug of coffee. Just as she lifted the fork— Knock. Three slow taps echoed through the apartment. She froze. Not out of fear. Out of habit. Nobody visited without calling. She calmly placed her fork down. "Iris." "Yes, Elara?" "Check the hallway cameras." A nearby screen came alive. Empty. No footsteps. No visitors. No movement. Curious. She walked toward the entrance, activating the apartment's security systems with a small device hidden inside a hallway drawer. Every lock engaged. Internal cameras began recording automatically. Only then did she unlock the door. The corridor stood completely empty. Her eyes lowered. A black leather file rested neatly in the center of her welcome mat. No postage. No courier logo. No name. Only a smooth silver wax seal. Elara picked it up carefully before closing and locking the door again. She returned to the kitchen and stared at the file. "I was supposed to have today off." The file offered no sympathy. With a quiet sigh, she reached for a letter opener and sliced cleanly through the seal. Inside lay perfectly arranged documents. Every page aligned. Every section labeled. Someone appreciated order. She approved. The first page read: CONFIDENTIAL CONTRACT Beneath it... Gain unrestricted access to the target corporation. Retrieve confidential information. Avoid detection. No sabotage. No contact with employees. She turned another page. Network diagrams. Corporate structure. Encrypted infrastructure. Security architecture. Elara couldn't help smiling. "Interesting." Then another envelope slipped free. Inside was the advance payment. She stared at the figure. Then looked again. It was enough money to buy another luxury apartment overlooking the Thames. For simply retrieving information. "They're desperate." Or hiding something. Either possibility made the assignment more appealing. She leaned back thoughtfully. Normally, she would have begun planning immediately. Instead, she glanced at the clock. Her family dinner. She had promised. As though on cue, her smartwatch vibrated. Dylan Calling... She answered with a smile. "Morning, menace." "Oh, that's lovely," Dylan groaned dramatically. "I call because I love my sister and this is how I'm welcomed?" "You only call when Mum sends you." "...You've become impossible to surprise." "I've always been impossible." "Fair enough." His laughter filled the apartment. "Mum wants to remind you dinner starts at six." "I know." "No mysterious work emergencies." "I know." "No disappearing into your computer." "I know." "No arriving after dessert." She laughed. "That happened once." "It happened three times." "Twice." "Three." She rolled her eyes affectionately. "What are we celebrating anyway?" "Nothing." She frowned. "Nothing?" "Dad just wanted everyone together. Nathan finally has a day off, Ethan flew back from Germany, Caleb somehow isn't working late, and Mum says if she doesn't feed all five of her children under one roof soon, she'll start k********g us." Elara smiled. That sounded exactly like her mother. Dylan's voice softened. "You've been working too hard lately, Ella." She looked toward the office where the black file rested. "I'll be there." "You promise?" "I promise." "Good." A pause. "Love you." Her expression softened. "Love you too." The call ended. For a moment, the apartment felt quieter than before. She carefully returned every document to the file before carrying it into her office. The monitors illuminated as she entered. Her chair slid gently into position. The room recognized its owner. She rested the file in the center of the desk. "Later." First, a shower. Twenty minutes later, Elara descended the staircase looking completely transformed. Her nightshirt had been replaced by a cream silk blouse tucked neatly into tailored black trousers. A slim silver watch rested around her wrist while her dark hair fell in soft waves over one shoulder. Elegant. Professional. Ready. She clipped a tiny wireless earpiece into place. "Iris." "Good morning again." "Prepare workstation." "Already complete." The monitors awakened one after another. Encrypted systems connected. Secure virtual environments loaded. Elara settled comfortably into her chair before opening the confidential file once more. "Let's see who you are." She entered the credentials provided by her client. A secure server accepted them instantly. Folders appeared. Financial records. Executive communications. Corporate structure. Security protocols. She skimmed effortlessly through each section, mentally mapping weaknesses before she ever touched a keyboard. Whoever protected this company knew what they were doing. Good. She disliked easy jobs. Finally... She reached the executive profile. Chief Executive Officer She clicked. The profile began loading. A photograph slowly materialized across the largest monitor. Dark hair. Emerald eyes. Elegant smile. Everything inside Elara stopped. Her breathing. Her thoughts. Even the room itself seemed to fall silent. "No..." The name appeared beneath the photograph. SERAPHINE EVELYN VALE Elara stared at the screen as memories she had buried for nearly ten years came crashing back without permission. A boarding school library. Late-night study sessions. A girl reminding her to eat. A voice wishing her goodnight. Then... Silence. Questions. Abandonment. The one friendship she had never understood. The one wound that had never healed. And now... The woman she had been hired to investigate... Was the only person she had never truly forgotten. Elara leaned back slowly, unable to tear her eyes away from the screen. For the first time in years... The world's greatest ethical hacker wasn't thinking about firewalls, encryption, or impossible security systems. She was thinking about a girl who had disappeared from her life without ever saying goodbye. Outside, rain began to fall against the glass. Inside, the past had just found its way back. She had spent ten years trying to forget Seraphine Vale. Fate had spent ten years making sure she wouldn't. READ ON TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS